the eares of God then a speechlesse repining of the soule Heat is more intended with keeping in but Aarons silence was no lesse inward He knew how little he should get by brawling with God If he breathed our discontentment he saw God could speake fire to him againe And therefore he quietly submits to the will of God and held his peace because the Lord had done it There is no greater proofe of grace then to smart patiently and humbly and contentedly to rest the heart in the iustice and wisedome of Gods proceeding and to bee so farre from chiding that we dispute not Nature is froward and though shee well knowes we meddle not with our match when we striue with our Maker yet she pricks vs forward to this idle quarrell and bids vs with Iobs wife Curse and dye If God either chide or smite as seruants are charged to their Masters wee may not answer againe when Gods hand is on our backe our hand must be our mouth else as mothers doe their children God shall whip vs so much the more for crying It is hard for a stander by in this case to distinguish betwixt hard-heartednesse and piety There Aaron sees his sonnes lye he may neither put his hand to them to bury them nor shead a teare for their death Neuer parent can haue iuster cause of mourning then to see his sonnes dead in their sinne if prepared and penitent yet who can but sorrow for their end but to part with children to the danger of a second death is worthy of more then teares Yet Aaron must learne so farre to deny nature that he must more magnifie the iustice of God then lament the iudgement Those whom God hath called to his immediate seruice must know that hee will not allow them the common passions and cares of others Nothing is more naturall then sorrow for the death of our owne if euer griefe be seasonable it becomes a funerall And if Nadab and Abihu had dyed in their beds this fauour had been allowed them the sorrow of their Father and Brethren for when God forbids solemne mourning to his Priests ouer the dead hee excepts the cases of this neernesse of blood Now all Israel may mourne for these two only the Father and Brethren may not God is iealous lest their sorrow should seeme to countenance the sinne which he had punished euen the fearfullest acts of God must be applauded by the heauiest hearts of the faithfull That which the Father and Brother may not doe the Cousins are commanded dead carkasses are not for the presence of God His iustice was shewne sufficiently in killing them They are now fit for the graue not the Sanctuary Neither are they caried out naked but in their coats It was an vnusuall sight for Israel to see a linnen Ephod vpon the Beere The iudgement was so much more remarkable because they had the badge of their calling vpon their backs Nothing is either more pleasing vnto God or more commodious to men then that when he hath executed iudgement it should bee seene and wondred at for therefore he strikes some that he may warne all Of AARON and MIRIAM THe Israelites are stayed seuen dayes in the station of Hazzeroth for the punishment of Miriam The sinnes of the gouernors are a iust stop to the people all of them smart in one all must stay the leasure of Miriams recouerie Whosoeuer seekes the Land of Promise shall finde many lets Amalek Og Schon and the Kings of Canaan meet with Israel these resisted but hindred not their passage their sinnes onely stay them from remouing Afflictions are not crosses to vs in the way to heauen in comparison to our sinnes What is this I see Is not this Aaron that was brother in nature and by office ioynt Commissioner with Moses Is not this Aaron that made his Brother an Intercessor for him to God in the case of his Idolatry Is not this Aaron that climbed vp the Hill of Sinai with Moses Is not this Aaron whom the mouth and hand of Moses consecrated an high Priest vnto God Is not this Miriam the elder Sister of Moses Is not this Miriam that led the Triumph of the Women and sung gloriously to the Lord It not this Miriam which layd her Brother Moses in the Reeds and fetcht her Mother to be his Nurse Both Prophets of God both the flesh and blood of Moses And doth this Aaron repine at the honor of him which gaue himselfe that honour and saued his life Doth this Miriam repine at the prosperity of him whose life she saued Who would not haue thought this should haue beene their glory to haue seene the glory of their owne Brother What could haue beene a greater comfort to Miriam then to thinke How happily doth he now sit at the Sterne of Israel whom I saued from perishing in a Boat of Bul-rushes It is to mee that Israel owes this Commander But now enuy hath so blinded their eyes that they can neither see this priuiledge of nature nor the honour of Gods choyce Miriam and Aaron are in mutiny against Moses Who is so holy that sinnes not What sinne is so vnnaturall that the best can auoyde without God But what weaknesse soeuer may plead for Miriam who can but grieue to see Aaron at the end of so many sinnes Of late I saw him caruing the molten Image and consecrating an Altar to a false god now I see him seconding an vnkind mutiny against his Brother Both sinnes find him accessary neither principall It was not in the power of the legall Priesthood to performe or promise innocency to her Ministers It was necessary wee should haue another high Priest which could not bee tainted That King of righteousnesse was of another order He being without sinne hath fully satisfied for the sinnes of men Whom can it now offend to see the blemishes of the Euangelicall Priesthood when Gods first high Priest is thus miscaried Who can looke for loue and prosperity at once when holy and meeke Moses finds enmity in his owne flesh and blood Rather then we shall want A mans enemies shall be those of his owne house Authority cannot fayle of opposition if it be neuer so mildly swayed that common make-bate will rather raise it out of our owne bosome To doe well and heare ill is Princely The Midianitish wife of Moses cost him deare Before she hazarded his life now the fauour of his people Vnequall matches are seldome prosperous Although now this scandall was onely taken Enuy was not wise enough to choose a ground of the quarrell Whether some secret and emulatory brawles passed between Zipporah and Miriam as many times these sparkes of priuate brawles grow into a perillous and common flame or whether now that Iethro and his family was ioyned with Israel there were surmises of transporting the Gouernment to strangers or whether this vnfit choice of Moses is now raised vp to disparage Gods gifts in him Euen in fight the exceptions were
perillous and impious presumption continuance can no more make any wickednesse safe than the author of sinne no Deuill If I haue once sinned it is too much if oft woe bee to mee if the iteration of my offence cause boldnesse and not rather more sorrow more detestation woe be to me and my sinne if I be not the better because I haue sinned 99 It is strange to see the varieties and proportion of spirituall and bodily diets there bee some creatures that are fatted and delighted with poysons others liue by nothing but aire and some they say by fire others will taste no water but muddie others feed on their fellowes or perhaps on part of themselues others on the excretions of nobler creatures some search into the earth for sustenance or diue into the waters others content themselues with what the vpper earth yeelds them without violence All these and more are answered in the palate of the soule there bee some yea the most to whom sinne which is of a most venemous nature is both food and dainties others that thinke it the onely life to feed on the popular aire of applause others that are neuer well out of the fire of contentions and that wilfully trouble all waters with their priuate humours and opinions others whose crueltie delights in oppression and bloud yea whose enuie gnawes vpon their owne hearts others that take pleasure to reuiue the wicked and foule heresies of the greater wits of the former times others whose worldly mindes root altogether in earthly cares or who not content with the ordinarie prouision of doctrine affect obscure subtilties vnknowne to wiser men others whose too indifferent mindes feed on what-euer opinion comes next to hand without any carefull disquisition of truth so some feed foule others but few cleane and wholsome As there is no beast vpon Earth which hath not his like in the Sea and which perhaps is not in some sort parallelled in the plants of the earth so there is no bestiall disposition which is not answerably found in some men Mankinde therefore hath within it selfe his Goats Chameleons Salamanders Camels Wolues Dogs Swine Moles and whateuer sorts of beasts there are but a few men amongst men to a wise man the shape is not so much as the qualities If I be not a man within in my choices affections inclinations it had beene better for mee to haue beene a beast without A beast is but like it selfe but an euill man is halfe a beast and halfe a Deuill S. 100 Forced fauours are thanklesse and commonly with noble mindes finde no acceptation for a man to giue his soule to God when he sees he can no longer hold it or to bestow his goods when he is forced to depart with them or to forsake his sinne when hee cannot follow it are but vnkinde and cold obediences God sees our necessitie and scornes our compelled offers what man of any generous spirit will abide himselfe made the last refuge of a craued denied and constrained courtesie While God giues mee leaue to keepe my soule yet then to bequeathe it to him and whiles strength and opportunitie serue mee to sinne then to forsake it is both accepted and crowned God loues neither grudged nor necessarie gifts I will offer betimes that hee may vouchsafe to take I will giue him the best that he may take all O God giue me this grace that I may giue thee my selfe freely and seasonably and then I know thou canst not but accept me because this gift is thine owne FINIS MEDITATIONS AND VOWES DIVINE AND MORALL A THIRD CENTVRY By IOS HALL SIC ELEVABITVR FILIVS HOMINIS Io 3. ANCHORA FIDEI LONDON Printed for THOMAS PAVIER MILES FLESHER and John Haviland 1624. TO THE RIGHT WORSHIPFVLL SIR EDMVND BACON Knight increase of honour strength of body perfection of VERTVE SIR There is no wise man would giue his thoughts for all the world which as they are the most pleasing and noble businesse of man being the naturall and immediate issue of that reason whereby he is seuered from brute creatures so they are in their vse most beneficiall to our selues and others For by the meanes hereof we enioy both God and our selues and hereby we make others partners of those rich excellencies which God hath hid in the minde And though it be most easie and safe for a man with the Psalmist to commune with his owne heart in silence yet is it more behouefull to the common good for which both as men and Christians we are ordained that those thoughts which our experience hath found comfortable and fruitfull to our selues should with neglect of all censures be communicated to others The concealement whereof me thinkes can proceed from no other ground but either timorousnesse or enuie Which consideration hath induced me to clothe these naked thoughts in plaine and simple words and to aduenture them into the light after their fellowes Consecrating them the rather to your name for that besides all other respects of dutie they are part of those meditations which in my late peregrination with you tooke me vp vnder the solitarie hilles of Ardenna wanting as then the opportunitie of other employment J offer them to you not for that your selfe is not stored with choice of better but as poore men vse to bring presents to the rich Jf they may carrie acceptation from you and bring profit vnto my soule it shall abundantly satisfie mee who should thinke it honour enough if I might be vouchsafed to bring but one pinne towards the decking of the Spouse of Christ whiles others out of their abundance adorne her with costly robes and rich medals J commend their successe to God their patronage to you their vse to the world That God multiplie his rare fauours vpon you and your worthy Ladie and goe you on to fauour Your Worships humbly deuoted IOS HALL MEDITATIONS AND VOWES 1 GOOD men are placed by God as so many starres in the lower firmament of the world As they must imitate those heauenly bodies in their light and influence so also in their motion and therefore as the Planets haue a course proper to themselues against the sway of the Heauen that carries them about so must each good man haue a motion out of his owne iudgement contrary to the customes and opinions of the vulgar finishing his owne course with the least shew of resistance I will neuer affect singularity except it bee among those that are vicious It is better to doe or thinke well alone than to follow a multitude in euill 2 What strange variety of actions doth the eie of God see at once round about the compasse of the earth and within it Some building houses some deluing for metals some marching in troups or encamping one against another some bargaining in the market some trauelling on their way some praying in their closets others quaffing at the Tauerne some rowing in the Gallies others dallying in their chambers and in short as many
either by fauour or wages few seruants and therefore few sons It is great fauour in God and great honour to me that he will vouchsafe to make me the lowest drudge in his family which place if I had not and were a Monarch of men I were accursed I desire no more but to serue yet Lord thou giuest me more to be thy sonne I heare Dauid say Seemeth it a small matter to you to be the sonne in law to a King What is it then oh what is it to bee the true adopted sonne of the King of glory Let me not now say as Dauid of Saul but as Sauls grand-childe to Dauid Oh what is thy seruant that thou shouldest looke vpon such a dead dogge as I am 22 I am a stranger here below my home is aboue yet I can thinke too well of these forraine vanities and cannot thinke enough of my home Surely that is not so farre aboue my head as my thoughts neither doth so farre passe me in distance as in comprehension and yet I would not stand so much vpon conceiuing if I could admire it enough but my straight heart is filled with a little wonder and hath no roome for the greatest part of glorie that remaineth O God what happinesse hast thou prepared for thy chosen What a purchase was this worthy of the bloud of such a Sauiour As yet I doe but looke towards it afarre off but it is easie to see by the outside how goodly it is within Although as thine house on earth so that aboue hath more glorie within than can be bewrayed by the outward appearance The outer part of thy Tabernacle here below is but an earthly and base substance but within it is furnished with a liuing spirituall and heauenly guest so the outer heauens though they bee as gold to all other materiall creatures yet they are but drosse to thee yet how are euen the outmost walls of that house of thine beautified with glorious lights whereof euery one is a world for bignesse and as an heauen for goodlinesse Oh teach me by this to long after and wonder at the inner part before thou letst me come in to behold it 23 Riches or beautie or what-euer worldly good that hath beene doth but grieue vs that which is doth not satisfie vs that which shall be is vncertaine What folly is it to trust to any of them 24 Securitie makes worldlings merry and therefore are they secure because they are ignorant That is onely solid ioy which ariseth from a resolution when the heart hath cast vp a full account of all causes of disquietnesse and findeth the causes of his ioy more forcible thereupon setling it selfe in a staied course of reioicing For the other so soone as sorrow makes it selfe to be seene especially in an vnexpected forme is swallowed vp in despaire whereas this can meet with no occurrence which it hath not preuented in thought Securitie and ignorance may scatter some refuse morsels of ioy sawced with much bitternesse or may be like some boasting house-keeper which keepeth open doores for one day with much cheere and liues staruedly all the yeere after There is no good Ordinarie but in a good conscience I pittie that vnsound ioy in others and will seeke for this sound ioy in my selfe I had rather weepe vpon a iust cause than reioice vniustly 25 As loue keepes the whole Law so loue onely is the breaker of it being the ground as of all obedience so of all sinne for whereas sinne hath beene commonly accounted to haue two roots Loue and Feare it is plaine that feare hath his originall from loue for no man feares to lose ought but what hee loues Here is sinne and righteousnesse brought both into a short summe depending both vpon one poore affection It shall be my onely care therefore to bestow my loue well both for obiect and measure All that is good I may loue but in seuerall degrees what is simply good absolutely what is good by circumstance onely with limitation There be these three things that I may loue without exception God my neighbour my soule yet so as each haue their due place My body goods fame c. as seruants to the former All other things I will either not care for or hate 26 One would not thinke that pride and base-mindednesse should so well agree yea that they loue so together that they neuer goe asunder That enuie euer proceeds from a base minde is granted of all Now the proud man as he faine would bee enuied of others so he enuieth all men His betters he enuies because he is not so good as they he enuies his inferiours because he feares they should proue as good as he his equals because they are as good as he So vnder bigge lookes he beares a base minde resembling some Cardinals Mule which to make vp the traine beares a costly Port-mantle stuffed with trash On the contrary who is more proud than the basest the Cynicke tramples on Platoes pride but with a worse especially if he be but a little exalted wherein wee see base men so much more haughtie as they haue had lesse before what they might be proud of It is iust with God as the proud man is base in himselfe so to make him basely esteemed in the eies of others and at last to make him base without pride I will contemne a proud man because he is base and pitie him because he is proud 27 Let me but haue time to my thoughts but leisure to thinke of Heauen and grace to my leisure and I can be happy in spight of the world Nothing but God that giues it can bereaue me of grace and he will not for his gifts are without repentance Nothing but death can abridge me of time and when I begin to want time to thinke of heauen I shall haue eternall leisure to enioy it I shall be both waies happie not from any vertue of apprehension in mee which haue no peere in vnworthinesse but from the glorie of that I apprehend wherein the act and obiect are from the author of happinesse He giues me this glorie let me giue him the glorie of his gift His glory is my happinesse let my glorie be his 28 God bestowes fauours vpon some in anger as he strikes othersome in loue The Israelites had better haue wanted their Quailes than to haue eaten them with such sawce And sometimes at our instancie remouing a lesser punishment leaues a greater though insensible in the roome of it I will not so much striue against affliction as displeasure Let me rather be afflicted in loue than prosper without it 29 It is strange that we men hauing so continuall vse of God and being so perpetually beholding to him should be so strange to him and so little acquainted with him since wee account it a peruerse nature in any man that being prouoked with many kinde offices refuses the familiaritie of a worthy friend which doth still seeke it and hath
liue out of the world with thee if thou wilt but let me not liue in the world without thee 90 Sinne is both euill in it selfe and the effect of a former euill and the cause of sinne following a cause of punishment and lastly a punishment it selfe It is a damnable iniquitie in man to multiplie one sinne vpon another but to punish one sinne by another in God is a iudgement both most iust and most fearefull so as all the store-house of God hath not a greater vengeance with other punishments the body smarteth the soule with this I care not how God offends me with punishments so hee punish mee not with offending him 91 I haue seene some afflict their bodies with wilfull famine and scourges of their owne making God spares me that labour for hee whips mee daily with the scourge of a weake body and sometimes with ill tongues He holds me short many times of the feeling of his comfortable presence which is in truth so much more miserable an hunger than that of the body by how much the soule is more tender and the food denied more excellent Hee is my Father infinitely wise to proportion out my correction according to my estate and infinitely louing in fitting mee with a due measure Hee is a presumptuous childe that will make choice of his owne rod. Let mee learne to make a right vse of his corrections and I shall not need to correct my selfe And if it should please God to remit his hand a little I will gouerne my body as a Master not as a Tyrant 92 If God had not said Blessed are those that hunger I know not what could keepe weake Christians from sinking in despaire Many times all I can doe is to finde and complaine that I want him and wish to recouer him Now this is my stay that he in mercie esteemes vs not onely by hauing but by desiring also and after a sort accounts vs to haue that which we want and desire to haue and my soule affirming tells me I doe vnfainedly wish him and long after that grace I misse Let me desire still more and I know I shall not desire alwaies There was neuer soule miscarried with longing after grace O blessed hunger that ends alwaies in fulnesse I am sorry that I can but hunger and yet I would not bee full for the blessing is promised to the hungry Giue mee more Lord but so as I may hunger more Let me hunger more and I know I shall be satisfied 93 There is more in the Christian than thou seest For he is both an entire body of himselfe and he is a limme of another more excellent euen that glorious mysticall body of his Sauiour to whom he is so vnited that the actions of either are reciprocally referred to each other For on the one side the Christian liues in Christ dies in Christ in Christ fulfils the Law possesseth heauen on the other Christ is persecuted by Paul in his members and is persecuted in Paul afterwards by others he suffers in vs he liues in vs he workes in and by vs so thou canst not doe either good or harme to a Christian but thou doest it to his Redeemer to whom he is inuisibly vnited Thou seest him as a man and therefore worthy of fauour for humanities sake Thou seest him not as a Christian worthy of honour for his secret and yet true vnion with our Sauiour I will loue euery Christian for that I see honour him for that I shall see 94 Hell it selfe is scarce a more obscure dungeon in comparison of the earth than earth is in respect of heauen Here the most see nothing and the best see little Here halfe our life is night and our very day is darknesse in respect of God The true light of the world and the Father of lights dwelleth aboue There is the light of knowledge to informe vs and the light of ioy to comfort vs without all change of darknesse There was neuer any captiue loued his dungeon and complained when he must bee brought out to light and libertie whence then is this naturall madnesse in vs men that wee delight so much in this vncleane noysome darke and comfortlesse prison of earth and thinke not of our release to that lightsome and glorious Paradise aboue vs without griefe and repining We are sure that we are not perfectly well here if we could bee as sure that we should be better aboue we would not feare changing Certainly our sense tells vs we haue some pleasure here and we haue not faith to assure vs of more pleasure aboue and hence we settle our selues to the present with neglect of the future though infinitely more excellent The heart followes the eies and vnknowne good is vncared for O Lord doe thou breake thorow this darknesse of ignorance and faithlesnesse wherewith I am compassed Let mee but see my heauen and I know I shall desire it 95 To be carried away with an affectation of fame is so vaine and absurd that I wonder it can be incident to any wise man For what a mole-hill of earth is it to which his name can extend when it is furthest carried by the wings of report and how short a while doth it continue where it is once spread Time the deuourer of his owne brood consumes both vs and our memories not brasse nor marble can beare age How many flattering Poets haue promised immortalitie of name to their Princes who now together are buried long since in forgetfulnesse Those names and actions that are once on the file of heauen are past the danger of defacing I will not care whether I bee knowne or remembred or forgotten amongst men if my name and good actions may liue with God in the records of eternitie 96 There is no man nor no place free from spirits although they testifie their presence by visible effects but in few Euery man is an Oast to entertaine Angels though not in visible shapes as Abraham and Lot The euill ones doe nothing but prouoke vs to sinne and plot mischiefes against vs by casting into our way dangerous obiects by suggesting sinfull motions to our mindes stirring vp enemies against vs amongst men by frighting vs with terrors in our selves by accusing vs to God On the contrary The good Angels are euer remouing our hinderances from good and our occasions of euill miâ—gating our tentations helping vs against our enemies deliuering vs from dangers comforting vs in sorrowes furthering our good purposes and at last carrying vp our soules to heauen It would affright a weake Christian that knowes the power and malice of wicked spirits to consider their presence and number but when with the eies of Elishaes seruant he sees those on his side as present as diligent more power full he cannot but take heart againe especially if he consider that neither of them is without God limiting the one the bounds of their tentation directing the other in the safegard of his children Whereupon
but stay not at it The franticke man cannot auoid the imputation of madnesse though he be sober for many Moones if he rage in one So then the calme minde must be setled in an habituall rest not then firme when there is nothing to shake it but then least shaken when it is most assayled SECT III. Insufficiency of humane precepts WHence easily appeares how vainely it hath beene sought either in such a constant estate of outward things as should giue no distaste to the minde whiles all earthly things varie with the weather and haue no stay but in vncertainty or in the naturall temper of the soule so ordered by humane wisdome as that it should not be affected with any casuall euents to either part since that cannot euer by naturall power be held like to it selfe but one while is cheerefull stirring and ready to vndertake another while drowsie dull comfortlesse prone to rest weary of it selfe loathing his owne purposes his owne resolutions In both which since the wisest Philosophers haue grounded all the rules of their Tranquillity it is plaine that they saw it afarre off as they did heauen it selfe with a desire and admiration but knew not the way to it whereupon alas how slight and impotent are the remedies they prescribe for vnquietnesse Senecaes rules of Tranquillity abridged For what is it that for the inconstancie and lazinesse of the minde still displeasing it selfe in what it doth and for that distemper thereof which ariseth from the fearefull vnthriuing and restlesse desires of it wee should euer bee imploying our selues in some publike affaires chusing our businesse according to our inclination and prosecuting what wee haue chosen wherewith being at last cloyed wee should retire our selues and weare the rest of our time in priuate studies that wee should make due comparatiue trials of our owne abilitie nature of our businesses disposition of our chosen friends that in respect of Patrimonie wee should bee but carelesly affected so drawing it in as it may be least for shew most for vse remouing all pompe bridling our hopes cutting off superfluities for crosses to consider that custome will abate and mitigate them that the best things are but chaines and burdens to those that haue them to those that vse them that the worst things haue some mixture of comfort to those that grone vnder them Or leauing these lower rudiments that are giuen to weake and simple nouices to examine those golden rules of Morality which are commended to the most wise and able practitioners what it is to account himselfe as a Tenant at will To fore-imagine the worst in all casuall matters To auoid all idle and impertinent businesses all pragmaticall medling with affaires of State not to fix our selues vpon any one estate as to bee impatient of a change to call backe the minde from outward things and draw it home into it selfe to laugh at and esteeme lightly of others mis-demeanours Not to depend vpon others opinions but to stand on our owne bottomes to carry our selues in an honest and simple truth free from a curious hypocrisie and affectation of seeming other than we are and yet as free from a base kinde of carelesnesse to intermeddle retirednesse wich societie so as one may giue sweetnesse to the other and both to vs So slackning the minde that we may not loosen it and so bending as we may nor breake it to make most of our selues chearing vp our spirits with varietie of recreations with satiety of meales and all other bodily indulgence sauing that drunkennesse mee thinkes can neither beseeme a wise Philosopher to prescribe nor a vertuous man to practise All these in their kindes please well Allowed yet by Seneâ—a in his last chapter of Tranquillitie Senecaes rules reiected as insufficient profit much and are as soueraigne for both these as they are vnable to effect that for which they are propounded Nature teacheth thee all these should be done shee cannot teach thee to doe them and yet doe all these and no more let mee neuer haue rest if thou haue it For neither are here the greatest enemies of our peace so much as descried afarre off nor those that are noted are hereby so preuented that vpon most diligent practice we can promise our selues any security wherewith who so instructed dare confidently giue challenge to all sinister euents is like to some skilfull Fencer who stands vpon his vsuall wards and plaies well but if there come a strange fetch of an vnwonted blow is put besides the rules of his Art and with much shame ouer-taken And for those that are knowne beleeue mee the minde of man is too weake to beare out it selfe hereby against all onsets There are light crosses that will take an easie repulse others yet stronger that shake the house side but breake not in vpon vs others vehement which by force make way to the heart where they finde none breaking open the doore of the soule that denies entrance Others violent that lift the minde off the hindges or rend the bars of it in peeces others furious that teare vp the very foundations from the bottome leauing no monument behinde them but ruine Antonius Pius The wisest and most resolute Moralist that euer was lookt pale when he should taste of his Hemlocke and by his timorousnesse made sport to those that enuied his speculations An Epistle to the Asians concerning the persecuted Christians The best of the Heathen Emperors that was honoured with the title of piety iustly magnified that courage of Christians which made them insult ouer their tormentors and by their fearelesnesse of earth-quakes and deaths argued the truth of their Religion It must be it can be none but a diuine power that can vphold the minde against the rage of maine afflictions and yet the greatest crosses are not the greatest enemies to inward peace Let vs therefore looke vp aboue our selues and from the rules of an higher Art supply the defects of naturall wisdome giuing such infallible directions for tranquillity that whosoeuer shall follow cannot but liue sweetly and with continuall delight applauding himselfe at home when all the world besides him shall be miserable Disposition of the worke To which purpose it shall be requisite first to remoue all causes of vnquietnesse and then to set downe the grounds of our happy rest SECT IV. I Finde on the hand two vniuersall enemies of Tranquillity Enemies of inward peace diuided into their rankes Conscience of euill done Sense or feare of euill sufferred The former in one word we call sinnes the latter Crosses The first of these must be quite taken away the second duely tempered ere the heart can be at rest For first how can that man be at peace that is at variance with God and himselfe How should peace be Gods gift if it could be without him if it could be against him It is the profession of sinne although faire-spoken at the first closing to be
findes not any present cause of comfort one is hanted with his sinne another distracted with his passion amongst all which he is a miracle of all men that liues not some-way discontented So we liue not while we doe liue onely for that we want either wisdome or will to husband our liues to our owne best aduantage O the inequality of our cares Let riches or honour be in question we sue to them we seeke for them with importunity with seruile ambition our paines neede no sollicitor yea there is no way wrong that leads to this end wee abhorre the patience to stay till they inquire for vs. And if euer as it rarely happens our desert and worthinesse winnes vs the fauour of this proffer we meet it with both hands not daring with our modest denyals to whet the instancie and double the intreaties of so welcome suiters Yet loe here the onely true and precious riches the highest aduancement of the soule peace and happinesse seekes for vs sues to vs for acceptation our answers are coy and ouerly such as we giue to those clyents that looke to gaine by our fauours If our want were through the scarcitie of good we might yet hope for pity to ease vs but now that it is through negligence and that wee perish with our hands in our bosome we are rather worthy of stripes for the wrong wee doe our selues than of pity for what we suffer That wee may and will not in opportunitie of hurting others is noble and Christian but in our owne benefit sluggish and sauouring of the worst kinde of vnthriftinesse Saiest thou then this peace is good to haue but hard to get It were a shamefull neglect that hath no pretence Is difficulty sufficient excuse to hinder thee from the pursuit of riches of preferment of learning of bodily pleasures Art thou content to sit shrugging in a base cottage ragged famished because house clothes and food will neither be had without money nor money without labour nor labour without trouble and painfulnesse Who is so mercifull as not to say that a whip is the best almes for so lazie and wilfull need Peace should not be good if it were not hard Goe and by this excuse shut thy selfe out of heauen at thy death and liue miserably till thy death because the good of both worlds is hard to compasse There is nothing but misery on earth and hell below that thou canst come too without labour And if wee can bee content to cast away such immoderate and vnseasonable paines vpon these earthly trifles as to weare our bodies with violence and to encroach vpon the night for time to get them what madnesse shall it seeme in vs not to afford a lesse labour to that which is infinitely better and which onely giues worth and goodnesse to the other Wherefore if we haue not vowed enmity with our selues if we be not in loue with misery and vexation if wee bee not obstinately carelesse of our owne good let vs shake off this vnthriftie dangerous and desperate negligence and quicken these dull hearts to a liuely and effectuall search of what onely can yeeld them sweet and abiding contentment which once attained how shall we insult ouer euils and bid them doe their worst How shall we vnder this calme and quiet day laugh at the rough weather and vnsteady motions of the world How shall heauen and earth smile vpon vs and wee on them commanding the one aspiring to the other How pleasant shall our life bee while neither ioyes nor sorrowes can distemper it with excesse yea while the matter of ioy that is within vs turnes all the most sad occurrences into pleasure How deare and welcome shall our death bee that shall but lead vs from one heauen to another from peace to glory Goe now yee vaine and idle worldlings and please your selues in the large extent of your rich Mannors or in the homage of those whom basenesse of minde hath made slaues to your greatnesse or in the price and fashions of your full ward-robe or in the wanton varieties of your delicate Gardens or in your coffers full of red and white earth or if there be any other earthly thing more alluring more precious enioy it possesse it and let it possesse you Let mee haue onely my Peace and let me neuer want it till I enuie you FINIS THE ART OF DIVINE MEDITATION EXEMPLIFIED WITH TWO LARGE Patternes of Meditation The one of eternall Life as the end The other of Death as the way Reuised and augmented By IOS HALL SIC ELEVABITVR FILIVS HOMINIS Io 3. ANCHORA FIDEI LONDON Printed for THOMAS PAVIER MILES FLESHER and John Haviland 1624. TO THE RIGHT WORSHIPFVLL SIR RICHARD LEA Knight all increase of true honour with God and men SIR euer since J began to bestow my selfe vpon the common good studying wherein my labours might be most seruiceable J still found they could be no way so well improued as in that part which concerneth deuotion and the practice of true pietie For on the one side I perceiued the number of Polemicall bookes rather to breed than end strifes and those which are doctrinall by reason of their multitude rather to oppresse than satisfie the Reader wherein if we write the same things wee are iudged tedious if different singular On the other part respecting the Reader J saw the braines of men neuer more stuffed their tongues neuer more stirring their hearts neuer more emptie nor their hands more idle Wherefore after those sudden Meditations which passed me without rule J was easily induced by their successe as a small thing moues the willing to send forth this Rule of Meditation and after my Heauen vpon Earth to discourse although by way of example of Heauen aboue Jn this Art of mine J confesse to haue receiued more light from one obscure namelesse Monke which wrote some 112. yeeres agoe than from the directions of all other Writers J would his humilitie had not made him niggardly of his name that we might haue knowne whom to haue thanked It had beene easie to haue framed it with more curiosity but God and my soule know that J made profit the scope of my labour and not applause and therefore to chuse J wished rather to bee rude than vnprofitable Jf now the simplicitie of any Reader shall beâ—eaue him of the benefit of my precepts I know hee may make his vse of my examples Why I haue honoured it with your name J need not giue account to the world which alreadie knoweth your worth and deserts and shall see by this that J acknowledge them Goe you on happily according to the heauenly aduice of your Iunius in your worthy and glorious profession still bearing your selfe as one that knoweth vertue the truest Nobilitie and Religion the best vertue The God whom you serue shall honour you with men and crowne you in heauen To his grace J humbly commend you requesting you only to accept the worke and continue
Meditation would not be long requiring rather that the extension and length should be put into the vigour and feruency of it for that is not here intended to be the principall businesse but an introduction to another and no otherwise than as a Portall to this building of Meditation The matter whereof shall be that the course of our Meditation may be guided aright and blessed that all distractions may be auoided our iudgement enlightned our inuentions quickned our wills rectified our affections whetted to heauenly things our hearts enlarged to God-ward our deuotion enkindled so that we may finde our corruptions abated our graces thriuen our soules and liues euery way bettered by this exercise CHAP. XV. SVch is the common entrance into this worke Particular and proper entrance into the matter which is in our choice thereof there is another yet more particular and proper wherein the minde recollecting it selfe maketh choice of that Theme or matter whereupon it will bestow it selfe for the present settling it selfe on that which it hath chosen which is done by an inward inquisition made into our heart of what we both doe and should thinke vpon reiecting what is vnexpedient and vnprofitable In both which the Soule like vnto some noble Hawke le ts passe the Crowes and Larkes and such other worthlesse Birds that crosse her way and stoopeth vpon a Fowle of price worthy of her flight after this manner What wilt thou muse vpon O my soule thou seest how little it auaileth thee to wander and roue about in vncertainties thou findest how little sauour there is in these earthly things wherewith thou hast wearied thy selfe Trouble not thy selfe any longer with Martha about the many and needlesse thoughts of the world None but heauenly things can afford thee comfort vp then my soule and minde those things that are aboue whence thy selfe art Amongst all which wherein shouldest thou rather meditate than of the life and glory of Gods Saints A worthier imployment thou canst neuer finde than to thinke vpon that estate thou shalt once possesse and now desirest CHAP. XVI HItherto the entrance after which our Meditation must proceed in due order The proceeding of our Meditation not troubledly not preposterously It begins in the vnderstanding endeth in the affection It begins in the braine descends to the heart Begins on earth ascends to Heauen Not suddenly but by certaine staires and degrees till we come to the highest I haue found a subtill scale of Meditation admired by some Professors of this Art aboue all other humane deuices And therein a Method allowed by some Authors reiected by vs. and farre preferred by them to the best directions of Origen Austen Bernard Hugo Bonauenture Gerson and whosoeuer hath beene reputed of greatest perfection in this skill The seuerall staires whereof lest I should seeme to defraud my Reader through enuy I would willingly describe were it not that I feared to scarre him rather with the danger of obscurity from venturing further vpon this so worthy a businesse yet lest any man perhaps might complaine of an vnknowne losse my Margent shall finde roome for that which I hold too knotty for my Text. The Scale of Meditation of an Author ancient but namelesse * Degrees of Preparation 1 Question What I thinke should thinke 2 Excussion A repelling of what I should not thinke 3 Choice or Election Of what most necessary expedient comely * Degrees of proceeding in the vnderstanding 4 Commemoration An actuall thinking vpon the matter elected 5 Consideration A redoubled Commemoration of the same till it be fully knowne 6 Attention A fixed and earnest consideration whereby it is fastned in the minde 7 Explanation A clearing of the thing considered by similitudes 8 Tractation An extending the thing considered to other points where all questions of doubts are discussed 9 Dijudication An estimation of the worth of the thing thus handled 10 Causation A confirmation of the estimation thus made 11 Rumination A sad and serious Meditation of all the former till it may work vpon the affections From hence to the degrees of affection * In all which after the incredible commendations of some practitioners I doubt not but an ordinarie Reader will easily espie a double fault at the least Darknesse and Coincidence that they are both too obscurely deliuered and that diuers of them fall into other not without some vaine superfluity For this part therefore which concerneth the vnderstanding I had rather to require onely a deepe and firme Consideration of the thing propounded which shall bee done if we follow it in our discourse through all or the principall of those places which naturall reason doth affoord vs wherein let no man pleade ignorance or feare difficulty wee are all thus farre borne Logicians neither is there in this so much neede of skill as of industry In which course yet wee may not bee too curious in a precise search of euery place and argument without omission of any though to bee fetcht in with racking the inuention For as the minde if it goe loose and without rule roues to no purpose so if it be too much fettered with the gieues of strict regularitie moueth nothing at all CHAP. XVII Premonitions concerning our proceeding in the first part of Meditation ERe I enter therefore into any particular tractation there are three things whereof I would premonish my Reader concerning this first part which is in the vnderstanding First that I desire not to binde euery man to the same vniforme proceeding in this part Practice and custome may perhaps haue taught other courses more familiar and not lesse direct If then we can by any other method worke in our hearts so deepe an apprehension of the matter meditated as it may duly stirre the affections it is that onely we require Secondly that whosoeuer applieth himselfe to this direction thinke him not necessarily tied to the prosecution of all these Logicall places which hee findeth in the sequele of our Treatise so as his Meditation should be lame and imperfect without the whole number for there are some Themes will not beare all these as when we meditate of God there is no roome for Causes or Comparisons and others yeeld them with such difficulty that their search interrupteth the chiefe worke intended It shall be sufficient if we take the most pregnant and most voluntary Thirdly that when we sticke in the disposition of any the places following as if meditating of Sinne I cannot readily meet with the Materiall and Formall Causes or the Appendances of it we racke not our mindes too much with the inquiry thereof which were to striue more for Logique than deuotion but without too much disturbance of our thoughts quietly passe ouer to the next If we breake our teeth with the shell wee shall finde small pleasure in the kernell Now then for that my only feare is lest this part of my discourse shall seeme ouer-perplexed vnto the vnlearned Reader I will in this
might be said I deny not of euery Vertue of euery Vice J desired not to say all but enough Jf thou doe but reade or like these J haue spent good houres ill but if thou shalt hence abiure those Vices which before thou thoughtest not ill-fauoured or fall in loue with any of these goodly faces of Vertue or shalt hence finde where thou hast any little touch of these euils to cleare thy selfe or where any defect in these graces to supply it neither of vs shall need to repent of our labour THE SVMME OF THE WHOLE FIRST BOOKE THe Prooeme Page 171 Character of Wisdome Page 173 Of Honestie Page 174 Of Faith ibid. Of Humilitie Page 175 Of Valour Page 176 Of Patience Page 177 Of True-Friendship ibid. Of True-Nobilitie Page 178 Of the good Magistrate Page 179 Of the Penitent Page 180 Of the Happy Man Page 181 SECOND BOOKE THe Prooeme Page 185 Character of the Hypocrite Page 187 Of the Busie-Bodie Page 188 Of the Superstitious Page 177 Of the Profane ibid. Of the Male-content Page 189 Of the Inconstant Page 191 Of the Flatterer Page 192 Of the Slothfull ibid. Of the Couetous Page 193 Of the Vaine-glorious Page 194 Of the Presumptuous Page 195 Of the Distrustfull Page 196 Of the Ambitious Page 197 Of the Vnthrift Page 198 Of the Enuious ibid. THE FIRST BOOKE CHARACTERISMES OF VERTVES By IOS HALL SIC ELEVABITVR FILIVS HOMINIS Io 3. ANCHORA FIDEI LONDON Printed for THOMAS PAVIER MILES FLESHER and John Haviland 1624. THE PROOEME VErtue is not loued enough because she is not seene and Vice loseth much detestation because her vglinesse is secret Certainly my Lords there are so many beauties and so many graces in the face of Goodnesse that no eye can possibly see it without affection without rauishment and the visage of Euill is so monstrous through loathsome deformities that if her louers were not ignorant they would be mad with disdaine and astonishment What need we more than to discouer these two to the world This worke shall saue the labour of exhorting and disswasion J haue here done it as I could following that ancient Master of Morality Theophrastus who thought this the fittest taske for the ninety and ninth yeere of his age and the profitablest monument that he could leaue for a fare-well to his Grecians Loe here then Vertue and Vice stript naked to the open view and despoiled one of her rags the other of her ornaments and nothing left them but bare presence to pleade for affection see now whether shall finde more suters And if still the vaine mindes of lewd men shall dote vpon their old mistresse it will appeare to be not because she is not foule but for that they are blinde and bewitched And first behold the goodly features of Wisdome an amiable vertue and worthy to leade this Stage which as she extends her selfe to all the following Graces so amongst the rest is for her largenesse most conspicuous CHARACTER OF THE WISE MAN THere is nothing that hee desires not to know but most and first himselfe and not so much his owne strength as his weaknesses neither is his knowledge reduced to discourse but practice Hee is a skilfull Logician not by nature so much as vse his working minde doth nothing all his time but make syllogismes and draw out conclusions euery thing that hee sees and heares serues for one of the premisses with these hee cares first to informe himselfe then to direct others Both his eies are neuer at once from home but one keepes house while the other roues abroad for intelligence In materiall and weightie points he abides not his minde suspended in vncertainties but hates doubting where hee may where he should be resolute and first he makes sure worke for his soule accounting it no safetie to bee vnsetled in the fore-knowledge of his finall estate The best is first regarded and vaine is that regard which endeth not in securitie Euery care hath his iust order neither is there any one either neglected or misplaced Hee is seldome ouerseene with credulitie for knowing the falsenesse of the world hee hath learn'd to trust himselfe alwaies others so farre as hee may not bee dammaged by their disappointment He seekes his quietnesse in secrecie and is wont both to hide himselfe in retirednesse and his tongue in himselfe He loues to be ghessed at not knowne and to see the world vnseene and when he is forced into the light shewes by his actions that his obscuritie was neither from affectation nor weaknesse His purposes are neither so variable as may argue inconstancie nor obstinately vnchangeable but framed according to his after-wits or the strength of new occasions He is both an apt scholler and an excellent master for both euery thing he sees informes him and his minde enriched with plentifull obseruation can giue the best precepts His free discourse runs backe to the ages past and recouers euents out of memorie and then preuenteth Time in flying forward to future things and comparing one with the other can giue a verdict well-neere propheticall wherein his coniectures are better than anothers iudgements His passions are so many good seruants which stand in a diligent attendance ready to be commanded by reason by Religion and if at any time forgetting their duty they be miscarried to rebell he can first conceale their mutinie then suppresse it In all his iust and worthy designes hee is neuer at a losse but hath so proiected all his courses that a second begins where the first failed and fetcheth strength from that which succeeded not There be wrongs which he will not see neither doth he alwaies looke that way which he meaneth nor take notice of his secret smarts when they come from great ones In good turnes he loues not to owe more than he must in euill to owe and not pay Iust censures he deserues not for he liues without the compasse of an aduersarie vniust he contemneth and had rather suffer false infamie to die alone than lay hands vpon it in an open violence He confineth himselfe in the circle of his owne affaires and lists not to thrust his finger into a needlesse fire Hee stands like a center vnmoued while the circumference of his estate is drawne aboue beneath about him Finally his wit hath cost him much and he can both keepe and value and imploy it He is his owne Lawyer the treasurie of knowledge the oracle of counsell blinde in no mans cause best-sighted in his owne Of an Honest man HE lookes not to what hee might doe but what hee should Iustice is his first guide the second law of his actions is expedience Hee had rather complaine than offend and hates sinne more for the indignitie of it than the danger his simple vprightnesse workes in him that confidence which oft times wrongs him and giues aduantage to the subtill when he rather pitties their faithlesnesse than repents of his credulitie hee hath but one heart and that
bodie vexation of conscience distemper of passions complaint of estate feares and sense of euill hopes and doubts of good ambitious rackirgs couetous toyles enuious vnderminings irkesome disappointments weary sacieties restlesse desires and many worlds of discontentments in this one What wonder is it that we would liue We laugh at their choice that are in loue with the deformed and what a face is this we dote vpon See if sinnes and cares and crosses haue not like a filthy Morphew ouer-spread it and made it loathsome to all iudicious eyes I maruell then that any wise men could be other but Stoicks and could haue any conceit of life but contemptuous not more for the misery of it while it lasteth then for the not lasting we may loue it wee cannot hold it What a shadow of a smoake what a dreame of a shadow is this wee affect Wise Salomon sayes there is a time to be borne and a time to dye you doe not heare him say a time to liue What is more flitting then time Yet life is not long enough to be worthy of the title of time Death borders vpon our birth and our cradle stands in our graue We lament the losse of our parents how soone shall our sonnes bewaile ours Loe I that write this and you that reade it how long are we here It were well if the world were as our tent yea as our Inne if not to lodge yet to bait in but now it is onely our thorow-fare one generation passeth another commeth none stayeth If this earth were a Paradise and this which we call our life were sweet as the ioyes aboue yet how should this ficklenesse of it coole our delight Grant it absolute who can esteeme a vanishing pleasure How much more now when the drammes of our honey are lost in pounds of gall when our contentments are as farre from sincerity as continuance Yet the true apprehension of life though ioyned with contempt is not enough to settle vs if either we be ignorant of death or ill perswaded for if life haue not worth enough to allure vs yet death hath horror enough to affright vs. Hee that would die cheerefully must know death his friend what is hee but the faithfull officer of our Maker who euer smiles or frownes with his Master neither can either shew or nourish enmitie where God fauours when he comes fiercely and puls a man by the throat and summons him to Hell who can but tremble The messenger is terrible but the message worse hence haue risen the miserable despaires and furious rauing of the ill conscience that findes no peace within lesse without But when he comes sweetly not as an executioner but as a guide to glory and profers his seruice and shewes our happinesse and opens the doore to our heauen how worthy is he of entertainment how worthy of gratulation But his salutation is painfull if courteous what then The Physician heales vs not without paine and yet wee reward him It is vnthankfulnesse to complaine vvhere the answer of profit is excessiue Death paineth how long how much with what proportion to the sequell of ioy O death if thy pangs be grieuous yet thy rest is sweet The constant expectation that hath possessed that rest hath already swallowed those pangs and makes the Christian at once wholly dead to his paine wholly aliue to his glory The soule hath not leysure to care for her suffering that beholds her crowne which if shee were conioyned to fetch thorow the flames of hell her faith would not sticke at the condition Thus in briefe he that liues Christianly shall dye boldly he that findes his life short and miserable shall dye willingly hee that knowes death and fore-sees glory shall die cheerefully and desirously To M. Samuel Burton Arch-deacon of Glocester EP. III. A discourse of the tryall and choice of the true Religion Sir This Discourse inioyned by you I send to your censure to your disposing but to the vse of others Vpon your charge I haue written it for the wauering If it seeme worthy communicate it else it is but a dash of your pen. I feare onely the breuitie a Volume were too little for this Subiect It is not more yours then the Author Farewell WE doe not more affect varietie in all other things then wee abhorre it in Religion Euen those which haue held the greatest falshoods hold that there is but one truth I neuer read of more then one Hereticke that held all Heresies true neither did his opinion seeme more incredible then the relation of it God can neither be multiplyed nor Christ diuided if his coat might bee parted his bodie was intire For that then all sides chalenge Truth and but one can possesse it let vs see who haue found it who enioy it There are not many Religions that striue for it tho many opinions Euery Heresie albe fundamentall makes not a Religion We say not The Religion of Arrians Nestorians Sabellians Macedonians but the sect or heresie No opinion challenges this name in our vsuall speech for I discusse not the proprietie but that which arising from many differences hath setled it selfe in the world vpon her owne principles not without an vniuersall diuision Such may soone be counted Tho it is true there are by so much too many as there are more then one Fiue religions then there are by this rule vpon earth which stand in competition for truth Iewish Turkish Greekish Popish Reformed whereof each pleads for it selfe with disgrace of the other The plaine Reader doubts how he may fit Iudge in so high a plea God hath put this person vpon him while he chargeth him to try the spirits to retaine the good reiect the euill If still he plead with Moses insufficiencie let him but attend God shall decide the case in his silence without difficultie The Iew hath little to say for himselfe but impudent denials of our Christ of their Prophecies whose very refusall of him more strongly proues him the true Messias neither could he be iustified to be that Sauiour if they reiected him not since the Prophets fore-saw and fore-told not their repelling of him onely but their reuiling If there were no more arguments God hath so mightily confuted them from heauen by the voice of his iudgement that al the vvorld hisseth at their conuiction Loe their very sinne is capitally written in their desolation and contempt One of their owne late Doctors seriously expostulates in a relenting Letter to another of his fellow Rabbins what might be the cause of so long and desperate a ruine of their Israel and comparing their former captiuities with their former sinnes argues and yet feares to conclude that this continuing punishment must needs be sent for some sinne so much greater then Idolatry Oppression Sabbath-breaking by how much this plague is more grieuous then all the other Which his feare tels him and he may beleeue it can be no other but the murder and refusall of their
Gods ancient law would haue made a quicke dispatch and haue determined the case by the death of the offender and the liberty of the innocent and not it alone How many Heathen Law-giuers haue subscribed to Moses Arabians Grecians Romans yea very Gothes the dregs of Barbarisme haue thought this wrong not expiable but by blood With vs the easinesse of reuenge as it yeelds frequence of offences so multitude of doubts Whether the wronged husband should conceale or complaine complaining whether he should retaine or dismisse dismissing whether he may marry or must continue single not continuing single whether he may receiue his own or chuse another but your inquiries shall be my bounds The fact you say is too euident Let me aske you To your selfe or to the world This point alone must vary our proceedings Publike notice requires publike discharge Priuate wrongs are in our owne power publike in the hands of authority The thoughts of our owne brests while they smother themselues within vs are at our command whether for suppressing or expressing but if they once haue vented themselues by words vnto others eares now as common strayes they must stand to the hazard of censure such are our actions Neither the sword nor the keyes meddle within doores what but they vvithout If fame haue laid hold on the wrong prosecute it cleere your name cleere your house yea Gods Else you shall be reputed a Pandar to your owne bed and the second shame shall surpasse the first so much as your owne fault can more blemish you then anothers If there were no more he is cruelly mercifull that neglects his owne fame But what if the sinne were shrouded in secrecy The loathsomnesse of vice consists not in common knowledge It is no lesse hainous if lesse talked of Report giues but shame God and the good soule detest close euils Yet then I ask not of the offence but of the offender not of her crime but her repentance She hath sinned against heauen and you But hath she washed your polluted bed with her teares Hath her true sorrow beene no lesse apparant then her sinne Hath she peeced her old vow with new protestations of fidelity Do you find her at once humbled and changed Why should that eare be deafe to her prayers that was open to her accusation why is there not yet place for mercy Why doe we Christians liue as vnder Martiall law wherein we sinne but once Plead not authority Ciuilians haue beene too rigorous the mercifull sentence of Diuinity shal sweetly temper humane seuereness How many haue we known the better for their sinne That Magdalene her predecessor in filthinesse had neuer loued so much if she had not so much sinned How oft hath Gods Spouse deserued a diuorce which yet still her confessions her teares haue reuersed How oft hath that scroll beene written and signed and yet againe cancelled and torne vpon submission His actions not his words onely are our precepts Why is man cruell where God relents The wrong is ours onely for his sake without whose law were no sinne If the Creditor please to remit the debt doe standers-by complaine But if she be at once filthy and obstinate flie from her bed as contagious Now your beneuolence is adultery you impart your body to her she her sinne to you A dangerous exchange An honest body for an harlots sinne Herein you are in cause that she hath more then one adulterer I applaud the rigour of those ancient Canons which haue still roughly censured euen this cloake of vice As there is necessity of charity in the former so of iustice in this If you can so loue your wife that you detest not her sin you are a better husband then a Christian a better bawd then an husband I dare say no more vpon so generall a relation good Physitians in dangerous diseases dare not prescribe on bare sight of vrine or vncertaine report but will feele the pulse and see the symptomes ere they resolue on the receit You see how no niggard I am of my counsels would God I could as easily asswage your griefe as satisfie your doubts To M. ROBERT HAY. EPIST. VIII A Discourse of the continuall exercise of a Christian how he may keepe his heart from hardnesse and his wayes from error TO keepe the heart in vre with God is the highest taske of a Christian Good motions are not frequent but the constancy of good disposition is rare and hard This worke must be continuall or else speedeth not like as the body from a setled and habituall distemper must be recouered by long diets and so much the rather for that we cannot intermit here without relapses If this field be not tilled euery day it will runne out into thistles The euening is fittest for this worke when retyred into our selues we must cheerefully and constantly both looke vp to God and into our hearts as we haue to doe with both to God in thanksgiuing first then in request It shall be therefore expedient for the soule duly to recount to it selfe all the specialties of Gods fauours a confused thankes fauours of carelesnesse and neither doth affect vs nor win acceptance aboue Bethinke your selfe then of all these externall inferiour earthly graces that your being breathing life motion reason is from him that hee hath giuen you a more noble nature then the rest of the creatures excellent faculties of the mind perfection of senses soundnesse of body competency of estate seemlinesse of condition fitnesse of calling preseruation from dangers rescue out of miseries kindnesse of friends carefulnesse of education honesty of reputation liberty of recreations quietnesse of life opportunity of well-doing protection of Angels Then rise higher to his spirituall fauours tho here on earth and striue to raise your affections with your thoughts Blesse God that you were borne in the light of the Gospell for your profession of the truth for the honor of your vocation for your incorporating into the Church for the priuiledge of the Sacraments the free vse of the Scriptures the communion of Saints the benefit of their prayers the ayde of their counsels the pleasure of their conuersation for the beginnings of regeneration any foot-steps of faith hope loue zeale patience peace ioy conscionablenesse for any desire of more Then let your soule mount highest of all into her heauen and acknowledge those celestiall graces of her election to glory redemption from-shame and death of the intercession of her Sauiour of the preparation of her place and there let her stay a while vpon the meditation of her future ioyes This done the way is made for your request Sue now to your God as for grace to answer these mercies so to see wherein you haue not answered them From him therefore cast your eyes downe vpon your selfe and as some carefull Iusticer doth a suspected fellon so doe you strictly examine your heart of what you haue done that day of what you should haue done enquire whether
complaine could neuer haue beene sustained by men What shall we then thinke if hee were affrighted with terrors perplexed with sorrowes and distracted with both these And lo he was all these for first here was an amazed feare for millions of men to despaire was not so much as for him to feare and yet it was no slight feare he began 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to be astonished with terror Which in the dayes of his flesh offered vp prayers and supplications with strong cries and teares to him that was able to helpe him and was heard in that hee feared Neuer was man so afraid of the torments of Hell as Christ standing in our roome of his Fathers wrath Feare is still sutable to apprehension Neuer man could so perfectly apprehend this cause of feare he felt the chastisements of our peace yea the curse of our sins and therefore might well say with DAVID I suffer thy terrors with a troubled minde yea with IOB The arrowes of God are in mee and the terrors of God fight against me With feare there was a dejecting sorrow 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 My soule is on all sides heauy to the death his strong cryes his many teares 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 are witnesses of this Passion hee had formerly shed teares of pittie and teares of loue but now of anguish hee had before sent forth cries of mercie neuer of complaint till now when the Sonne of God weepes and cries what shall wee say or thinke yet further betwixt both these and his loue what a conflict was there It is not amisse distinguished that he was alwayes in Agone but now in 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in a struggling passion of mixed griefe Behold this field was not without sweat and bloud yea a sweat of bloud Oh what Man or Angell can conceiue the taking of that heart that without all outward violence meerely out of the extremitie of his owne Passion bled through the flesh and skin not some faint deaw but solid drops of blood No thornes no nailes fetcht blood from him with so much paine as his owne thoughts hee saw the fierce wrath of his Father and therefore feared hee saw the heauie burden of our sinnes to be vndertaken and thereupon besides feare iustly grieued hee saw the necessitie of our eternall damnation if he suffered not if hee did suffer of our redemption and therefore his loue incountred both griefe and feare In it selfe hee would not drinke of that cup. In respect of our good and his decree he would and did and while hee thus striueth hee sweats and bleeds There was neuer such a combat neuer such a bloodshed and yet it is not finished I dare not say with some Schoolemen that the sorrow of his Passion was not so great as the sorrow of his compassion yet that was surely exceeding great To see the vngratious carelesnesse of mankinde the slender fruit of his sufferings the sorrowes of his Mother Disciples friends to fore-see from the watch tower of his Crosse the future temptations of his children desolations of his Church all these must needes strike deepe into a tender heart These hee still sees and pitties but without passion then hee suffered in seeing them Can we yet say any more Lo all these sufferings are aggrauated by his fulnesse of knowledge and want of comfort for he did not shut his eyes as one saith when hee drunke this cup he saw how dreggish and knew how bitter it was Sudden euils afflict if not lesse shorter He fore-saw and fore-said euerie particular he should suffer so long as he fore-saw he suffered the expectation of euill is not lesse then the sense to looke long for good is a punishment but for euill is a torment No passion workes vpon an vnknowne obiect as no loue so no feare is of what we know not Hence men feare not Hell because they fore-see it not if wee could see that pit open before wee come at it it would make vs tremble at our sins and our knees to knocke together as Baltazars and perhaps without faith to runne madde at the horror of iudgement He saw the burden of all particular sinnes to be laid vpon him euery dramme of his Fathers wrath was measured out to him ere he toucht this potion this cup was full and hee knew that it must be wring'd not a drop left it must be finished Oh yet if as he foresaw all his sorrowes so he could haue seene some mixture of refreshing But I found none to comfort me no none to pittie me And yet it is a poore comfort that arises from pittie Euen so O Lord thou treadest this wine-presse alone none to accompanie none to assist thee I remember Ruffinus in his Ecclesiasticall storie reports that one Theodorus a Martyr told him that when he was hanging ten houres vpon the rack for religion vnder Iulians persecution his ioynts distended and distorted his body exquisitely tortured with change of Executioners Vt nulla vnquā aetas sunilem meminerit so as neuer age saith he could remember the like he felt no paine at all but continued indeed all the while in the sight of all men singing smiling for there stood a comely young man by him on his Iibbet an Angell rather in forme of a man which with a cleane towell still wip't off his sweat and powred coole water vpon his racked limbs wherewith he was so refreshed that it grieued him to bee let downe Euen the greatest torments are easie when they haue answerable comforts but a wounded and comfortlesse spirit who can beare If yet but the same messenger of God might haue attended his Crosse that appeared in his agony and might haue giuen ease to their Lord as he did to his seruant And yet what can the Angels helpe where God will smite Against the violence of men against the furie of Satan they haue preuailed in the cause of God for men they dare not they cannot comfort where God will afflict When our Sauiour had beene wrestling with Satan in the end of his Lent then they appeared to him and serued but now while about the same time he is wrestling with the wrath of his Father for vs not an Angell dare be seene to looke out of the windowes of heauen to releeue him For men much lesse could they if they would but what did they Miserable comforters are ye all the Souldiers they stript him scorned him with his purple crowne reed spat on him smote him the passengers they reuiled him and insulting vagging their heads and hands at him Hey thou that destoyest the Temple come downe c. The Elders and Scribes alas they haue bought his bloud suborned witnesses incensed Pilot preferred Barrabbas vndertooke the guilt of his death cried out Crucifia Crucifie He thou that sauedst others His Disciples alas they forsooke him one of them forsweares him another runnes away naked rather then he will stay and confesse him His mother and other friends they looke
lewd men from the Church by iust censures You speake confusedly of your owne separation one while of both another while of either single For the first either confesse it done by our Baptisme or else you shall be forced to hold we must rebaptize Charact. of Beast Praef. But of this Constitutiue separation anon For the second of sinners whether in iudgement or life some are more grosse hainous incorrigible others lesse notorious and more tractable those other must be separated by iust censures not these Which censures if they be neglected the Church is foule and in your Pastors word faultie Iohns Inquir and therefore calls for our teares not for our flight Now of Churches faultie and corrupted some raze the foundation others on the true foundation build timber hay stubble From those we must separate from these we may not PETERS rule is eternall Ioh. 6.68 Whither shall wee goe from thee thou hast the words of eternall life where these words are found woe be to vs if we be not found Amongst many good separations then yours cannot be separated from euill for that we should so farre separate from the euill that therefore we should separate from Gods children in the communion of the holy things of God that for some after your worst done not fundamentall corruptions H. Cl. Epistle before Treatise of Sinne against the Holy Ghost we should separate from that Church in whose wombe wee were conceiued and from betwixt whose knees we fell to God in a word as one of yours once said to separate not onely from visible euill but from visible good as all Antichristian who but yours can thinke lesse than absurd and impious Grant we should be cleane separated from the World yet if we be not must you be separated from vs Doe but stay till God haue separated vs from himselfe Neque propter paleam relinquam aream Domini neque propter pisces males rumpimus retia Domini Aug. epist 48 will the wise Husbandman cast away his Corne-heap for the chaffe and dust Shall the Fisher cast away a good draught because his Drag-Net hath Weeds Doth God separate from the faithfull soule because it hath some corruptions her Inmates though not her commanders Certainly if you could thorowly separate the World from you you would neuer thus separate your selues from vs Begin at home separate all selfe-loue and selfe-will and vncharitablenesse from your hearts and you cannot but ioyne with that Church from which you haue separated Your Doctor would perswade vs you separate from nothing but our corruptious Answ Counterpoyson p. 2. you are honester and grant it from our Church it were happy for you if he lied not who in the next page confutes himselfe shewing that you separate from vs as Christ from the Samaritans namely from the Church not the corruptions onely Counterpoyson p. 7. 8. c. and not as he did from the Iewes namely from their corruptions not from their Church His memorie saues our labour and marres his discourse SEP The separation we haue made in respect of our knowledge and obedience is indeed late and new yet is it in the nature and causes thereof as ancient as the Gospell which was first founded in the enmitie which God himselfe put betwixt the seed of the Woman and the seede of the Serpent Genes 3.15 which enmitie hath not onely beene successiuely continued but also visibly manifested by the actuall separation of all true Churches from the World in their collection and constitution before the Law vnder the Law and vnder the Gospell Genes 4.13 14.16 6.1 2. 7.1.7 with 1 Pet. 3.20.12 12.2 Leuit. 20.24.26 Nehem. 9.2 Ioh. 17.14.16 Acts 2.40 19.9 1 Cor. 6.17 SECTION V. YET if not equitie it were well you could plead age The antiquitie and examples of separation This your separation in the nature and causes of it you say is no lesse ancient than the first institution of enmitie betwixt the two seedes you might haue gone a little higher and haue said than our first Parents running from God in the Garden or their separation from God by their sinne But we take your time and easily beleeue that this your late separation was founded vpon that ancient enmitie of the seed of the serpent Euseb Hist Ecc. with the womans That subtle Deuill when he saw the Church breath from the persecutions of Tyrants vexed her no lesse with her owne diuisions seeking that by fraud which by violence he could not effect Hence all the fearefull Schismes of the Church whereof yours is part This enmitie hath not onely beene successiuely continued but also too visibly manifested by the actuall but wilfull separation of Heretikes and Sectaries from the Church in all ages But I mistake you yours is as ancient as the Gospell What Hen. Steph. Apol Herod Fox Act. Monu H. N. his booke Gal. 1.6 Eph. 6.17 Col. 1.5 1 Tim. 1 11. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that Euangelium aeteruum of the Friers whose name they accursedly borrowed from Reuel 14.6 Or that Euangelium Regni of the Familists Or that Euangelium aliud whereof Saint PAVL taxeth his Galatians None of all these you say but as that Gospell of Peace of Truth of Glory so ancient and neuer knowne till Bolton Barrow and Browne Could it escape all the holy Prophets Apostles Doctors of the old middle and later world and light onely vpon these your three Patriarchs Perhaps Nonatus or Donatus those Saints with their Schooles had some little glimpse of it but this perfection of knowledge is but late and new So many rich Mines haue lien long vnknowne and great parts of the World haue beene discouered by late Venturers If this course haue come late to your knowledge and obedience not so to others For loe it was practised successiuely in the constitution and collection of all true Churches through all times before the Law vnder the Law after it We haue acknowledged many separations but as soone shall you finde the time past in the present as your late separation Iren. de Valen. l. 1. Innumerabilem multitudinem Scripturarum quas ipsi finxerunt afferunt ad stuporem insensatorum Vid. Preface to M. Iacobs and Iohnson Confer and Barr. pass Description of the true visible Church Nihil autem miram si ex ipsius instrumento aptentur argumenta cum oporteat hereses esse quae esse non possunt si non perperam Scripturae intelligi possunt Tertull. de Resurrect Ibid. So Barrow tearmes Mast Gyffords Refut pag. 102. Si Christianus Iudaicae praeuaricanti carnaliter coniungatur à commuâ—â—ne Ecclesiae segregetur Dist 28. q. 1. Caâ—â— cap. siquis Iudaicae c. 1 Pet. 3.19 2 Pet. 2.5 in the ancient and approued You quote Scriptures though to your praise more daintie indeed than your fellowes Who cannot doe so Who hath not Euen Satan himselfe cites the word against him which was the word of his
his Church must be framed your ciuill State c. Iust as that Donatist of old in Augustine Quid vobis c. What haue you to doe with worldly Emperours and as that other in Optatus Quid Imperatoricum Ecclesia What hath the Emperor to doe with the Church Yea your Martyr feares not to teach vs that Gods seruants being as yet priuate men may and must together build his Church though all the Princes of the World should prohibit the same vpon paine of death Belike then you should sinne hainously if you should not be Rebels The question is not whether we should aske leaue of Princes to be Christians but whether of Christian Princes we should aske leaue to establish circumstances of Gouernment God must be serued though we suffer our bloud is well bestowed vpon our Maker but in patience not in violence Priuate profession is one thing Publike Reformation and Iniunction is another Euery man must doe that in the maine none may doe this but they of whom God saies I haue said Ye are Gods and of them There is difference betwixt Christian and Heathen Princes If at least all Princes were not to you Heathen If these should haue beene altogether stayed for Religion had come late If the other should not be stayed for Religion would soone bee ouerlayd with confusion Lastly the body of Religion is one thing the skirts of outward Gouernment another that may not depend on men to be embraced or with loyaltie prosecuted these vpon those generall rules Christ both may and doe and must If you cut off but one lap of these with Dauid you shall bee touched To deny this power to Gods Deputies on Earth what is it but Ye take too much vpon you Moses and Aaron 1 Sam. 24.6 Numb 16.3 all the Congregation is holy wherefore lift ye your selues aboue the Congregation of the Lord See if herein you come not too neere the wals of that Rome which yee so abhorre and accurse in ascribing such power to the Church none to Princes Counterpoys pag. 2.30 Let your Doctor tell you 2 Chron. 13. 2 Chr. 14. 15. 2 Chron. 29. 2 Chron. 30. 2 Chron. 34. whether the best Israelites in the times of Abisah Asa Iehosaphat Ezekiah Iosiah tooke vpon them to reforme without or before or against their Princes Yea did Nehemiah himselfe without Arâ—â—hshat though an Heathen King set vpon the wals of Gods City Or what did â—erubbabel and Ieshua without Cyrus In whose time Haggâ—â— and Zechariah prophesied indeed but built not And when contrary Letters came from aboue they â—â—id by both Trowels and Swords They would be Iewes still they would not be Rebels for God Ezr. 4.23 24. Had those letters inioyned Swines flesh or Idolatry or forbidden the vse of the Law those which now yeelded had suffered and at once testified their obedience to authority and piety to him that sits in the Assembly of these earthen gods I vrge no more Perhaps you are more wise or lesse mutinous you might easily therefore purge your conscience from this sinne of wanting what you might not perforce enioy Say that your Church should imploy you backe to this our Babylon for the calling out of more proselytes you are intercepted imprisoned Shall it bee sinne in you not to heare the Prophesies at Amsterdam The Clinke is a lawfull excuse If your feet bee bound your conscience is not bound In these Negatiues outward force takes away both sinne and blame and alters them from the patient to the actor so that now you see your straight bonds if they were such loosed by obedience and ouer-ruling power SECTION XIX The bonds of Gods Word vniustly pleaded by the Separ BVT what bonds were these straight ones Gods Word and your owne necessitie Both strong and indissoluble Where God hath bidden God forbid that we should care for the forbiddance of men I reuerence from my soule so doth our Church their deare sister those worthy forraine Churches which haue chosen and followed those formes of outward Gouernment that are euery way fittest for their own condition It is enough for your Sect to censure them I touch nothing common to them with you * * Aug. Epist 58. Pastores autem Doctores quâ—â— maxime vt discernerâ—m voluisti eosdem puto esse sicut â—ibi visum est vt non alios Pastores alios Doctores intelligeremus sed ideo cùm praedixisset Pastores subiâ—â—xisse Doctores vt intelligerent Pastores ad officium suum pertinere doctrinam Barr. against Gyff inueighs for this cause against the Consistorie of Geneua Fr. Iohns complaints of the Dutch and Fr. Churches Description of a visible Church cannot make a Distinct in the Definition of their Offices State of Christians 119. Description of visible Church H. Clap. Epist before his Treatise of Sinne against the Holy Ghost Brownists 4. Position Trouble and Excom at Amster Fr. Iohns in a Letter to M. Smith While the world standeth where will it euer be shewed out of the Sacred Booke of God that hee hath charged Let there be perpetuall Lay-Elders in euery Congregation Let euery Assembly haue a Pastor and Doctor distinct in their charge and offices Let all Decisions Excommunications Ordinations bee performed by the whole multitude Let priuate Christians aboue the first turne in extremitie agree to set ouer themselues a Pastor chosen from amongst them and receiue him with Prayer and vnlesse that Ceremony be turned to pompe and Superstition by imposition of hands Let there bee Widowers which you call Releeuers appointed euery where to the Church-Seruice Let certaine discreet and able men which are not Ministers bee appointed to preach the Gospell and whole truth of God to the people All the learned Diuines of other Churches are in these left yea in the most of them censured by you Hath God spoken these things to you alone Plead not Reuelations and we feare you not Pardon so homely an example As soone and by the same illumination shall G. Iohns proue to your Consistory the lace of the Pastors wiues sleeue or rings or Whalebones or others amongst you as your Pastor confesseth knit-stockings or corke-shooes forbidden flatly by Scriptures as these commanded Wee see the letter of the Scriptures with you you shall fetch bloud of them with straining ere you shall wring out this sense No no M.R. neuer make God your stale Many of your ordinances came from no higher than your owne braine Others of them though God acknowledges yet he imposed not Pretend what you will These are but the cords of your owne conceit not bonds of Christian obedience SECTION XX. THe first of these then is easily vntwisted your second is necessity The necessity of their pretended ordinance Than which what can be stronger what law or what remedy is against necessity What wee must haue wee cannot want Oppose but the publike necessity to yours your necessity of hauing to the publike necessity of withholding and
where must at once vtterly fall off from that Church where that Man of Sinne sitteth His fall depends on the fall of others or rather their rising from vnder him If neither of these must be sudden why is your haste But this must not be yet ought as there must be heresies yet there ought not It is one thing what God hath secretly decreed another what must be desired of vs If we could pull that Harlot from her seat and put her to Iesabels death it were happy Haue wee not endeuored it What speake you of the highest Towers and strongest pillars or tottering remainders of Babylon wee shew you all her roofes bare her walles razed her vaults digged vp her Monuments defaced her Altars sacrificed to desolation Shortly all her buildings demolished not a stone vpon a stone saue in rude heapes to tell that here once was Babylon Your strife goes about to build againe that her tower of confusion God diuides your languages It will be well if yet you build not more than we haue reserued SEP You haue renounced many false doctrines in Poperie and in their places embraced the truth But what if this truth be taught vnder the same hatefull Prelacie in the same deuised office of Ministerie and confused communion of the prophane multitude and that mingled with many errors SECTION XXVI THe maine grounds of Separation YOu will now bee free both in your profession and gift You giue vs to haue renounced many false doctrines in Popery and to haue embraced so many truths we take it vntill more You professe where you sticke what you mislike In these foure famous heads which you haue learned by heart from all your predecessors An hatefull Prelacie Barr. and Gr. against Gyffe Confer Exam passim Penry in his Exam. Exo. 1.2 3 c. Ierem. 20.1 Ierem. 5. vlt. A deuised Ministerie a confused and profane communion and lastly the intermixture of grieuous errors What if this truth were taught vnder a hatefull Prelacie Suppose it were so Must I not imbrace the truth because I hate the Prelacie What if Israel liue vnder the hatefull Aegyptians What if Ieremie liue vnder hatefull Pashur What if the Iewes liue vnder an hatefull Priesthood What if the Disciples liue vnder hatefull Scribes What are others persons to my profession If I may be freely allowed to bee a true professed Christian what care I vnder whose hands But why is our Prelacie hatefull Actiuely to you or passiuely from you In that it hates you Would God you were not more your owne enemies Or rather because you hate it your hatred is neither any newes nor paine Who or what of ours is not hatefull to you Our Churches Bells Clothes Sacraments Preachings Prayers Singings Catechismes Courts Meetings Burials Marriages It is maruell that our aire infects not and that our heauen and earth as Optatus said of the Donatists escape your hatred Iohns praef to his 7. Reas Not the forwardest of our Preachers as you terme them haue found any other entertainment no enemie could bee more spightfull I spsake it to your shame Rome it selfe in diuers controuersarie discourses hath bewrayed lesse gall than Amsterdam the better they are to others you professe they are the worse Iohns 7. Reas p. 66. Tit. 3.4 yea would to God that of Paul were not verified of you hatefull and hating one another but we haue learned that of wise Christians not the measure of hatred should be respected Psal 69.4 but the desert Dauid is hated for no cause Michaiab for a good cause Your causes shall be examined in their places onwards It were happy if you hated your owne sinnes more and peace lesse our Prelacie would trouble you lesse and you the Church SECTION XXVII FOr our deuised office of Ministery you haue giuen it a true title The truth and warrant of the Ministery of England Mat. 28.19 Ephes 4.11 â— Tim. 2.2 1 Tim. 3.1 Act. 13. 1 Tim. 3.6 1 Tim. 5.22 1 Tim. 2.15 Discourse of the trouble and Excom at Amst It was deuised indeed by our Sauiour when he said Goe teach all Nations and baptize and performed in continuance when he gaue some to be Pastors and Teachers and not onely the Office of Ministery in generall but ours whom he hath made able to teach and desirous separated vs for this cause to the work vpon due triall admitted vs ordained vs by imposition of hands of the Eldership and praier directed vs in the right diuision of the Word committed a charge to vs followed our Ministery with power and blessed our labours with gracious successe euen in the hearts of those whose tongues are thus busie to deny the truth of our vocation Behold here the deuised Office of our Ministery What can you deuise against this Your Pastor who as his brother writes hopes to worke wonders by his Logicall skill hath killed vs with seuen Arguments which he professeth the quintessence of his owne and Penries extractions whereto your Doctor refers vs as absolute I would it were not tedious or worth a Readers labour to see them scanned I protest before God and the world I neuer read more grosse stuffe so boldly and peremptorily faced out so full of Tautologies and beggings of the Question neuer to be yeelded Let me mention the maine heads of them and for the rest be sorry that I may not be endlesse To proue therefore that no communion may be had with the Ministery of the Church of England he vses these seuen demonstrations First Certaine Arg. against the Minist of England Counterpoys Because it is not that Ministery which Christ gaue and set in his Church Secondly Because it is the Ministery of Antichrists Apostasie Thirdly Because none can communicate with the Ministery of England but he worships the Beasts image and yeeldeth spirituall subiection to Antichrist Fourthly Because this Ministery deriueth not their power and function from Christ Fiftly Because they minister the holy things of God by vertue of a false spirituall calling Sixtly Because it is a strange Ministery not appointed by God in his word Seuenthly Because it is not from Heauen but from Men. Now I beseech thee Christian Reader iudge whether that which this man was wont so oft to obiect to his brother a crackt braine appeare not plainely in this goodly equipage of reasons For what is all this but one and the same thing tumbled seuen times ouer which yet with seuen thousand times babbling shall neuer be the more probable That our Ministery was not giuen and set in the Church by Christ but Antichristian what is it else to be from men to be strange to be a false spirituall calling not to be deriued from Christ to worship the image of the Beast So this great challenger that hath abridged his nine arguments to seuen might aswell haue abridged his seuen to one a halfe Here would haue beene as much substance but lesse glory As for his maine defence First
the Popes leaue without any reasonable cause that such Mariage of his is a true Mariage and the parties maried are true Husband and Wife and their Issue truely legitimate although in so marying both the parties should sinne mortally in doing this act against the Vow of Chastity without a reasonable or at least a probable cause of their so licensing and consequently neither should the Pope himselfe be excused from mortall sin But if there be any reasonable cause of dispensing with this vow of Chastity then the party thus marying and dispenced with may both safely marry and liue in Mariage And hereupon it appeares That since a reasonable cause of dispensing with this Vow of Chastity may bee not onely the publike Vtility whether Ciuill or Ecclesiasticall but any other greater good then the obseruing of that Chastity it iustly followes that the Pope not only may but with a safe Conscience may dispence with a Priest of the Westerne or Roman Church that he may marry euen besides the cause of a publike benefit And therefore the determination of some hath beene too presumptuous in affirming That absolutely and without such cause the Pope cannot dispence whereas as we haue shewed the Pope may doe it without any cause though in so doing he should sinne and with any reasonable cause without sinne and in both the Matrimony stands firme Thus he Words that neede neither Paraphrase nor Inforcement And how h h Sedes clementissima quae nulli deesse consâ—euit dummodo albi aliquid vel rubei intercedat Matth. Paris Alius abusus est in dispensationibus cum Constitutis in Sacr. Ord. c. vsuall the practice of this Dispensation hath beene that we may not rest onely in Speculation appeares enough by the ingenious complaint of their i i Concil Select Card. Si Sacerdotes non maturâ deliberatione se astrinxerunt videat Rom. Pont. qui circa haec solet dispensare quid sit agendum in particularibus Mart. Perefius c. selected Cardinalls to Paul the third Who cry downe the abuse of these ouer-frequent Grants which they would not haue yeelded but vpon publike and weighty Causes especially say they in these Times wherein the Lutherans vrge this matter with so much vehemence Neither is it long since our kind Apostate M. Carier gaue vs here in England from bigger Men then himselfe an ouerture of the likelyhood of this liberall Dispensation from his holy Father of Rome vpon the conditions of our re-subiection Would we therefore but stoope to kisse the Carbuncle of that sacred Toe our Clergy might as well consist with holy Wedlocke as the Grecian Oh the grosse mockery of Soules not more ignorant then credulous Will his Holinesse dispense with vs for our sinne We can be dispensed with at home for his dispensation It is their Sorrow that the World is growne wiser and findes Heauen no lesse neere to Douer-Cliffe then to the Seuen-hills And ere we leaue this point it is very considerable what may be a reasonable cause of this Dispensation For those very k k His votis afirictus non potest Matrimonium absque Dispensatine iâ—ire quamuis vebementissimis carnis stimulis vrgeatur c. Sanch. l. 7. de Matr. Imped Disp. 11. Authoritas superioris dispensantis expectanda est Communis illa regula Doctorum nominatim Caietani nimirum quando ei qui vouit conflat aliquid esse melius praeteritá voti materia posse propriâ authoritate recedere Sanch. de Matr. l. 7. de Impedim Disp Iesuites which hold the power of this Vow such That the vehementest tentations and foyles of the flesh may not be relieued with an arbitrary Matrimonie since the matter of this Vow is so important and caries so much danger in the violation as that it is not to bee left to the power of a priuate Iudgement though morally certaine whether Matrimonie all things considered be in this particular expedient for that may bee fit for a man as a singular person which is not fit for him as part of the community yet they grant that this extreame perplexednesse and violence of carnall motions is a iust cause of dispensation What need we more Though some l l Angel Matr. 3. Jmped 5. in fine vera cruz 1. part spec art 15. Casuists be more fauourable and grant that in such cases we may not onely allow but perswade Matrimonie to the perplexed Votary As Cardinall m m Aen. Syl. Epist 307. So Benedict 12. gaue Dispensation to Petrarch Archdeacon of Parma to marry his Laura too neere him in blood as it is thought and ex vberiore gratiae that he should keepe all his Promotions and receiue yet more on coâ—dion that the said Benedict might haue the vse of Petrarchs sister Matth. Parker Defens of Pr. Marr. ex Fasciculo Temp. Platina vita Petrarchae c. Aeneas Syluius who was neuer lesse Pius then when he was Pius giues this hearty aduice to his friend Iohn Freünd a Roman Priest that he should notwithstanding his Orders helpe himselfe by Mariage yet the former will serue our turne If therefore those superiours which haue all lawfull and spirituall authority ouer vs shall haue thought good vpon this reasonable cause to giue a generality of dispensation to all such of our Clergie as shall not after all carefull and serious indeuours find themselues able to containe allowing them by these lawfull remedies to quench those impure flames What can any Iesuit or Deuill except against this This is simply the cleere case of them whose cause I maintaine And yet further Put the case this had not been if without the thought of any Romish Dispensation the n n Occidentalis non Orientalis Ecclesia castitatis obtulit votum in Dist 31. Easterne Church neuer held it needfull to require the Vow of single life in the Ministers of the Altar they know the words of their own Glosse why should not our Church challenge the same immunity for that from the generall consideration of Ecclesiastiques as such we may turne our eies to our Ecclesiastiques in speciall no Church vnder heauen kept it selfe more free from the bondage of those tyrannous Impositions The o o Vid postea Epist Girard Eboracens Arch. ad Anselm Huntingd. Fabian Polidor Virgil. vid. post lib. 3. Clergie of this Iland from the beginning neuer offered any such vow the Bishops neuer required it for more if any credit be due to Histories then a thousand yeeres after Christ The great Champion of Rome Master Harding was driuen to say They did it by a becke if not by a Dieu-gard but could neuer proue it done by either Neither is it more worth my Readers note then my Aduersaries indignation that the wise Prouidence of God so pleased to contriue it of old as that from the beginning of the first conuersion of this happy Island it rather conspired with the Greek Church then with the Roman After the Grecian account we
of my soule by repenting by beleeuing so shall I eate and in despite of Adam liue for euer The one Tree was for confirmation the other for tryall one shewed him what life he should haue the other what knowledge he should not desire to haue Alas he that knew all other things knew not this one thing that hee knew enough how Diuine a thing is knowledge whereof euen Innocencie it selfe is ambitious Satan knew what he did If this bait had been gold or honour or pleasure Man had contemned it vvho can hope to auoid error when euen mans perfection is mistaken He lookt for speculatiue knowledge hee should haue looked for experimentall he thought it had been good to know euill Good vvas large enough to haue perfected his knowledge and therein his blessednesse All that God made was good and the Maker of them much more good they good in their kindes he good in himselfe It would not content him to know God and his creatures his curiositie affected to know that which God neuer made euill of sinne and euill of death vvhich indeed himselfe made by desiring to know them now we know vvell euill enough and smart vvith knowing it How deare hath this lesson cost vs that in some cases it is better to be ignorant and yet doe the sonnes of Eue inherit this saucy appetite of their Grand-mother How many thousand soules miscarie with the presumptuous affectation of forbidden knowledge O God thou hast reuealed more then wee can know enough to make vs happy teach me a sober knowledge and a contented ignorance Paradise vvas made for Man yet there I see the Serpent What maruell is it if my corruption find the serpent in my Closet in my Table in my bed vvhen our holy Parents found him in the midst of Paradise No sooner he is entred but hee tempteth he can no more be idle then harmlesse I doe not see him at any other Tree hee knew there was no danger in the rest I see him at the Tree forbidden How true a Serpent is hee in euery point In his insinuation to the place in his choice of the Tree in his assault of the Woman in his plausiblenesse of speech to auoid terror in his question to moue doubt in his reply to worke distrust in his protestation of safety in his suggestion to enuie and discontent in his promise of gaine And if he were so cunning at the first what shall we thinke of him now after so many thousand yeares experience Onely thou O God and these Angels that see thy face are wiser then he I doe not aske why when he left his goodnesse thou didst not bereaue him of his skill Still thou wouldest haue him an Angell though an euill one And thou knowest how to ordaine his craft to thine owne glory I doe not desire thee to abate of his subtilty but to make me wise Let mee begge it without presumption make me wiser then Adam euen thine Image which he bore made him not through his owne weaknesse wise enough to obey thee thou offeredst him all Fruits and restrainedst but one Satan offered him but one and restrained not the rest when hee chose rather to be at Satans feeding then thine it was iust with thee to turne him out of thy gates with a curse why shouldest thou feed a Rebell at thine owne boord And yet we transgresse daily and thou shuttest not heauen against vs how is it that wee finde more mercy then our fore-father His strength is worthy of seuerity our weaknesse finds pity That God from whose face he fled in the Garden now makes him with shame to flie out of the Garden those Angels that should haue kept him now keepe the gates of Paradise against him It is not so easie to recouer happinesse as to keepe it or leese it Yea the same cause that draue Man from Paradise hath also withdrawne Paradise from the vvorld That fierie sword did not defend it against those vvaters vvherewith the sinnes of men drowned the glory of that place neither now doe I care to seeke vvhere that Paradise vvas vvhich vve lost I know vvhere that Paradise is vvhich vve must care to seeke and hope to finde As man was the Image of God so was that earthly Paradise an Image of Heauen both the Images are defaced both the first Patternes are eternall Adam was in the first and stayed not In the second is the second Adam which said This day shalt thou be with me in Paradise There was that chosen Vessell and heard and saw what could not be expressed by how much the third Heauen exceeds the richest Earth so much doth that Paradise whereto wee aspire exceed that which we haue lost Of CAIN and ABEL LOoke now O my soule vpon the two first Brethren perhaps Twins and wonder at their contrary dispositions and estates If the priuiledges of Nature had beene worth any thing the first borne Child should not haue beene a Reprobate Now that we may ascribe all to free Grace the elder is a Muderer the yonger a Saint though goodnesse may be repayred in our selues yet it cannot bee propagated to ours Now might Adam see the Image of himselfe in Cain for after his owne Image begot he him Adam slue his Posteritie Cain his Brother we are too like one another in that wherein wee are vnlike to God Euen the clearest graine sends forth that chaffe from which it was fanned ere the sowing yet is this Cain a possession the same Eue that mistooke the fruit of the Garden mistooke also the fruit of her owne body her hope deceiued her in both so many good names are ill bestowed and our comfortable expectations in earthly things doe not seldome disappoint vs. Doubtlesse their education was holy For Adam though in Paradise hee could not be innocent yet was a good man out of Paradise his sinne and fall now made him circumspect and since hee saw that his act had bereaued them of that Image of God which he once had for them he could not but labor by all holy endeuours to repaire it in them that so his care might make amends for his trespasse How plaine is it that euen good breeding cannot alter destinie That which is crooked can none make straight who would thinke that Brethren and but two Brethren should not loue each other Dispersed loue growes weak and fewnesse of obiects vseth to vnite affections If but two Brothers be left aliue of many they think that the loue of all the rest should suruiue in them and now the beames of their affection are so much the hotter because they reflect mutually in a right line vpon each other yet behold here are but two Brothers in a World and one is the Butcher of the other Who can wonder at dissentions amongst thousands of brethren when he sees so deadly opposition betwixt two the first roots of brotherhood who can hope to liue plausibly securely amongst so many Cains when he sees one
must goe out of this foraine Land of our Pilgrimage to the home of our glorious inheritance to dwell with none but our own in that better and more lightsome Goshen free from all the incumbrances of this Aegypt and full of all the riches and delights of God The guilty conscience can neuer thinke it selfe safe So many yeares experience of Iosephs loue could not secure his brethren of remission those that know they haue deserued ill are wont to mis-interpret fauours and thinke they cannot be beloued All that while his goodnesse seemed but concealed and sleeping malice which they feared in their Fathers last sleepe would awake and bewray it selfe in reuenge Still therefore they plead the name of their Father though dead not daring to vse their owne Good meanings cannot bee more wronged then with suspition It grieues Ioseph to see their feare and to find they had not forgotten their owne sinne and to heare them so passionately craue that which they had Forgiue the trespasse of the seruants of thy Fathers God What a coniuration of pardon was this What wound could be either so deepe or so festred as this plaster could not cure They say not the sonnes of thy Father for they knew Iacob was dead and they had degenerated but the seruants of thy Fathers God How much stronger are the bonds of Religion then of Nature If Ioseph had been rancorous this deprecation had charmed him but now it resolues him into teares They are not so ready to acknowledge their old offence as he to protest his loue and if he chide them for any thing it is for that they thought they needed to intreat since they might know it could not stand with the fellow-seruant of their Fathers God to harbour maliciousnesse to purpose reuenge Am not I vnder God And fully to secure them hee turnes their eyes from themselues to the Decree of God from the action to the euent as one that would haue them thinke there was no cause to repent of that which proued so successefull Euen late confession findes forgiuenesse Ioseph had long agoe seene their sorrow neuer but now heard their humble acknowledgement Mercy stayes not for outward solemnities How much more shall that infinite goodnesse pardon our sinnes when hee findes the truth of our repentance Contemplations THE FOVRTH BOOKE The affliction of Israel Or The Aegyptian bondage The birth and breeding of Moses Moses called The plagues of Aegypt BY IOS HALL D. of Diuinitie and Deane of WORCESTER LONDON Printed for THOMAS PAVIER MILES FLESHER and John Haviland 1624. TO THE RIGHT HONOVRABLE JAMES LORD HAY ALL GRACE AND HAPPINESSE Right Honorable ALL that J can say for my selfe is a desire of doing good which if it were as feruent in richer hearts the Church which now we see comely would then be glorious this honest ambition hath caried mee to neglect the feare of seeming prodigall of my little and while J see others Talents rusting in the earth hath drawne mee to traffique with mine in publike I hope no aduenture that euer I made of this kinde shall be equally gainfull to this my present labour wherein I take Gods owne Historie for the ground and worke vpon it by what Meditations my weaknesse can afford The diuinenesse of this subiect shall make more then amends for the manifold defects of my discourse although also the blame of an imperfection is so much the more when it lighteth vpon so high a choice This part which I offer to your Lordship shall shew you Pharaoh impotently enuious and cruell the Israelites of friends become slaues punished onely for prospering Moses in the Weedes in the Court in the Desart in the Hill of visions a Courtier in Aegypt a Shepheard in Midian an Ambassador from God a Leader of Gods people and when you see the prodigious varietie of the plagues of Aegypt you shall not know whether more to wonder at the miracles of Moses or Pharaohs obstinacle Finally you shall see the same Waues made both a wall and a gulfe in one houre the Aegyptians drowned where no Jsraelite was wet-shod and if these passages yeeld not abundance of profitable thoughts impute it not without pardon to the pouertie of my weake conceit which yet may perhaps occasion better vnto others Jn all humble submission J commend them what they are to your Lordships fauourable acceptation and your selfe with them to the gracious blessing of our God Your Lordships in all dutifull obseruance at command IOS HALL Contemplations THE FOVRTH BOOKE The affliction of Jsrael EGYPT was long an harbour to the Israelites now it proues a Iayle the Posteritie of Iacob finds too late what it was for their forefathers to sell Ioseph a slaue into Aegypt Those whom the Aegyptians honoured before as Lord now they contemne as drudges One Pharaoh aduances whom another labours to depresse Not seldome the same man changes copies but if fauours out-liue one age they proue decrepit and heartlesse It is a rare thing to find posterity heires of their fathers loue How should mens fauour be but like themselues variable and inconstant there is no certaintie but in the fauour of God in whom can be no change whose loue is intayled vpon a thousand generation Yet if the Israelites had been treacherous to Pharaoh if disobedient this great change of countenance had been iust now the onely offence of Israel is that he prospereth that which should be the motiue of their gratulation and friendship is the cause of their malice There is no more hatefull sight to a wicked man then the prosperitie of the conscionable None but the spirit of that true Harbinger of Christ can teach vs to say with contentment He must encrease but I must decrease And what if Israel be mighty and rich If there be warre they may ioyne with our enemies and get them out of the Land Behold they are afraid to part with those whom they are grieued to entertaine either staying or going is offence enough to those that seeke quarrels There were no warres and yet they say If there be warres The Israelites had neuer giuen cause of feare to reuolt and yet they say Lest they ioyne to our enemies to those enemies which we may haue So they make their certaine friends slaues for feare of vncertaine enemies Wickednesse is euer cowardly and full of vniust suspitions it makes a man feare where no feare is fly when none pursues him What difference there is betwixt Dauid and Pharaoh The faith of the one sayes I wil not be afraid for then thousand that should beset me The feare of the other saies Left if there be warre they ioyne with our enemies therefore should hee haue made much of the Israelites that they might be his his fauour might haue made them firme Why might they not as well draw their swords for him Weake and base minds euer incline to the worse and seeke safety rather in an impossibility of hurt then in the likelihood of iust
enemies vpon himselfe True Christian fortitude teaches vs not to regard the number or quality of the opponents but the equity of the cause and cares not to stand alone and challenge all commers and if it could be opposed by as many worlds as men it may be ouerborn but it cannot be daunted Whereas popularity caries weake minds and teaches them the safety of erring with a multitude Caleb saw the giantly Anakims and the walled Cities as well as the rest and yet he sayes Let vs go vp and possesse it As if it were no more but to go and see and conquer Faith is couragious makes nothing of those dangers wherwith others are quailed It is very materiall with what eyes we looke vpon all obiects Feare doth not more multiply euils then faith diminisheth them which is therefore bold because either it sees not or contemnes that terror which feare represents to the weake There is none so valiant as the beleeuer It had beene happy for Israel if Calebs counsell had beene as effectuall as good But how easily haue these Rulers discouraged a faint-hearted people In stead of lifting vp their ensignes and marching towards Canaan they sit them downe and lift vp their voice and cry The rods of their AEgyptian Task-masters had neuer beene so fit for them as now for crying They had cause indeed to weepe for the sinne of their infidelity but now they weepe for feare of those enemies they saw not I feare if there had beene ten Calebs to perswade and but two faint spies to discourage them those two cowards would haue preuailed against those tenne sollicitors How much more now ten oppose and but two incourage An easie Rhetoricke drawes vs to the worse part yea it is hard not to run downe the hill The faction of Euill is so much stronger in our nature then that of Good that euery least motion preuailes for the one scarce any sure for the other Now is Moses in danger of losing all the cost and care that euer he bestowed vpon Israel His people are already gone backe to AEgypt in their hearts and their bodies are returning Oh ye rebellious Hebrewes where shall God haue you at last Did euer Moses promise to bring you to a fruitfull Land without Inhabitants To giue you a rich Country without resistance Are not the graues of Canaan as good as those of Aegypt What can ye but dye at the hands of the Anakims Can ye hope for lesse from the Aegyptians What madnesse is this to wish to dye for feare of death Is there lesse hope from your enemies that shall be when ye goe vnder strong and expert Leaders then from the enemies that were when yee shall returne masterlesse Can those cruell Egyptians so soone haue forgotten the blood of their fathers children brothers husbands which perished in pursuing you Had yee rather trust the mercy of knowne enemies then the promise of a faithfull God Which way will ye returne Who shall diuide the Sea for you Who shall fetch you water out of the Rocke Or can ye hope that the Manna of God will follow you while yee runne from him Feeble minds when they meet with crosses they lookt not for repent of their good beginnings and wish any difficulty rather then that they finde How many haue pulled backe their foot from the narrow way for the troubles of a good profession It had been time for the Israelites to haue falne downe on their faces before Moses and Aaron and to haue said Ye led vs thorow the Sea make way for vs into Canaan Those Giants are strong but not so strong as the Rocke of Rephidim ye stroke that and it yeelded If they be tall the Pillar of God is higher then they when we looke on our selues we see cause of fear but when we consider the miraculous power of you our leaders we cannot but contemne those men of measures Leaue vs not therfore but go before vs in your directiōs go to God for vs in your praiers But now contrarily Moses and Aaron fall on their faces to them and sue to them that they would be content to be conducted Had they beene suffered to depart they had perished Moses and his few had beene victorious And yet as if he could not be happy without them be falls on his face to them that they would stay We haue neuer so much need to bee importuned as in those things whose benefit should make vs most importunate The sweetnesse of Gods Law and our promised glory is such as should draw all hearts after it And yet if we did not sue to men as for life that they would bee reconciled to God and be saued I doubt whether they would obtaine yea it were well if our sute were sufficient to preuaile Though Moses and Aaron intreat vpon their faces and Ioshua and Caleb perswade and rend their garments yet they moue nothing The obstinate multitude growne more violent with opposing is ready to returne them stones for their prayers Such hath been euer the thankes of fidelity and truth Crossed wickednesse proues desperate and in stead of yeelding seekes for reuenge Nothing is so hatefull to a resolute sinner as good counsell We are become enemies to the world because we tell them truth That God which was inuisibly present whiles they sinned when they haue sinned shewes himselfe glorious They might haue seene him before that they should not sinne Now they cannot choose but see him in the height of their sinne They saw before the Pillar of his ordinary presence now they see him vnusually terrible that they may with shame and horror confesse him able to defend able to reuenge The helpe of God vses to shew it selfe in extremitie He that can preuent euils conceales his aide till danger be ripe And then he is fearfull as before he seemed conniuent Of CORAH'S Conspiracie THe teares of Israel were scarce drie since the smart of their last mutiny and now they begin another The multitude is like a raging Sea full of vnquiet billowes of discontentment whereof one rises in the fall of another They saw God did but threaten and therefore are they bold to sinne It was now high time they should know what it is for God to bee angry There was neuer such a reuenge taken of Israel neuer any better deserued When lesser warnings will not serue God lookes into his Quiuer for deadly arrowes In the meane time what a weary life did Moses lead in these continuall successions of conspiracies What did hee gaine by his troublesome gouernment but danger and despight Who but he would not haue wisht himselfe rather with the sheepe of Iethro then with these wolues of Israel But as he durst not quit his hooke without the calling of God so now he dare not his Scepter except he be dismissed by him that called him no troubles no oppositions can driue him from his place we are too weake if we suffer men to chase vs from that
station where God hath set vs. I see the Leuites not long since drawing their swords for God and Moses against the rest of Israel and that fact wins them both praise and blessing Now they are the forwardest in the rebellion against Moses and Aaron men of their owne Tribe There is no assurance of a man for one act whom one sinne cannot fasten vpon another may Yea the same sinne may finde a repulse one while from the same hand which another time giues it entertainment and that yeeldance loses the thanke of all the former resistance It is no praise to haue done once well vnlesse we continue Outward priuiledges of blood can auaile nothing against a particular calling of God These Reubenites had the right of the natural primogeniture yet do they vainly challenge preeminence where God hath subiected them If all ciuill honour flow from the King how much more from the God of Kings His hand exalts the poore and casts downe the mighty from their throne The man that will be lifting vp himselfe in the pride of his heart from vnder the foot of God is iustly troden in the dust Moses is the Prince of Israel Aaron the Priest Moses was milde Aaron popular yet both are conspired against Their places are no lesse brothers then their persons Both are opposed at once He that is a traytor to the Church is a traytor to the King Any superioritie is a marke of Enuy. Had Moses and Aaron beene but fellowes with the Israelites none had beene better beloued their dispositions were such as must needs haue forced fauour from the indifferent now they were aduanced their malice is not inferiour to their honour High towers must looke for lightnings we offer not to vndermine but those wals which we cannot scale Nature in euery man is both enuious and disdainfull and neuer loues to honour another but where it may be an honour to it selfe There cannot be conceiued an honour lesse worth emulation then this principality of Israel a people that could giue nothing a people that had nothing but in hope a people whom their leader was faine to feed with bread and water which paid him no tribute but of ill words whose command was nothing but a burden and yet this dignitie was an eye-sore to these Leuites and these Reubenites Ye take too much vpon you ye sonnes of Leui. And this challenge though thus vnseasonable hath drawne in two hundred and fifty Captaines of Israel What wonder is it that the ten Rulers preuailed so much with the multitude to disswade them from Canaan when three traitors preuailed thus with 250 Rulers famous in the Congregation and men of renowne One man may kindle such a fire as all the world cannot quench One plague-sore may infect a whole Kingdome The infection of euill is much worse then the act It is not like these Leaders of Israel could erre without followers Hee is a meane man that drawes not some Clients after him It hath been euer a dangerous policy of Satan to assault the best he knowes that the multitude as wee say of Bees will follow their master Nothing can be more pleasing to the vulgar sort then to heare their Gouernours taxed and themselues flattered All the Congregation is holy Euery one of them Wherefore lift ye vp your selues Euery word is a falshood For Moses deiected himselfe Who am I God lifted him vp ouer Israel And so was Israel holy as Moses was ambitious What holinesse was there in so much infidelitie feare Idolatry mutiny disobedience What could make them vncleane if this were holinesse They had scarce wip't their mouths or washt their hands since their last obstinacie and yet these pick-thankes say All Israel is holy I would neuer desire a better proofe of a false teacher then flatterie True meaning need not vphold it selfe by soothing There is nothing easier then to perswade men well of themselues when a mans selfe-loue meetes with anothers flattery it is an high praise that will not be beleeued It was more out of opposition then beliefe that these men plead the holinesse of Israel Violent aduersaries to vphold a side will maintaine those things they beleeue not Moses argues not for himselfe but appeales to God neither speakes for his owne right but his brother Aarons He knew that Gods immediate seruice was worthy to be more precious then his gouernment That his Princedome serued but to the glory of his Master Good Magistrates are more tender ouer Gods honour then their owne and more sensible of the wrongs offred to Religion then to themselues It is safest to trust God with his owne causes If Aaron had been chosen by Israel Moses would haue sheltred him vnder their authority Now that God did immediately appoint him his patronage is sought whose the election was Wee may easily fault in the managing of diuine affaires and so our want of successe cannot want sinne He knowes how to vse how to blesse his owne meanes As there was a difference betwixt the people and Leuites so betwixt the Leuites and Priests The God of order loues to haue our degrees kept Whiles the Leuites would be looking vp to the Priests Moses sends downe their eyes to the people The way not to repine at those aboue vs is to looke at those below vs. There is no better remedy for ambition then to cast vp our former receits and to compare them with our deseruings and to conferre our owne estate with inferiours So shall wee finde cause to be thankfull that wee are aboue any rather then of enuy that any is aboue vs. Moses hath chid the sonnes of Leui for mutining against Aaron and so much the more because they were of his owne Tribe now hee sends for the Reubenites which rose against himselfe They come not and their message is worse then their absence Moses is accused of iniustice cruelty falshood treacherie vsurpation and Egypt it self must be commended rather then Moses shall want reproch Innocency is no shelter from ill tongues Malice neuer regards how true any accusation is but how spightfull Now it was time for Moses to be angry They durst not haue been thus bold if they had not seene his mildnesse Lenity is ill bestowed vpon stubborne natures It is an iniurious senslesnesse not to feele the wounds of our reputation It well appeares hee is angry when he prayes against them He was displeased before but when he was most bitter against them he still prayed for them but now hee bends his very prayers against them Looke not to their offering There can be no greater reuenge then the imprecation of the righteous There can be no greater iudgement then Gods reiection of our seruices With vs men what more argues dislike of the person then the turning backe of his present What will God accept from vs if not prayers The innocence of Moses cals for reuenge on his Aduersaries If hee had wronged them in his gouernment in vaine should he haue
Egypt thorow the Sea and wildernesse within the sight of their promised Land and now himselfe must take possession of that Land whereof Canaan was but a type When we haue done that we came for it is time for vs to be gone This earth is made only for action not for fruition the seruices of Gods children should be ill rewarded if they must stay here alwaies Let no man thinke much that those are fetcht away which are faithful to God They should not change if it were not to their preferment It is our folly that wee would haue good men liue for euer and account it an haâ—d measure that they were Hee that lends them to the world owes them a better turne then this earth can pay them It were iniurious to wish that goodnesse should hinder any man from glory So is the death of Gods Saints precious that it is certaine Moses must goe vp to mount Nebo and die The time the place and euery circumstance of his dissolution is determined That one dyes in the field another in his bed another in the water one in a forraine Nation another in his owne is fore-decreed in heauen And though we heare it not vocally yet God hath called euery man by his name and saith Die thou there One man seemes to dye casually another by an inexpected violence both fall by a destiny and all is set downe to vs by an eternall decree He that brought vs into the world will cary vs out according to his owne purposes Moses must ascend vp to the hill to dye He receiued his charge for Israel vpon the hill of Sinai And now hee deliuers vp his charge on the hill of Nebo His brother Aaron dyed on one hill hee on another As Christ was transfigured on an hill so was this excellent type of his neither doubt I but that these hills were types to them of that heauen whither they were aspiring It is the goodnesse of our God that hee will nor haue his children dye any where but where they may see the Land of Promise before them neither can they depart without much comfort to haue seene it Contrarily a wicked man that lookes downe and sees hell before him how can hee choose but find more horrour in the end of death then in the way How familiarly doth Moses heare of his end It is no more betwixt God and Moses but goe vp and dye If he had inuited him to a meale it could not haue beene in a more sociable compellation No otherwise then he said to his other Prophet Vp and eate It is neither harsh nor newes to Gods children to heare or thinke of their departure To them death hath lost his horror through acquaintance Those faces which at first sight seemed ill-fauoured by oft viewing grow out of dislike They haue so oft thought and resolued of the necessity and of the issue of their dissolution that they cannot hold it either strange or vnwelcome He that hath had such entire conuersation with God cannot feare to goe to him Those that know him not or know that he will not know them no maruell if they tremble This is no small fauour that God warnes Moses of his end he that had so oft made Moses of his counsel what he meant to do with Israel would not now do ought with himselfe without his knowledge Expectation of any maine euent is a great aduantage to a wise heart If the fiery chariot had fetcht away Elias vnlookt for wee should haue doubted of the fauour of his transportation It is a token of iudgement to come as a theefe in the night God forewarnes one by sicknesse another by age another by his secret instincts to prepare for their end If our hearts bee not now in readinesse we are worthy to be surprized But what is this I heare Displeasure mixed with loue and that to so faithfull a seruant as Moses He must but see the Land of Promise he shall not tread vpon it because he once long agoe sinned in distrusting Death though it were to him an entrance into glory yet shall be also a chastisement of his infidelity How many noble proofes had Moses giuen of his courage and strength of faith How many gracious seruices had he done to his Master Yet for one act of distrust he must bee gathered to his Fathers All our obediences cannot beare out one sinne against God How vainly shall we hope to make amends to God for our former trespasses by our better behauiour when Moses hath this one sinne laid in his dish after so many and worthy testimonies of his fidelitie When we haue forgotten our sinnes yet God remembers them and although not in anger yet he cals for our arrerages Alas what shall become of them with whom God hath ten thousand greater quarrels that amongst many millions of sinnes haue scattered some few acts of formall seruices If Moses must die the first death for one fault how shall they escape the second for sinning alwayes Euen where God loues he will not winke at sinne and if he doe not punish yet he will chastise How much lesse can it stand with that eternall Iustice to let wilfull sinners escape iudgement It might haue beene iust with God to haue reserued the cause to himselfe and in a generalitie to haue told Moses that his sinne must shorten his iourney but it is more of mercy then iustice that his children shall know why they smart That God may at once both iustifie himselfe and humble them for their particular offences Those to whom he meanes vengeance haue not the sight of their sinnes till they be past repentance Complaine not that God vpbraides thee with thy old sinnes whosoeuer thou art but know it is an argument of loue whereas concealement is a fearefull signe of a secret dislike from God But what was that noted sinne which deserues this late exprobation and shall cary so sharpe a chastisement Israel murmured for water God bids Moses take the rod in his hand and speak to the rock to giue water Moses in stead of speaking and striking the rocke with his voice strikes it with the rod Here was his sinne An ouer-reaching of his commission a fearefulnesse and distrust of the effect The rod he knew was approued for miracles he knew not how powerfull his voyce might be therefore hee did not speake but strike and he strooke twice for failing And now after these many yeares hee is striken for it of God It is a dangerous thing in diuine matters to goe beyond our warrant Those sinnes which seeme triuiall to men are haynous in the account of God Any thing that fauours of infidelity displeases him more then some other crimes of morality Yet the mouing of the Rod was but a diuerse thing from the mouing of the tongue it was not contrary He did not forbid the one but he commanded the other This was but acrosse the streame not against it where shall they appeare whose whole
Ioshua that succeeded Moses no lesse in the care of Gods glory then in his gouernment is much deiected with this euent Hee rends his clothes fals on his face casts dust vpon his head and as if he had learned of his Master how to expostulate with God sayes What wilt thou doe to thy mighty Name That Ioshua might see God tooke no pleasure to let the Israelites lye dead vpon the earth before their enemies himselfe is taxed for but lying all day vpon his face before the Arke All his expostulations are answered in one word Get thee vp Israel hath sinned I do not heare God say Lye still and mourne for the sin of Israel It is to no purpose to pray against punishment while the sinne continues And though God loues to be sued to yet he holds our requests vnseasonable till there bee care had of satisfaction When we haue risen and redressed sin then may we fall downe for pardon Victory is in the free hand of God to dispose where hee will and no man can maruell that the dice of Warre run euer with hazard on both sides so as God needed not to haue giuen any other reason of this discomfiture of Israel but his owne pleasure yet Ioshua must now know that Israel which before preuailed for their faith is beaten for their sin When we are crossed in iust and holy quarrels we may well thinke there is some secret euill vnrepented of which God would punish in vs which though we see not yet he so hates that he will rather bee wanting to his owne cause then not reuenge it When we goe about any enterprise of God it is good to see that our hearts be cleere from any pollution of sin and when wee are thwarted in our hopes it is our best course to ransack our selues and to search for some sin hid from vs in our bosome but open to the view of God The Oracle of God which told him a great offence was committed yet reueales not the person It had been as easie for him to haue named the man as the crime Neither doth Ioshua request it but refers that discouery to such a meanes as whereby the offender finding himselfe singled out by the lot might bee most conuinced Achan thought he might haue lyen as close in all that throng of Israel as the wedge of Gold lay in his Tent. The same hope of secresie which moued him to sinne moued him to confidence in his sinne but now when hee saw the lot fall vpon his Tribe hee began to start a little when vpon his family he began to change countenance when vpon his houshold to tremble and feare when vpon his person to be vtterly confounded in himselfe Foolish men thinke to runne away with their priuie sinnes and say Tush no eye shall see me but when they thinke themselues safest God puls them out with shame The man that hath escaped iustice and now is lying downe in death would thinke My shame shall neuer be disclosed but before Men and Angels shall he be brought on the scaffold and find confusion as sure as late What needed any other euidence when God had accused Achan Yet Ioshua will haue the sinne out of his mouth in whose heart it was hatched My sonne I beseech thee giue glory to God Whom God had conuinced as a malefactor Ioshua beseeches as a son Some hot spirit would haue said Thou wretched traitor how hast thou pilfred from thy God and shed the blood of so many Israelites and caused the Host of Israel to shew their backes with dishonour to the Heathen now shall we fetch this sin out of thee with tortures and plague thee with a condigne death But like the Disciple of him whose seruant he was he meekely intreats that which he might haue extorted by violence My son I beseech thee Sweetnesse of compellation is a great helpe towards the good entertainment of an admonition roughnesse and rigor many times hardens those hearts which meekenesse would haue melted to repentance whether we sue or conuince or reproue little good is gotten by bitternesse Detestation of the sin may well stand with fauour to the person and these two not distinguished cause great wrong either in our charity or iustice for either we vncharitably hate the creature of God or vniustly affect the euill of men Subiects are as they are called sonnes to the Magistrate All Israel was not onely of the family but as of the loynes of Ioshua such must be the corrections such the prouisions of Gouernorus as for their children as againe the obedience and loue of subiects must be filiall God had glorified himselfe sufficiently in finding out the wickednesse of Achan neither need he honour from men much lesse from sinners They can dishonour him by their iniquities but what recompence can they giue him for their wrongs yet Ioshua sayes My sonne giue glory to God Israel should now see that the tongue of Achan did iustifie God in his lot The confession of our sins doth no lesse honour God then his glory is blemished by their commission Who would not be glad to redeeme the honour of his Redemer with his owne shame The lot of God and the mild words of Ioshua wonne Achan to accuse himselfe ingenuously impartially a storme perhaps would not haue done that which a Sun-shine had done If Achan had come in vncalled and before any question made out of an honest remorse had brought in this sacrilegious booty and cast himselfe and it at the foot of Ioshua doubtlesse Israel had prospered and his sinne had caried away pardon now he hath gotten thus much thanke that he is not a desperate sinner God will once wring from the conscience of wicked men their owne inditements They haue not more carefully hid their sinne then they shall one day freely proclaime their owne shame Achans confession though it were late yet was it free and full For he doth not onely acknowledge the act but the ground of his sinne I saw and coueted and tooke The eye betrayed the heart and that the hand and now all conspire in the offence If wee list not to flatter our selues this hath beene the order of our crimes Euill is vniforme and beginning at the senses takes the inmost fort of the soule and then armes our own outward forces against vs This shall once be the lasciuious mans song I saw and coueted and tooke This the theeues this the Idolaters this the gluttons drunkards All these receiue their death by the eye But oh foolish Achan with what eyes didst thou looke vpon that spoile which thy fellowes saw and contemned Why couldest thou not before as well as now see shame hid vnder that gay Babylonish garment and an heape of stones couered with those shekels of siluer The ouer-prizing and ouer-desiring of these earthly things caries vs into all mischiefe and hides from vs the sight of Gods iudgements whosoeuer desires the glory of metals or of gay clothes or
posterity of Beniamin dâ—generated that their Gibeah should be no lesse wicked then populous The first signe of a setled godlesnesse is that a Leuite is suffered to lye without doores If God had been in any of their houses his seruant had not been excluded Where no respect is giuen to Gods messengers there can be no Religion Gibeah was a second Sodome euen there also is another Lot which is therefore so much more hospitall to strangers because himselfe was a stranger The Oast as well as the Leuite is of Mount Ephraim Each man knowes best to commiserate that euill in others which himselfe hath passed thorow All that professe the Name of Christ are Countrymen and yet strangers here below How cheerefully should we entertaine each other when we meet in the Gibeah of this in hospitall world This good old man of Gibeah came home late from his worke in the fields The Sunne was set ere he gaue ouer And now seeing this man a stranger an Israelite a Leuite an Ephramite and that in his way to the house of God to take vp his lodging in the street hee proffers him the kindnesse of his house-roome Industrious spirits are the fittest receptacles of all good motions whereas those which giue themselues to idle and loose courses doe not care so much as for themselues I heare of but one man at his worke in all Gibeah the rest were quaffing and reuelling That one man ends his worke in a charitable entertainement the other end their play in a brutish beastlinesse and violence These villanies had learned both the actions and the language of the Sodomites One vncleane diuell was the prompter to both and this honest Ephramite had learnt of righteous Lot both to intreat and to proffer As a perplexed Mariner that in a storme must cast away something although precious so this good Oast rather will prostitute his daughter a virgin together with the concubine then this prodigious villany should be offered to a man much more to a man of God The detestation of a fouler sinne drew him to ouer-reach in the motion of a lesser which if it had been accepted how could he haue escaped the partnership of their vncleannesse and the guilt of his daughters rauishment No man can wash his hands of that sinne to which his will hath yeelded Bodily violence may be inoffensiue in the patient voluntary inclination to euill though out of feare can neuer be excusable yet behold this wickednesse is too little to satisfie these monsters Who would haue looked for so extreame abomination from the loynes of Iacob the wombe of Rachel the sonnes of Beniamin Could the very Iebusites their neighbors be euer accused of such vnnaturall outrage I am ashamed to say it Euen the worst Pagans were Saints to Israel What auailes it that they haue the Ark of God in Shilo while they haue Sodom in their streets that the law of God is in their fringes whiles the diuell is in their hearts Nothing but hell it selfe can yeeld a worse creature then a depraued Israelite the very meanes of his reformation are the fuel of his wickednesse Yet Lot sped so much better in Sodom then his Ephraimite did in Gibeah by how much more holy guests he entertained There the guests were Angels heere a sinfull man There the guests saued the oast here the oast could not saue the guest from burtish violence Those Sodomites were stricken with outward blindnes and defeated These Beniamites are onely blinded with lust and preuaile The Leuite comes forth perhaps his coat saued his person from this villany who now thinks himselfe wel that he may haue leaue to redeeme his own dishonour with his concubines If he had not loued her dearely he had neuer sought her so farre after so foule a sinne Yet now his hate of that vnnaturall wickednes ouercame his loue to her Shee is exposed to the furious lust of barbarous Ruffians and which he misdoubted not abuseth to death Oh the iust and euen course which the Almighty Iudge of the world holds in all his retribulations This woman had shamed the bed of a Leuit by her former wantonnesse she had thus far gone smoothly away with her sinne her father harboured her her husband forgaue her her owne heart found no cause to complaine because shee smarted not now when the world had forgotten her offence God cals her to reckoning and punishes her with her owne sinne She had voluntarily exposed her selfe to lust now is exposed forceably Adultery was her sin adultery was her death What smiles soeuer wickednesse casts vpon the heart whiles it sollicites it will owe vs a displeasure and proue it selfe a faithfull Debter The Leuite looked to finde her humbled with this violence not murdered and now indignation moues him to adde horrour to the fact Had not his heart been raysed vp with an excesse of desire to make the crime as odious as it was sinful his action could not be excuseÌ„ Those hands that might not touch a carkais now carue the corps of his own dead wife into morsels and send these tokens to all the Tribes of Israel that when they should see these gobbets of the body murdered the more they might detest the murderers Himselfe puts on cruelty to the dead that he might draw them to a iust reuenge of her death Actions nororiously villanous may iustly countenance an extraordinary meanes of prosecution Euery Israelite hath a part in a Leuites wrong No Tribe hath not his share in the carcasse and the reuenge The desolation of BENIMIN THese morsels could not chuse but cut the hearts of Israel with horror and compassion horror of the act and compassion of the sufferer and now their zeale drawes them together either for satisfaction or reuenge Who would not haue looked that the hands of Beniamin should haue been first vpon Gibeah and that they should haue readily sent the heads of the offenders for a second seruice after the gobbets of the concubine But now in stead of punishing the sinne they patronize the actors and will rather die in resisting iustice then liue and prosper in furthering it Surely Israel had one Tribe too many all Beniamin is turned into Gibeah the sons not of Beniamin but of Belial The abetting of euill is worse then the commission This may be vpon infirmity but that must be vpon resolution Easie punishment is too much fauour to sinne conniuence is much worse but the defence of it and that vnto bloud is intollerable Had not these men been both wicked and quarrellous they had not drawne their swords in so foule a cause Peaceable dispositions are hardly drawn to fight for innocence yet these Beniaminites as if they were in loue with villanie and out of charity with God will be the wilfull Champions of lewdnesse How can Gibeah repent them of that wickednesse which all Beiamin will make good in spight of their consciences Euen where sinne is suppressed it will rise but where it is
incouraged it insults and tyrannizes It was more iust that Israel should rise against Beniamin then that Beniamin should rise for Gibeah by how much it is better to punish offenders then to shelter the offenders from punishing And yet the wickednesse of Beniamin sped better for the time then the honesty of Israel Twise was the better part foyled by the lesse and worse The good cause was sent backe with shame the euill returned with victory and triumph O God! their hand was for thee in the fight thy hand was with them in their fall They had not fought for thee but by thee neither could they haue miscarried in the fight if thou hadst not fought against them Thou art iust and holy in both The cause was thine the sinne in managing of it was their owne They fought in an holy quarrell but with confidence in themselues for as presuming of victory they aske of God not what should be their successe but who should be their Captaine Number and innocence made them too secure I was iust therefore with God to let them feele that euen good zeale cannot beare out presumption and that victorie lies not in the cause but in the God that ownes it Who cannot imagine how much the Beniaminites insulted in their double field and day And now beganne to thinke God was on their side Those swords which had been taught the way into forty thousand bodies of their brethren cannot feare a new encounter Wicked men cannot see their prosperity a piece of their curse neither can examine their actions but the euents Soone after thy shall finde what it was to adde bloud vnto filthinesse and that the victorie of an euill cause is the way to ruine and confusion I should haue feared lest this double discomfiture should haue made Israel either distrustfull or weary of a good cause but still I finde them no lesse couragious with more humility Now they fast and weepe and sacrifice These weapons had beene victorious in their first assault Beniamin had neuer been in danger of pride for ouercomming if this humiliation of Israel had preuented the fight It is seldome seene but that which we doe with feare prospereth whereas confidence in vndertaking layes euen good endeuours in the dust Wickednesse could neuer bragge of any long prosperity nor complaine of the lacke of paiment Still God is euen with it at the last Now he payes the Beniaminites both that death which they had lent to the Israelites and that wherein they stood indebted to their brotherhood of Gibeah And now that both are met in death there is as much difference betwixt those Israelites and these Beniaminites as betwixt Martyrs and Malefactors To die in a sinne is a fearefull reuenge of giuing patronage to sinne The sword consumes their bodies another fire their Cities whatsoeuer became of their soules Now might Rachel haue iustly wept for her children because they were not for behold the men women and children of her wicked Tribe are cut off only some few scattered remainders ran away from this vengeance and lurked in caues and rockes both for feare and shame There was no difference but life betwixt their brethren and them the earth couered them both yet vnto them doth the reuenge of Israel stretch it selfe and vowes to destroy if not their persons yet their succession as holding them vnworthy to receiue any comfort by that sex to which they had been so cruell both in act and maintenance If the Israelites had not held marriage and issue a very great blessing they had not thus reuenged themselues of Beniamin now they accounted the with-holding of their wiues a punishment second to death The hope of life in our posterity is the next contentment to an enioying of life in our selues They haue sworne and now vpon cold bloud repent them If the oath were not iust why would they take it and if it were iust why did they recant it If the act were iustifiable what needed these teares Euen a iust oath may be rashly taken not only iniustice but temerite of swearing ends in lamentation In our very ciuill actions it is a weakenesse to doe that which we would after reuerse but in our affaires with God to checke our selues too late and to steepe our oathes in teares is a dangerous folly Hee doth not command vs to take voluntary oathes he commands vs to keepe them If we binde our selues to inconuenience we may iustly complaine of our owne setters Oathes doe not onely require iustice but iudgement wise deliberation no lesse then equity Not conscience of their fact but commiseration of their brethren led them to this publike repentance O God why is this come to passe that this day one Tribe of Israel shall want Euen the iustest reuenge of men is capable of pitty Insultation in the rigour of Iustice argues cruelty Charitable mindes are grieued to see that done which they would not wish vndone the smart of the offender doth not please them which yet are throughly displeased with the sinne and haue giuen their hands to punish it God himselfe takes no pleasure in the death of a sinner yet loues the punishment of sinne As a god parent whips his childe yet weepes himselfe There is a measure in victory and reuenge if neuer so iust which to exceed leeses mercy in the suit of Iustice If there were no fault in their seuerity it needed no excuse and if there were a fault it will admit of no excuse yet as if they meant to shift off the sin they expostulate with God O Lord God of Israel why is this come to passe this day God gaue them no command of this rigour yea he twice crost them in the execution and now in that which they intreated of God with teares they challenge him It is a dangerous iniustice to lay the burden of our sins vpon him which tempteth no man nor can bee tempted with euill whiles we would so remoue our sinne we double it A man that knew not the power of an oath would wonder at this contrarietie in the affections of Israel They are sorry for the slaughter of Beniamin and yet they slay those that did not helpe them in the slaughter Their oath cals them to more bloud The excesse of their reuenge vpon Beniamin may not excuse the men of Gillead If euer oath might looke for a dispensation this might plead it Now they dare not but kill the men of Iabesh Gilead lest they should haue left vpon themselues a greater sin of sparing then punishing Iabesh Gilead came not vp to aid Israel therefore all the inhabitants must die To exempt our selues whether out of singularity or stubbornnesse from the common actions of the Church when we are lawfully called to them is an offence worthy of iudgement In the maine quarrels of the Church neutrals are punished This execution shall make amends for the former of the spoile of Iabesh Gilead shall the Beniaminites be stored with wiues that no
Elkanah haue wished Peninna barren and Anna fruitfull but if she should haue had both issue and loue she had bin proud and her riuall despised God knowes how to disperse his fauours so that euery one may haue cause both of thankfulnesse and humiliation whiles there is no one that hath all no one but hath some If enuy and contempt were not thus equally tempered some would be ouer hauty and others too miserable But now euery man sees that in himself which is worthy of contempt matter of emulation in others and contrarily sees what to pitty and dislike in the most eminent and what to applaud in himselfe and out of this contrariety arises a sweete meane of contentation The loue of Elkanah is so vnable to free Anna from the wrongs of her riuall that it procures them rather The vnfruitfulnesse of Anna had neuer with so much despight been laid in her dish if her husbands heart had been as barren of loue to her Enuy though it take aduantage of our weaknesses yet is euer raised vpon some grounds of happinesse in them whom it emulates it is euer an ill effect of a good cause If Abels sacrifice had not been accepted and if the acceptation of his sacrifice had not beene a blessing no enuy had followed vpon it There is no euill of another wherein it is fit to reioyce but his enuy and this is worthy of our ioy and thankfulnesse because it shewes vs the price of that good which we had and valued not The malignity of enuy is thus well answered when it is made the euill cause of a good effect to vs when God and our soules may gaine by anothers sin I doe not finde that Anna insulted vpon Peninna for the greater measure of her husbands loue as Peninna did vpon her for her fruitlesnesse Those that are truely gracious know how to receiue the blessings of God without contempt of them that want and haue learned to be thankfull without ouerlinesse Enuy when it is once conceiued in a malicious heart is like fire in billets of Iuniper which they say continues more yeeres then one Euery yeere was Anna thus vexed with her emulous partner and troubled both in her prayers and meale Amidst all their feastings she fed on nothing but her teares Some dispositions are lesse sensible and more carelesse of the despight and iniuries of others and can turne ouer vnkinde vsages with contempt By how much more tender the heart is so much more deeply is it euer affected with discourtesies As waxe receiues and retaines that impression which in the heard clay cannot be seene or as the eye feeles that more which the skin of the eye-lid could not complaine of Yet the husband of Anna as one that knew his duty labours by his loue to comfort her against these discontentments Why weepest thou Am not I better to thee then ten sonnes It is the weakenesse of good natures to giue so much aduantage to an enemy what would malice rather haue then the vexation of them whom it persecutes We cannot better please an aduersary then by hurting our selues This is no other then to humour enuy to serue the turne of those that maligne vs and to draw on that malice whereof we are weary whereas carlesnesse puts ill will out of countenance and makes it with-draw it selfe in a rage as that which doth but shame the author without the hurt of the patient In causlesse wrongs the best remedy is contempt She that could not finde comfort in the louing perswasions of her husband seekes at in her prayers she rises vp hungry from the feast and hies her to the Temple there she power out hers teares and supplications Whatsoeuer the complaint be here is the remedy There is one vniuersall receit for all euils prayer when all helpes fayle vs this remaines and whiles we haue an heart comforts it Here was not more bitternesse in the soule of Anna then feruency she did not onely weepe and pray but vow vnto God If God will giue her a sonne she will giue her sonne to God backe againe Euen nature it selfe had consecrated her sonne to God for he could not but be borne a Leuite But if his birth make him a Leuite her vow shall make him a Nazarite and dedicate his minority to the Tabernacle The way to obtaine any benefit is to deuote it in our hearts to the glory of that God of whom we aske it By this meanes shall God both pleasure his seruant and honour himselfe whereas if the scope of our desires be carnall we may be sure either to fayle of our suit or of a blessing ELY and ANNA OLd Ely sits on a stoole by one of the posts of the Tabernacle Where should the Priests of God be but in the Temple whether for action or for ouer-sight Their very presence keepes Gods House in order and the presence of God keepes their hearts in order It is oft found that those which are themselues conscionable are too forward to the censuring of others Good Ely because he markes the lips of Anna to moue without noyse chides her as drunken and vncharitably misconstrues her denotion It was a weake ground whereon to build so heauy a sentence If he had spoken too loud and incomposedly he might haue had some iust colour for this conceit but now to accuse her silence notwithstanding all the teares which he saw of drunkennesse it was a zealous breach of charity Some spirit would haue been enraged with so rash a censure When anger meets with griefe both turne into fury But this good woman had been iniured to reproches and besides did well see the reproofe arose from misprision and the misprision from zeale and therefore answers meekely as one that had rather satisfie then expostulate Nay my Lord but I am a woman troubled in spirit Ely may now learne charity of Anna If she had bin in that distemper whereof he accused her his iust reproofe had not bin so easily digested Guiltines is commonly clamorous and impatient whereas innocence is silent and carelesse of mis-resports It is naturall vnto to all men to wipe off from their name all aspersions of euill but none doe it with such violence as they which are faulty It is a signe the horse is galled that stirs too much when he is touched She that was censured for drunken censures drunkennesse more deeply then her reprouet Count not thiâ—e handmaid for a daughter of Belial The drunkards stâ—â—e begins in lawlesnesse proceeds in vnprofitablenesse ends in misery and all shut vp it the denomination of this pedegree A sonne of Belial If Anna had bin tainted with this sin she would haue denied it with more fauour and haue disclaimed it with an externiation What if I should haue bin merry with wine yet I might be deuout If I should haue ouerioyed in my sacrifice to God one cup of excesse had not bin so hainous now her freedome is seene in her seuerity Those which
salute those Cherubims to welcome that God whose absence had beene their death But as it is hard not to ouer-ioy in a sudden prosperity and to vse happinesse is no lesse difficult then to forbeare it These glad Israelites cannot see but they must gaze they cannot gaze on the glorious out-side but they must be whether out of rude iollity or curiositie or suspition of the purloining some of those sacred implements prying into the secrets of Gods Arke Nature is too subiect to extremities and is euer either too dull in want or wanton in fruition It is no easie matter to keepe a meane whether in good or euill Bethshemesh was a City of Priests they should haue knowne better how to demeane themselues towards the Arke this priuiledge doubled their offence There was no malice in this curious inquisition the same eyes that lookt into the Arke lookt also vp to heauen in their Offerings and the same hands that touched it offered sacrifice to the God that brought it Who could expect any thing now but acceptation who would suspect any danger It is not a following act of deuotion that can make amends for a former sinne There was a death owing them immediately vpon their offence God will take his owne time for the execution In the meane while they may sacrifice but they cannot satisfie they cannot escape The Kine are sacrificed the Cart burnes them that drew it Here was an offering of prayse when they had more need of a trespasse-offering many an heart is lifted vp in a conceit of ioy when it hath iust cause of humiliation God lets them alone with their Sacrifice but when that is done he comes ouer them with a backe reckoning for their sinne Fifty thousand and seuenty Israelites are strucke dead for this vnreuerence to the Arke A wofull welcome for the Arke of God into the borders of Israel It killed them for looking into it who thought it their life to see it It dealt blowes and death on both hands to Philistims to Israelites to both of them for prophaning it The one with their Idoll the other with their eyes It is a fearfull thing to vse the holy Ordinances of God with an vnreuerent boldnesse Feare and trembling becomes vs in our accesse to the Maiesty of the Almighty Neither was there more state then secresie in Gods Arke some things the wisedome of God desires to conceale The vnreuerence of the Israelites was no more faulty then their curiosity secret things to God things reuealed to vs and to our children The remoue of the Arke I Heare of the Bethshemites lamentation I heare not of their repentance they complaine of their smart they complaine not of their sinne and for ought I can perceiue speake as if God were curious rather then they faulty Who is able to stand before this holy Lord God and to whom shall he goe from vs As if none could please that God which misliked them It is the fashion of naturall men to iustifie themselues in their owne courses if they cannot charge any earthly thing with the blame of their suffering they will cast it vpon Heauen That a man pleads himselfe guiltie of his owne wrong is no common worke of Gods Spirit Bethshemesh bordered too neere vpon the Philistims If these men thought the very presence of the Arke hurtfull why do they send to their neighbours of Kiriath-iearim that they might make themselues miserable Where there is a misconceit of God it is no maruell if there be a defect of Charity How cunningly doe they send their message to their neighbours They doe not say the Arke of God is come to vs of it owne accord lest the men of Kiriath-iearim should reply It is come to you let it stay with you They say onely the Philistims haue brought it they tell of the presence of the Arke they doe not tell of the successe lest the example of their iudgement should haue discouraged the forwardnesse of their reliefe And after all the offer was plausible Come ye downe and take it vp to you as if the honour had been too great for themselues as if their modestie had beene such that they would not forestall and engrosse happinesse from the rest of Israel It is no boot to teach Nature how to tell her owne tale smart and danger will make a man wittie He is rarely constant that will not dissemble for ease It is good to be suspitious of the euasions of those which would put off miserie Those of Bethshemesh were not more craftie then these of Kiriath-iearim which was the ground of their boldnesse faithfull So many thousand Bethshemites could not be dead and no part of the rumour flie to them They heard how thicke not onely the Philistims but the bordering Israelites fell downe dead before the Arke yet they durst aduenture to come and fetch it euen from amongst the carcasses of their brethren They had beene formerly acquainted with the Arke they knew it was holy it could not be changeable and therefore they well conceiued this slaughter to arise from the vnholinesse of men not from the rigour of God and thereupon can seeke comfort in that which others found deadly Gods children cannot by any meanes bee discouraged from their honour and loue to his Ordinances If they see thousands strucke downe to Hell by the Scepter of Gods Kingdome yet they will kisse it vpon their knees and if their Sauiour be a rocke of offence and the occasion of the fall of millions in Israel they can feed temperately of that whereof others haue surfeted to death c. Bethshemesh was a Citie of Priests and Leuits Kiriath-iearim a Citie of Iuda where wee heare but of one Leuit Abinabab yet this Citie was more zealous for God more reuerent and conscionable in the entertainment of the Arke then the other Wee heard of the taking downe of the Arke by the Bethshemites when it came miraculously to them we doe not heare of any man sanctified for the attendance of it as was done in this second lodging of the Arke Grace is not tied either to number or meanes It is in spirituall matters as in the estate Small helpes with good thrift enrich vs when great patrimonies lose themselues in the neglect Shiloh was wont to be the place which was honoured with the presence of the Arke Euer since the wickednesse of Elies Sonnes that was forlorne and desolate and now Kiriath-iearim succeeds into this priuiledge It did not stand with the royall liberty of God no not vnder the Law to tie himselfe vnto places and persons Vnworthinesse was euer a sufficient cause of exchange It was not yet his time to stirre from the Iewes yet he remoued from one Prouince to another Lesse reason haue we to thinke that so God will reside amongst vs that none of our prouocations can driue him from vs c. Israel which had found the misery of Gods absence is now resolued into teares of contrition and
it selfe in this spirituall verdict that vnlesse it be taken in the manner it will hardly yeeld to a truth either shee will denie the fact or the fault or the measure And now in this case they might seeme to haue some faire pretences For though Samuel was righteous yet his sons were corrupt To cut off all excuses therefore Samuel appeales to God the highest Iudge for his sentence of their sinne and dares trust to a miraculous conuiction It was now their Wheat Haruest the hot and dry ayre of that climate did not wont to afford in that season so much moist vapour as might raise a cloud either for raine or thunder He that knew God could and would doe both these without the helpe of second causes puts the triall vpon this issue Had not Samuel before consulted with his Maker and receiued warrant for his act it had beene presumption and tempting of God which was now a noble improuement of faith Rather then Israel shall go cleare away with a sinne God will accuse and araigne them from heauen No sooner hath Samuels voice ceased then Gods voice begins Euery cracke of thunder spake iudgement against the rebellious Israelites and euerie drop of raine a witnesse of their sin and now they found they had displeased him which ruleth in the Heauen by reiecting the man that ruled for him on Earth The thundering voice of God that had lately in their sight confounded the Philistims they now vnderstood to speake fearfull things against them No maruell if now they fell vpon their knees not to Saul whom they had chosen but to Samuel who being thus cast off by them is thus countenanced in Heauen SAVLS Sacrifice GOD neuer meant the Kingdome should either stay long in the Tribe of Beniamin or remoue suddenly from the person of Saul Many yeares did Saul reigne ouer Israel yet God computes him but two yeares a King That is not accounted of God to be done which is not lawfully done when God which choose Saul reiected him he was no more a King but a Tyrant Israel obeyed him still but God makes no reckoning of him as his Deputie but as an Vsurper Saul was of good yeares when he was aduanced to the Kingdome His Sonne Ionathan the first yeare of his Fathers Reigne could lead a thousand Israelites into the field and giue a foile to the Philistims And now Israel could not thinke themselues lesse happie in their Prince then in their King Ionathan is the Heyre of his Fathers victorie as well as of his valour and his estate The Philistims were quiet after those first thunder claps all the time of Samuels gouernment now they beginne to stirre vnder Saul How vtterly is Israel disappointed in their hopes That securitie and protection which they promised themselues in the name of a King they found in a Prophet failed of in a Warriour They were more safe vnder the mantle then vnder armes both enmitie and safegard are from heauen goodnesse hath beene euer a stronger guard then valour It is the surest policy alwayes to haue peace with God We find by the spoiles that the Philistims had some battels with Israel which are not recorded After the thunder had scared them into a peace and restitution of all the bordering Cities from Ekron to Gath they had taken new heart and so be slaued Israel that they had neither weapon nor Smith left amongst them yet euen in this miserable nakednesse of Israel haue they both fought and ouercome Now might you haue seene the vnarmed Israelites marching with their Slings and Plough-staues and Hookes and Forkes and other instruments of their husbandrie against a mighty and well furnished enemy and returning laded both with Armes and Victorie No Armour is of proofe against the Almighty neither is he vnweaponed that caries the reuenge of God There is the same disaduantage in our spirituall conflicts we are turned naked to principalities and powers whilst we go vnder the conduct of the Prince of our peace we cannot but be bold and victorious Vaine men thinke to ouer-power God with munition and multitude The Philistims are not any way more strong then in conceit Thirty thousand Chariots sixe thousand Horsemen Footmen like the sand for number makes them scorne Israel no lesse then Israel feares them When I see the miraculous successe which had blessed the Israelites in all their late conflicts with these very Philistims with the Ammonites I cannot but wonder how they could feare They which in the time of their sinne found God to raise such Trophees ouer their enemies runne now into Caues and Rockes and Pits to hide them from the faces of men when they found God reconciled and themselues penitent No Israelite but hath some cowardly blood in him If we had no feare faith would haue no mastery yet these fearfull Israelites shall cut the throats of those confident Philistims Doubt and resolution are not meet measures of our successe A presumptuous confidence goes commonly bleeding home when an humble feare returnes in triumph Feare driues those Israelites which dare shew their heads out of the Caues vnto Saul and makes them cling vnto their new King How troublesome were the beginnings of Sauls honor Surely if that man had not exceeded Israel no lesse in courage then in stature he had now hid himselfe in a Caue which before hid himselfe among the stuffe But now though the Israelites ran away from him yet he ranne not away from them It was not any doubt of Sauls valour that put his people to their heeles it was the absence of Samuel If the Prophet had come vp Israel would neuer haue runne away from their King Whiles they had a Samuel alone they were neuer well till they had a Saul now they haue a Saul they are as farre from contentment because they want a Samuel vnlesse both ioyne together they think there can be no safetie Where the Temporal and Spirituall State combine not together there can follow nothing but distraction in the people The Prophets receiue and deliuer the will of God Kings execute it The Prophets are directed by God the people are directed by their Kings Where men doe not see God before them in his Ordinances their hearts cannot but faile them both in their respects to their Superiors and their courage in themselues Piety is the Mother of perfect subiection As all authoritie is deriued from heauen so is it thence established Those Gouernours that would command the hearts of men must shew them God in their faces No Israelite can thinke himselfe safe without a Prophet Saul had giuen them good proofe of his fortitude in his late victorie ouer the Ammorites but then Proclamation was made before the fight through all the Country that euery man should come vp after Saul and Samuel If Samuel had not beene with Saul they would rather haue ventured the losse of their oxen then the hâ—â—â—id of themselues How much lesse should we presume of any safety in
the Arke The voluntary seruices of Hypocrites are many times more painfull then the duties enioyned by God In what awe did all Israel stand of the Oath euen of Saul It was not their owne vow but Sauls for them yet comming into the Wood where they saw the Honey dropping and found the meat as ready as their appetite they dare not touch that sustenance and will rather endure famine and fainting then an indiscreet curse Doubtlesse God had brought those Bees thither on purpose to try the constancy of Israel Israel could not but thinke that which Ionathan said that the vow was vnaduised and iniurious yet they will rather dye then violate it How sacred should wee hold the obligation of our owne vowes in things iust and expedient when the bond of anothers rash vow is thus indissoluble There was a double mischiefe followed vpon Sauls oath an abatement of the victorie and eating with the blood For on the one side the people were so faint that they were more likely to dye then kill they could neither runne nor strike in this emptinesse Neither hands nor feet can doe their office when the stomacke is neglected On the other an vnmeet forbearance causes a rauenous repast Hunger knowes neither choice nor order nor measure The one of these was a wrong to Israel the other was a wrong done by Israel to God Sauls zeale was guilty of both A rash vow is seldome euer free from inconuenience The heart that hath vnnecessarily intangled it selfe drawes mischiefe either vpon it selfe or others Ionathan was ignorant of his fathers adiuration he knew no reason why he should not refresh himselfe in so profitable a seruice with a little taste of Honey vpon his Speare Full well had he deserued this vnsought dainty and now behold his Honey is turned into Gall if it were sweet in the mouth it was bitter in the soule if the eyes of his body were enlightned the light of Gods countenance was clouded by this act After he heard of the oath he pleades iustly against it the losse of so faire an opportunity of reuenge and the trouble of Israel yet neither his reasons against the Oath nor his ignorance of the Oath can excuse him from a sinne of ignorance in violating that which first he knew not and then knew vnreasonable Now Sauls leisure would serue him to aske counsell of God As before Saul would not enquire so now God will not answer Well might Saul haue found sinnes enow of his owne whereto to impute this silence He hath grace enough to know that God was offended and to guesse at the cause of his offence Sooner will an Hypocrite finde out another mans sinne then his owne and now he sweares more rashly to punish with death the breach of that which he had sworne rashly The lots were cast and Saul prayes for the decision Ionathan is taken Euen the prayers of wicked men are sometimes heard although iniustice not in mercy Saul himselfe was punished not a little in the fall of this lot vpon Ionathan Surely Saul sinned more in making this vow then Ionathan in breaking it vnwittingly and now the father smarts for the rashnesse of his double vow by the vniust sentence of death vpon so vvorthy a sonne God had neuer singled out Ionathan by his lot if he had not beene displeased with his act Vowes rashly made may not be rashly broken If the thing we haue vowed be not euill in it selfe or in the effect we cannot violate it without euill Ignorance cannot acquite if it can abate our sinne It is like if Ionathan had heard his fathers adiuration he had not transgressed his absence at the time of that Oath cannot excuse him from displeasure What shall become of those which may know the charge of their heauenly Father and will not which doe know his charge and will not keepe it Affectation of ignorance and willing disobedience is desperate Death was too hard a censure for such an vnknowne offence The cruell piety of Saul will reuenge the braach of his owne charge so as he would be loath God should auenge on himselfe the breach of his diuine command If Ionathan had not found better friends then his father so noble a victory had beene recompenced with death He that saued Israel from the Philistims is saued by Israel from the hand of his Father Saul hath sworne Ionathans death the people contrarily sweare his preseruation his Kingdome was not yet so absolute that hee could runne away with so vnmercifull a Iustice their Oath that sauoured of disobedience preuailed against his Oath that sauoured too strong of cruelty Neither doubt I but Saul was secretly not displeased with this louing resistance So long as his heart was not false to his Oath he could not be sory that Ionathan should liue Contemplations THE THIRTEENTH BOOKE Containing SAVL and AGAG The Reiection of SAVL and the Choice of DAVID DAVID called to the Court. DAVID and GOLIAH IONATHANS loue and SAVLS enuy MICHALS Wile DAVID and ABIMELEC By IOS HALL D. of Diuinitie and Deane of WORCESTER TO THE RIGHT HONOVRABLE SIR Thomas Edmonds KNIGHT TREASVRER OF HIS MAIESTIES HOVSHOLD AND OF HIS MOST Honourable Priuy Councell RIGHT HONOVRABLE AFter your long and happy acquaintance with other Courts and Kingdomes may it please you to compare with them the estate of old Jsrael You shall find the same hand swaying all Scepters and you shall meet with such a proportion of dispositions and occurrences that you will say men are still the same if their names and faces differ You shall find Enuy and Mutability ancient Courtiers and shall confesse the Vices of men still aliue if themselues die You shall see God still honouring those that honour him and both rescuing Jnnocence and crowning it Jt is not for me to anticipate your deeper and more iudicious Obseruations J am bold to dedicate this piece of my Labour to your Honour in a thankefull acknowledgement of those Noble Respects J haue found from you both in France and at home Jn lieu of all which J can but pray for your happinesse and vow my selfe Your Honours in all humble obseruance IOS HALL Contemplations SAVL and AGAG GOd holds it no derogation from his mercy to beare a quarrell long where hee hates Hee whose anger to the vessels of wrath is euerlasting euen in temporall iudgement reuengeth late The sinnes of his owne children are no sooner done and repented of then forgotten but the malicious sinnes of his enemies sticke fast in an infinite displeasure I remember what Amalek did to Israel how they laid wait for them by the way as they came vp from Aegypt Alas Lord might Amalek say they were our forefathers wee neuer knew their faces no not their names the fact was so farre from our consent that it is almost past the memory of our histories It is not in the power of time to raze out any of the arerages of God we may lay vp wrath for our
is peace euer our friend but when it is a seruant of Piety The vse of Warre is not more pernicious to the body than the abuse of peace is to the soule Alas the Riot bred of our long ease rather driues the Arke of God from vs so the still sedentary life is subiect to diseases and standing waters putrifie It may be iust with God to take away the blessing which we doe so much abuse and to scoure off our rust with bloudy Warre c. The Arke of God had now many yeeres rested in the obscure lodge of Abinadab without the honour of a Tabernacle Dauid will not endure himselfe glorious and the Arke of God contemptible his first care is to prouide a fit roome for God in the head of the Tribes in his owne City The chiefe care of good Princes must be the aduancement of Religion What should the Deputies of God rather doe than honour him whom they represent It was no good that Israel could learne of Philistims Those Pagans had sent the Arke backe in a new Cart the Israelites saw God blessed that conduct and now they practise it at home But that which God will take from Philistims hee will not brooke from Israel Aliens from God are no fit patterns for children Diuine institution had made this a cariage for the Leuites not for oxen Neither should those sonnes of Abinadab haue driuen the Cart but carried that sacred burden Gods businesses must be done after his owne formes which if we doe with the best intentions alter we presume It is long since Israel saw so faire a day as this wherein they went in this holy Triumph to fetch the Arke of God Now their Warlike Trumpets are turned into Harps and Timbrils and their hands in stead of weilding the Sword and Speare strike vpon those musicall strings whereby they might expresse the ioy of their hearts Heere was no noise but of mirth no motion but pleasant Oh happy Israel that had a God to reioyce in that had this occasion of reioycing in their God and an heart that embraced this occasion There is nothing but this wherein wee may not ioy immoderately vnseasonably this spirituall ioy can neuer bee either out of time or out of measure Let him that reioyceth reioyce in the Lord. But now when the Israelites were in the midst of this Angel-like iollitie their hearts lifted vp their hands playing their feet mouing their tongues singing and shouting God sees good to strike them into a sudden dumpe by the death of Vzzah They are scarce set into the tune when God marres their Musicke by a fearefull iudgement and changes their mirth into astonishment and confusion There could not bee a more excellent worke than this they were about there could not bee more chearefull hearts in the performing of it yet will the most holy God rather dash all this solemne seruice than indure an act of presumption or infidelity Abinadab had beene the faithfull Host of Gods Arke for the space of twenty yeeres euen in the midst of the terrors of Irael who were iustly affrighted with the vengeance inflicted vpon Beth-shemesh did hee giue harbour vnto it Yet euen the sonne of Abinadab is stricken dead in the first departing of that blessed guest The Sanctitie of the Parent cannot beare out the sinne of his Sonne The Holy one of Israel will bee sanctified in all that come neere him He will be serued like himselfe WHAT then was the sinne of Vzzah What was the capitall crime for which hee so fearefully perished That the Arke of God was committed to the Cart it was not his deuice onely but the common act of many That it was not carryed on the shoulders of Leuites was no lesse the fault of Ahio and the rest of their Brethren onely Vzzah is stricken The rest sinned in negligence hee in presumption the Arke of God shakes with the agitation of that carriage hee puts forth his hand to hold it steddie Humane iudgement would haue found herein nothing haynous God sees not with the eyes of men None but the Priests should haue dared to touch the Arke It was enough for the Leuites to touch the barres that carryed it An vnwarranted hand cannot so lightly touch the Arke but hee strikes the God that dwels in it No maruell if God strike that man with death that strikes him with Presumption There was wel-neere the same quarrell against the thousands of Bethshemesh and against Vzzah They died for looking into the Arke hee for touching it lest Israel should grow into a contemptuous familiarity with this Testimony of Gods presence hee will hold them in awe with iudgements The reuenging hand of the Almighty that vpon the returne of the Arke stayed at the House of Abinadab vpon the remooue of the Arke beginnes there againe Where are those that thinke God will take vp with a carelesse and slubbred seruice Hee whose infinite mercy vses to passe by our sinnes of infirmitie punisheth yet seuerely our bold faults If we cannot doe any thing in the degrees that hee requireth yet wee must learne to doe all things in the forme that he requireth Doubtlesse Vzzah meant no otherwise than well in putting forth his hand to stay the Arke Hee knew the sacred Vtensils that were in it the Pot of Manna the Tables of the Law the Rod of Aaron which might bee wronged by that ouer-rough motion to these hee offers his aide and is stricken dead The best intention cannot excuse much lesse warrant vs in vnlawfull actions where wee doe ought in faith it pleaseth our good God to winke at and pitty our weaknesses but if wee dare to present God with the wel-meant seruices of our owne making wee runne into the indignation of God There is nothing more dangerous than to be our owne caruers in matter of Deuotion I maruell not if the countenance of Dauid were suddenly changed to see the pale face of death in one of the chiefe Actors in this holy Procession Hee that had found God so fauourable to him in actions of lesse worth is troubled to see this successe of a businesse so heartily directed vnto his God and now hee beginnes to looke thorow Vzzah at himselfe and to say How shall the Arke of the Lord come to mee Then onely shall wee make a right vse of the iudgements of God vpon others when wee shall feare them in our selues and finding our sinnes at least equall shall tremble at the expectation of the same deserued punishments God intends not onely reuenge in his execution but reformation As good Princes regard not so much the smart of the euill past as the preuention of the future which is neuer attained but when wee make applications of Gods hand and draw common causes out of Gods particular proceedings I doe not heare Dauid say Surely this man is guilty of some secret sinne that the World knowes not God hath met with him thereis no danger to vs why should I be discouraged to
a Traytor to his friend the host of God must shamefully turne their backes vpon the Ammonites all that Israelitish bloud must bee shed that murder must be seconded with dissimulation and all this to hide one adultery O God thou hadst neuer suffered so deare a Fauourite of thine to fall so fearefully if thou hadst not meant to make him an vniuersall example to Mankind of not presuming of not despairing How can wee presume of not sinning or despayre for sinning when wee finde so great a Saint thus fallen thus risen NATHAN and DAVID YEt Bathsheba mourned for the death of that Husband whom she had beene drawne to dishonour How could shee bestow teares enow vpon that Funerall whereof her sinne was the cause If shee had but a suspicion of the plot of his death the Fountaines of her eyes could not yeeld water enough to wash off her Husbands bloud Her sin was more worthy of sorrow than her losse If this griefe had beene right placed the hope of hiding her shame and the ambition to bee a Queene had not so soone mittigated it neyther had shee vpon any termes beene drawne into the Bed of her husbands murtherer Euery gleame of earthly comfort can dry vp the teares of worldly sorrow Bathsheba hath soone lost her griefe at the Court The remembrance of an Husband is buried in the ioyliltie and state of a Princesse Dauid securely enioyes his ill-purchased loue and is content to exchange the conscience of his sinne for the sense of his pleasure But the iust and holy God will not put it vp so hee that hates sinne so much the more as the offender is more deare to him will let Dauid feele the bruise of his fall If Gods best Children haue beene sometimes suffered to sleepe in a sinne at last he hath awakened them in a fright Dauid was a Prophet of God yet hee hath not only stept into these foule sinnes but soiournes with them If any profession or state of life could haue priuiledged from sinne the Angels had not sinned in Heauen nor man in Paradise Nathan the Prophet is sent to the Prophet Dauid for reproofe for conuiction Had it beene any other mans case none could haue beene more quick sighted than the Princely Prophet in his owne hee is so blinde that God is faine to lend him others eyes Euen the Phisician himself when hee is sick sends for the counsell of those whom his health did mutually aid with aduice Let no man thinke himselfe too good to learne Teachers themselues may bee taught that in their owne particular which in a generalitie they haue often taught others It is not only ignorance that is to be remoued but mis-affection Who can prescribe a iust period to the best mans repentance About tenne moneths are passed since Dauids sinne in all which time I finde no newes of any serious compunction It could not bee but some glances of remorse must needs haue passed thorough his Soule long ere this but a due and solemne contrition was not heard of till Nathans message and perhaps had beene further adiourned if that Monitor had beene longer deferred Alas what long and dead sleepes may the holyest Soule take in fearefull sinnes Were it not for thy mercie O God the best of vs should end our spirituall Lethargie in sleepe of death It might haue pleased God as easily to haue sent Nathan to checke Dauid in his first purpose of sinning So had his eyes beene restrayned Bathsheba honest Vriah aliue with honour now the wisdome of the Almightie knew how to winne more glorie by the permission of so foule an euill than by the preuention yea he knew how by the permission of one sinne to preuent millions how many thousand had sinned in a vaine presumption on their owne strength if Dauid had not thus offended how many thousand had despiared in the conscience of their owne weaknesses if these horrible sinnes had not receiued forgiuenesse It is happy for all times that we haue so holy a Sinner so sinfull a penitent It matters not how bitter the Pill is but how well wrapped so cunningly hath Nathan conueyed this dose that it begins to worke ere it be tasted there is no one thing wherein is more vse of wisdome than the due contriuing of a reprehension which in a discreet deliuerie helps the disâ—â—se in an vnwise destroyes Nature Had not Nathan beene vsed to the possession of Dauids care this complaint had beene suspected It well beseemes a King to take information by a Prophet Whiles wise Nathan was querulously discoursing of the cruell rich man that had forceably taken away the only Lambe of his poore Neighbour how willingly doth Dauid listen to the Storie and how sharply euen aboue Law doth he censure the fact As the Lord liueth the man that hath done this thing shall surely dye Full little did he thinke that he had pronounced sentence against himselfe It had not beene so heauie if he had not knowne on whom it should haue light Wee haue open eares and quick tongues to the vices of others How seuere Iusticers wee can bee to our very owne crimes in others persons How flattering Parasites to anothers crime in our selues The life of doctrine is in application Nathan might haue bin long enough in his narration in his inuectiue ere Dauid would haue bin touched with his owne guiltinesse but now that the Prophet brings the Word home to his bosome hee cannot but be affected Wee may take pleasure to heare men speake in the Cloudes we neuer take profit till wee finde a proprietie in the exhortation or reproofe There was not more cunning in the Parable than courage in the application Thou art the man If Dauid be a King he may not looke not to heare of his faults Gods messages may be no other than vnpartiall It is a trecherous flattery in diuine errands to regard greatnesse If Prophets must bee mannerly in the forme yet in the matter of reproofe resolute The words are not their owne They are but the Heralds of the King of Heauen Thus saith the Lord God of Israel How thunder-stricken doe we thinke Dauid did now stand How did the change of his colour bewray the confusion in his Soule whiles his conscience said the same within which the Prophet sounded in his eare And now least ought should be wanting to his humiliation all Gods former fauours shall be laid before his eyes by way of exprobration He is worthy to be vpbrayded with mercies that hath abused mercies vnto wantonnesse whiles we doe well God giues and sayes nothing when we doe ill hee layes his benefits in our dish and casts them in our teeth that our shame may be so much the more by how much our obligations haue bin greater The blessings of God in our vnworthy carriage proue but the aggrauations of sinne and additions to iudgement I see all Gods Children falling into sinne some of them lying in sinne none of them maintayning their sinne Dauid
resistance If wee were not in a way to doe good we should finde no rubs Satan hath no cause to molest his owne and that whiles they goe about his owne seruice He desires nothing more than to make vs smooth paths to sinne but when we would turne our feet to holinesse he blocks vp the way with tentations Who can wonder enough at the sawcinesse of that bold spirit that dares to set vpon the Sonne of the euerliuing God who can wonder enough at thy meeknesse and patience O Sauiour that wouldst be tempted He wanted not malice and presumption to assault thee thou wantedst not humility to endure those assaults I should stand amazed at this voluntary dispensation of thine but that I see the susception of our humane nature laies thee open to this condition It is necessarily incident to manhood to be liable to tentations Thou wouldest not haue put on flesh if thou hadst meant vtterly to put off this consequence of our infirmity If the state of innocence could haue beene any defence against euill motions the first Adam had not beene tempted much lesse the second It is not the presenting of tentations that can hurt vs but their entertainment Ill counsell is the fault of the Giuer not of the Refuser We cannot forbid lewd eyes to looke in at our windowes we may shut our doores against their entrance It is no lesse our praise to haue resisted than Satans blame to suggest euill Yea O blessed Sauiour how glorious was it for thee how happy for vs that thou were tempted Had not Satan tempted thee how shouldest thou haue ouercome Without blowes there can be no victory no triumph How had thy power beene manifested if no aduersary had tried thee The first Adam was tempted and vanquished the second Adam to repay and repaire that foile doth vanquish in being tempted Now haue we not a Sauiour and High Priest that cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities but such an one as was in all things tempted in like sort yet without sinne how boldly therefore may we goe vnto the Throne of grace that we may receiue mercy and finde grace of helpe in time of need Yea this Duell was for vs Now we see by this conflict of our Almighty Champion what manner of Aduersary we haue how he fights how he is resisted how ouercomne Now our very temptation affords vs comfort in that we see the dearer we are vnto God the more obnoxious we are to this triall neither can we be discouraged by the hainousnesse of those euils whereto wee are moued since wee see the Sonne of God solicited to infidelity couetousnesse idolatry How glorious therefore was it for thee O Sauiour how happy for vs that thou were tempted Where then wast thou tempted O blessed Iesu or whither wentest thou to meet with our great aduersary I doe not see thee led into the market-place or any other part of the city or thy home-sted of Nazareth but into the vast wildernesse the habitation of beasts a place that carrieth in it both horror and opportunity why wouldst thou thus retire thy selfe from men but as confident Champions are wont to giue aduantage of ground or weapon to their Antagonist that the glory of their victory may be the greater So wouldest thou O Sauiour in this conflict with our common enemy yeeld him his owne termes for circumstances that thine honour and his foile may be the more Solitarinesse is no small helpe to the speed of a tentation Woe to him that is alone for if he fall there is not a second to lift him vp Those that out of an affectation of holinesse seeke for solitude in rocks and caues of the deserts doe no other than run into the mouth of the danger of tentation whiles they thinke to auoid it It was enough for thee to whose diuine power the gates of hell were weaknesse thus to challenge the Prince of darknesse Our care must be alwaies to eschew all occasions of spirituall danger and what we may to get vs out of the reach of tentations But O the depth of the Wisdome of God! How camest thou O Sauiour to be thus tempted That Spirit whereby thou wast conceiued as man and which was one with thee and the Father as God led thee into the wildernesse to bee tempted of Satan Whiles thou taughtest vs to pray to thy Father Leade vs not temptation thou meantest to instruct vs that if the same Spirit led vs not into this perilous way we goe not into it Wee haue still the same conduct Let the path bee what it will how can wee miscarry in the hand of a Father Now may wee say to Satan as thou didst vnto Pilate Thou couldst haue no power ouer me except it were giuen thee from aboue The Spirit led thee it did not driue thee here was a sweet inuitation no compulsion of violence So absolutely conformable was thy will to thy Deity as if both thy natures had but one volition In this first draught of thy bitter potion thy soule said in a reall subiection Not may will but thy will be done We imitate thee O Sauiour though we cannot reach to thee All thine are led by thy Spirit Oh teach vs to forget that we haue wils of our owne The Spirit led thee thine inuincibie strength did not animate thee into this combat vncalled What do we weaklings so far presume vpon our abilities or successe as that we dare thrust our selues vpon temptations vnbidden vnwarranted Who can pitty the shipwracke of those Marriners which will needes put forth and hoise sailes in a tempest Forty dayes did our Sauiour spend in the wildernesse fasting and solitary all which time was worne out in temptation how euer the last brunt because it was most violent is onely expressed Now could not the aduersary complaine of disaduantage whiles he had the full scope both of time and place to doe his worst And why did it please thee O Sauiour to fast forty dayes and forty nights vnlesse as Moses fasted forty dayes at the deliuery of the Law and Elias at the restitution of the Law So thou thoughtest fit at the accomplishment of the Law and the promulgation of the Gospel to fulfil the time of both these Types of thine Wherein thou intendest our wonder not our imitation Not our imitation of the time though of the act Here were no faulty desires of the flesh in thee to be tamed no possibility of a freer more easie assent of the soule to God that could bee affected of thee who wast perfectly vnited vnto God but as for vs thou wouldst suffer death so for vs thou wouldst suffer hunger that we might learne by fasting to prepare our selues for tentations In fasting so long thou intendest the manifestation of thy power in fasting no longer the truth of thy man-hood Moses Elias through the miraculous sustentation of God fasted so long without any question made of the truth of their bodies So long
the rest had ingaged it selfe in Shebaes sedition yet how â—ealously doth Ioab remoue from himselfe the suspition of an intended vastation How fearfull shall their answer be who vpon the quarrell of their owne ambition haue not spared to waste whole Tribes of the Israel of God It was not the fashion of Dauids Captaines to assault any City ere they summond it here they did There bee some things that in the very â—act carie their owne conuiction So did Abel in the entertaining and abetting a knowne conspirator Ioab challenges them for the offence and requires no other satisfaction then the head of Sheba This Matron had not deserued the name of Wise and faithfull in Israel if she had not both apprehended the iustice of the condition and commended it to her Citizens whom she hath easily perswaded to spare their owne heads in not sparing a Traitors It had been pitie those wals should haue stood if they had beene to hye to throw a Traitors head ouer Spiritually the case is ours Euery mans brest is as a City inclosed Euery sinne is a Traitor that lurkes within those wals God cals to vs for Shebaes head neither hath he any quarrell to our person but for our sinne If wee loue the head of our Traitor aboue the life of our soule wee shall iustly perish in the vengeance we cannot be more willing to part with our sinne then our mercifull God is to withdraw his iudgements Now is Ioab returned with successe and hopes by Shebaes head to pay the price of Amasaes blood Dauid hates the murder entertaines the man defers the reuenge Ioab had made himselfe so great so necessary that Dauid may neither misse nor punish him Policy led the King to conniue at that which his heart abhorred I dare not commend that wisedome which holds the hands of Princes from doing iustice Great men haue euer held it a point of worldly state not alwayes to pay vvhere they haue been conscious to a debt of either fauour or punishment but to make Time their seruant for both Salomon shall once defray the arerages of his father In the meane time Ioab commands and prospers and Dauid is faine to smile on that face whereon he hath in his secret destination written the characters of Death The Gibeonites reuenged THE raigne of Dauid was most troublesome towards the shutting vp wherein both warre and famine conspire to afflict him Almost forty yeares had he sate in the throne of Israel with competency if not abundance of all things now at last are his people visited with a long death we are not at first sensible of common euils Three yeares drought and scarcitie are gone ouer ere Dauid consults with God concerning the occasion of the iudgement now he found it high time to seeke the face of the Lord The continuance of an affliction sends vs to God and cals vpon vs to aske for a reckoning Whereas like men strucken in their sleepe a sudden blow cannot make vs to finde our selues but rather astonisheth then teacheth vs. Dauid was himselfe a Prophet of God yet had not the Lord all this while acquainted him with the grounds of his proceedings against Israel this secret was hid from him till hee consulted with the Vrim Ordinarie meanes shall reueale that to him which no vision had descryed And if God will haue Prophets to haue recourse vnto the Priests for the notice of his will how much more must the people Euen those that are the inwardest with God must haue vse of the Ephod Iustly is it presupposed by Dauid that there was neuer iudgement from God where hath not been a prouocation from men therefore when he sees the plague he inquires for the sinne Neuer man smarted causelessely from the hand of diuine iustice Oh that when we suffer we could aske what wee haue done and could guide our repentance to the root of our euils That God whose counsels are secret euen where his actions are open will not bee close to his Prophet to his Priest without inquirie we shall know nothing vpon inquirie nothing shall be concealed from vs that is fit for vs to know Who can choose but wonder at once both at Dauids slacknesse in consulting with God and Gods speed in answering so slow a demand He that so well knew the way to Gods Oracle suffers Israel to be three yeares pinched with famine ere hee askes why they suffer Euen the best hearts may be ouertaken with dulnesse in holy dâ—ties But oh the maruellous mercy of God that takes not the aduantage of our weaknesses Dauids question is not more slow then his answer is speedy It is for Saul and for his bloody house because he slew the Gibeonites Israel was full of sinnes besides those of Sauls house Sauls house was full of sinnes besides those of blood Much blood was shed by them besides that of the Gibeonites yet the iustice of God singles out this one sinne of violence offered to the Gibeonites contrary to the league made by Ioshua some foure hundred yeares before for the occasion of this late vengeance Where the causes of offence are infinite it is iust with God to pitch vpon some it is mercifull not to punish for all Welneer forty yeares are past betwixt the commission of the sinne and the reckoning for it It is a vaine hope that is raised from the delay of iudgement No time can be any preiudice to the ancient of dayes When wee haue forgotten our sins when the world hath forgotten vs he sues vs afresh for our arerages The slaughter of the Gibeonites was the sinne not of the present but rather the former generation and now posteritie payes for their forefathers Euen we men hold it not vniust to sue the heires and executors of our debters Eternall paiments God vses onely to require of the person temporarie oft-times of succession As Saul was higher by the head and shoulders then the rest of Israel both in stature and dignitie so were his sinnes more conspicuous then those of the vulgar The eminence of the person makes the offence more remarkable to the eyes both of God and men Neither Saul nor Israel were faultlesse in other kinds yet God fixes the eye of his reuenge vpon the massacre of the Gibeonites Euery sinne hath a tongue but that of blood ouer-cryes and drownes the rest Hee who is mercy it selfe abhorres crueltie in his creature aboue all other inordinatenesse That holy soule which was heauy pressed with the weight of an hainous adulterie yet cryes out Deliuer me from blood O God the God of my saluation and my tongue shall sing ioyfully of thy righteousnesse If God would take account of blood hee might haue entred the action vpon the blood of Vriah spilt by Dauid or if hee would rather insist in Sauls house vpon the blood of Abimelech the Priest and fourescore and fiue persons that did weare a linnen Ephod but it pleased the wisdome and iustice of the Almighty rather to
our pride and false confidence in earthly things then with a fleshly criâ—â— though hainously seconded It was an hard and wofull choise of three yeares famine added to three fore-past or of three moneths flight from the sword of an enemie or three dayes pestilence The Almighty that had fore-determined his iudgement referres it to Dauids will as fully as if it were vtterly vndetermined God hath resolued yet Dauid may choose That infinite wisdome hath foreseene the very will of his creature which whiles it freely inclines it selfe to what it had rather vnwittingly wils that which was fore appointed in heauen We doe well beleeue thee O Dauid that thou wert in a wonderfull strait this very liberty is no other then fetters Thou needst not haue famine thou needst not haue the sword thou needst not haue pestilence one of them thou must haue There is misery in all there is misery in any thou and thy people can die but once and once they must dye either by famine warre or pestilence Oh God how vainely doe we hope to passe ouer our sinnes with impunitie when all the fauour that Dauid and Israel can receiue is to choose their bane Yet behold neither sinnes nor threats nor feares can bereaue a true penitent of his faith Let vs fall now into the hands of the Lord for his mercies are great There can bee no euill of punishment wherein God haue not an hand there could be no famine no sword without him but some euils are more immediate from a diuine stroke such was that plague into which Dauid is vnwillingly willing to fall He had his choyce of dayes moneths yeares in the same number and though the shortnesse of time prefixed to the threatned pestilence might seeme to offer some aduantage for the leading of his election yet God meant and Dauid knew it herein to proportion the difference of time to the violence of the plague neither should any fewer perish by so few dayes pestilence then by so many yeares famine The wealthiest might auoid the dearth the swiftest might runne away from the sword no man could promise himselfe safety from that pestilence In likelihood Gods Angell would rather strike the most guilty Howeuer therefore Dauid might well looke to be inwrapped in the common destruction yet he rather chooseth to fall into that mercy which hee had abused and to suffer from that iustice which he had prouoked Let vs now fall into the hands of the Lord. Humble confessions and deuout penance cannot alwayes auert temporall iudgements Gods Angell is abroad and within that short compasse of time sweepes away seuenty thousand Israelites Dauid was proud of the number of his subiects now they are abated that he may see cause of humiliation in the matter of his glory In what we haue offended we commonly smart These thousands of Israel were not so innocent that they should onely perish for Dauids sinne Their sinnes were the motiues both of this sinne and punishment besides the respect of Dauids offence they die for themselues It was no ordinarie pestilence that was thus suddenly and vniuersally mortall Common eyes saw the botch and the markes saw not the Angell Dauids clearer sight hath espyed him after that killing peragration through the Tribes of Israel shaking his sword ouer Ierusalem and houering ouer Mount Sion and now hee who doubtlesse had spent those three dismall dayes in the saddest contrition humbly casts himselfe downe at the feet of the auenger and layes himselfe ready for the fatall stroke of iustice It was more terrour that God intended in the visible shape of his Angell and deepeâ— humiliation and what he meant he wrought Neuer soule could be more deiected more anguished with the sense of a iudgement in the bitternesse whereof hee cryes out Behold I haue sinned yea I haue done wickedly But these Sheepe what haue they done Let thine hand I pray thee be against me and against my fathers house The better any man is the more sensible he is of his owne wretchednesse Many of those Sheepe were Wolues to Dauid What had they done They had done that which was the occasion of Dauids sinne and the cause of their owne punishment But that gracious penitent knew his owne sinne he knew not theirs and therefore can say I haue sinned What haue they done It is safe accusing where wee may be boldest and are best acquainted our selues Oh the admirable charitie of Dauid that would haue ingrossed the plague to himselfe and his house from the rest of Israel and sues to interpose himselfe betwixt his people and the vengeance He that had put himselfe vpon the pawes of the Beare and Lyon for the rescue of his Sheepe will now cast himselfe vpon the sword of the Angell for the preseruation of Israel There was hope in those conflicts in this yeeldance there could be nothing but death Thus didst thou O sonne of Dauid the true and great Shepheard of thy Church offer thy selfe to death for them who had their hands in thy blood who both procured thy death and deserued their owne Here he offered himselfe that had sinned for those whom he professed to haue not done euill thou that didst no sinne vouchsauest to offer thy selfe for vs that were all sinne Hee offered and escaped thou offeredst and diedst and by thy death we liue and are freed from euerlasting destruction But O Father of all mercies how little pleasure doest thou take in the blood of sinners it was thine owne pitie that inhibited the Destroyer Ere Dauid could see the Angell thou hadst restrained him It is sufficient hold now thy hand If thy compassion did not both with-hold and abridge thy iudgements what place were there for vs out of hell How easie and iust had it beene for God to haue made the shutting vp of that third euening red with blood his goodnes repents of the slaughter and cals for that Sacrifice wherewith he will be appeased An Altar must be built in the threshing floore of Araunah the Iebusite Lo in that very Hill where the Angell held the sword of Abraham from killing his Sonne doth God now hold the Sword of the Angel from killing his people Vpon this very ground shall the Temple after stand heere shall be the holy Altar which shall send vp the acceptable oblations of Gods people in succeeding generations O God what was the threshing-floore of a Iebusite to thee aboue all other soyles What vertue what merit was in this earth As in places so in persons it is not to bee heeded what they are but what thou wilt That is worthiest which thou pleasest to accept Rich and bountifull Araunah is ready to meet Dauid in so holy a motion and munificently offers his Sion for the place his Oxen for the Sacrifice his Carts Ploughs and other Vtensils of his Husbandry for the wood Two franke hearts are well met Dauid would buy Araunah would giue The Iebusite would not sell Dauid will not take Since it was for
Surely Israel came with a purpose to cauill Ieroboam had secretly troubled these waters that he might fish more gainfully One male-content is enough to embroile a whole Kingdome How harshly must it needs sound in the eares of Rehoboam that the first word hee heares from his people is a querulous challenge of his fathers gouernment Thy father made our yoke grienous For ought I see the suggestion was not more spightfull then vniust where was the weight of this yoke the toyle of these seruices Here were none of the turmoyles of warre no trainings marchings encampings entrenchings watchings minings sieges fortifications none of that tedious world of worke that attends hostility Salomon had not his name for nought All was calme during that long reigne And if they had payed deare for their peace they had no cause to complaine of an hard march The warlike times of Saul and Dauid had exhausted their blood together with their substance what ingratitude was this to cry out of ease Yea but that peace brought forth costly and laborious buildings Gods house and the Kings the walls of Ierusalem Hazar Megiddo and Gezer the Cities of store the cities of defence could not rise without many a shoulder True but not of any Israelites The remainders of Amorites Hittites Penzzites Hiuites and Iebusites were put to all the drudgery of these great works the taskes of Israel were easie and ingenuous free from seruility free from painfulnesse But the charge was theirs whose-soeuer was the labour The diet of so endlesse a retinue the attendance of his Seraglio the purueyance for his forty thousand stables the cost of his sacrifices must needs weigh heauy Certainly if it had layne on none but his owne But wherfore went Salomons Nauy euery three yeeres to Ophira to what vse serued the six hundred threescore and six Talents of Gold that came in one yeare to his Exchequer wherefore serued the large tributes of forraine nations How did he make siluer to be in Ierusalem as stones if the exactions were so pressiâ—e The multitude is euer prone to picke quarrels with their Gouernors and whom they feared aliue to censure dead The benefits of so quiet and happy a reigne are past ouer in silence the grieuances are recounted with clamor Who can hope that merit or greatnesse can shield him from obloquie when Salomon is traduced to his owne loynes The proposition of Israel puts Rehoboam to a deliberation Depart yee for three daies then come againe to me I heare no other word of his that argued wisdome Not to giue sudden resolutions in cases of importance was a point that might well befeeme the son of Salomon I wonder that he who had so much wit as to call for leisure in his answer should shew so little wit in the improuing of that leisure in the returne of that answer Who cannot but hope well to see the grey heads of Salomons secret Counsell called to Rehoboams Cabinet As Counsellors as ancient as Salomons they cannot choose but see the best the safest course for their new Soueraigne They had learned of their old master that a soft anger appeaseth wrath wisely therefore doe they aduise him If thou wilt be aseruant to this people this day and speak good words to them they will be thy seruants for euer It was an easie condition with one mouthfull of breath to purchase an euerlasting homage with one gentle motion of his tongue to binde all peoples hearts to his allegeance for euer Yet as if the motion had been vnfit a new Counsell Table is called well might this people say What will not Rehoboam grudge vs if he thinke much to giue good words for a Kingdome There is not more wisdome in taking varietie of aduice where the matter is doubtfull then folly when it is plaine The yong heads are consulted This very change argues weakenesse Some reason might bee pleaded for passing from the yonger Counsell to the aged none for the contrary Age brings experience and it is a shame if with the ancient bee not wisdome Youth is commonly rash heady insolent vngouerned wedded to will led by humour a rebell to reason a subiect to passion fitter to execute then to aduise Greene wood is euer shrinking and warping whereas the well-seasoned holds a constant firmenesse Many a life many a soule many a florishing state hath beene ruined by vndisciplined Monitors Such were these of Rehoboam whose great stomach tells them that this conditionating of subiects was no other then an affront to their new master and suggests to them how vnfit it is for Maiestie to brooke so saucy a treaty how requisite and Princely to crush this presumption in the egge As scorning therefore to bee braued by the base Vulgar they put words of greatnesse and terror into their new Prince My little finger shall bee thicker then thy fathers loynes My father made your yoake heauy I will adde to your yoake My father hath chastised you with whips I will chastise you with Scorpions The very words haue stings Now must Israel needes thinke How cruell will this mans hands bee when hee thus drawes blood with his tongue Men are not wont to speake out their worst who can endure the hopes of him that promiseth tyranny There can be no good vse of an indefinite profession of rigor and seuerity Feare is an vnsafe guardian of any state much lesse of an vnsetled Which was yet worse not the sins of Israel were threatned nor their purses but their persons neither had they desired a remission of iustice but of exactions and now they hear of nothing but burdens and scourges and Scorpions Here was a Prince and people well met I doe not find them sensible of ought saue their owne profit They doe not say Religion was corrupted in the shutting vp of thy fathers daies Idolatry found the free fauour of Priests and Temples and Sacrifices Begin thy reigne with God purge the Church demolish those piles of abomination abandon those Idol-mongers restore deuotion to her purity They are all for their penny for their ease Hee on the other side is all for his will for an imperious Soueraignty without any regard either of their reformation or satisfaction They were worthy of load that cared for nothing but their backs and he worthy of such subiects who professed to affect their misery and torment Who would not but haue looked any whither for the cause of this euill rather then to heauen yet the holy God challenges it to himselfe The cause was from the Lord that he might performe his saying by Abijah the Shilonite to Ieroboam As sinne is a punishment of sinne it is a part of iustice The holy One of Israel doth not abhorre to vse euen the grossest sinnes to his owne iust purposes whiles our wils are free to our owne choice his decrees are as necessary as iust Israel had forsaken the Lord and worshipped Ashtaroth the goddesse of the Zidonians and Chemosh and Milchom God
the opportunity of Ahabs presence when he might be sure Iezebel was away Obadiah meets the Prophet knowes him and as if he had seene God in him fals on his face to him vvhom he knew his master persecuted Though a great Peere hee had learned to honor a prophet No respect was too much for the president of that sacred colledge To the poore boarder of the Sareptan here was no lesse then a prostration and My Lord Elijah from the great High Steward of Israel Those that are truely gracious cannot be niggardly of their obseruances to the messengers of God Elijah receiues the reuerence returnes a charge Goe tell thy Lord Behold Elijah is here Obadiah finds this lode too heauy neither is he more striken with the boldnes then with the vnkindnesse of this command boldnesse in respect of Elijah vnkindnesse in respect of himselfe For thus he thinkes If Elijah do come to Ahab he dies If he doe not come I die If it bee knowne that I met him and brought him not it is death If I say that he will come voluntarily and God shall alter his intentions it is death How vnhappy a man am I that must be either Elijahs executioner or my own were Ahabs displeasure but smoking I might hope to quēch it but now that the flame of it hath broken forth to the notice to the search of all the Kingdomes and Nations round about it may consume me I cannot extinguish it This message were for an enemy of Elijah for a client of Baal As for me I haue well approued my true deuotion to God my loue to his Prophets What haue I done that I should be singled out either to kill Elijah or to be killed for him Many an hard plunge must that man needs be driuen to who would hold his conscience together with the seruice and fauor of a Tyrant It is an happy thing to serue a iust master there is no danger no straine in such obedience But when the Prophet bindes his resolution with an oath and cleares the heart of Obadiah from all feares from all suspicions the good man dares bee the messenger of that which he saw was decreed in heauen Doubtlesse Ahab startled to heare of Elijah comming to meet him as one that did not more hate then feare the Prophet Well might he thinke thus long thus far haue I sought Elijah Elijah would not come to seeke me but vnder a sure guard and with some strange commission His course mantle hath the aduantage of my robe and Scepter If I can command a peece of the earth I see hee can command heauen The edge of his reuenge is taken off with a doubtfull expectation of the issue and now when Elijah offers himselfe to the eies of Ahab He who durst not strike yet durst challenge the Prophet Art thou hee that troubleth Israel Ieroboams hand was still in Ahabs thoughts he holds it not so safe to smite as to expostulate He that was the head of Israel speakes out that which was in the heart of all his people that Elijah was the cause of all their sorrow Alas what hath the righteous Prophet done He taxed their sin he foretold the iudgement he deserued it not he inflicted it not yet he smarts and they are guilty As if some fond people should accuse the Herald or the Trumpet as the cause of their warre or as if some ignorant peasant when he sees his fowles bathing in his pond should cry out of them as the causes of soule weather Oh the heroicall Spirit of Elijah he stand alone amids all the traine of Ahab and dares not onely repell this charge but retort it I haue not troubled Israel but thou and thy fathers house in that yee haue forsaken the Commandements of the Lord and thou hast followed Baalim No earthly glory can daunt him who hath the cleere and heartning visions of God This holy Seer discernes the true cause of our sufferings to bee our sinnes Foolish men are plagued for their offences and it is no small part of their plague that they see it not The onely common disturber of men Families Cities Kingdomes worlds is sinne There is no such traitor to any state as the wilfully wicked The quietest and most plausible offender is secretly seditious and stirreth quarrels in heauen The true messengers of God cary authority euen where they are maligned Elijah doth at once reproue the King and require of him the improuement of his power in gathering all Israel to Carmel in fetching thither all the Prophets of Baal Baal was rich in Israel whiles God was poore Whiles God hath but one hundred Prophets hid closely in Obadiahs caues Baal hath eight hundred and fifty foure hundred and fifty dispersed ouen the villages and townes of Israel foure hundred at the Court Gods Prophets are glad of bread and water whiles the foure hundred Trencher Prophets of Iezebel feed on her dainties They lurke in caues whiles these Lord it in the pleasantest groues Outward prosperity is a false note of truth All these with all Israel doth Elijah require Ahab to summon vnto Carmel It is in the power of Kings to command the Assembly of the Prophets the Prophet sues to the Prince for the indiction of this Synode They are iniurious to Soueraignty who arrogate this power to none but spirituall hands How is it that Ahab is as ready to performe this charge as Elijah to moue it I dare answer for his heart that it was not drawne with loue Was it out of the sense of one iudgement and feare of another hee smarted with the dearth and drought and well thinkes Elijah would not be so round with him for nothing Was it out of an expectation of some miraculous exploit which the Prophet would doe in the sight of all Israel Or was it out of the ouer-ruling power of the Almighty The heart of Kings is in the hand of God and he turnes it which way soeuer he pleaseth Israel is met together Elijah rates them not so much for their superstition as for their vnsetlednesse and irresolution One Israelite serues God another Baal yea the same Israelite perhaps serues both God and Baal How long halt yee betweene two opinions If the Lord be God follow him but if Baal then follow him Nothing is more odious to God then a prophane neutrality in maine oppositions of religion To go vpright in a wrong way is a lesse eie-sore to God then to halt betwixt right wrong The Spirit wisheth that the Laodicean were either hot or cold either temper would be better borne then neither then both In reconcileable differences nothing is more safe then indifferency both of practice and opinion but in cases of so necessary hostility as betwixt God and Baal hee that is on neither side is the deadlyest enemy to both Lesse hatefull are they to God that serue him not at all then they that serue him with a riuall Whether out of guiltinesse or feare or
in the poole of Samaria the dogges come to claime their due they licke vp the blood of the great King of Israel The tongues of those brute creatures shall make good the tongue of Gods Prophet Michaiah is iustified Naboth is reuenged the Baalites confounded Ahab iudged Righteous art thou O God in all thy waies and holy in all thy workes AHAzIAH sicke and ELIJAH reuenged AHaziah succeeds his father Ahab both in his throne and in his sinne Who could looke for better issue of those loines of those examples God followes him with a double iudgement of the reuolt of Moab and of his owne sicknesse All the reigne of Ahab had Moab beene a quiet Tributarie and furnished Israel with rich flockes and fleeces now their subiection dies with that warlike King and will not be inherited This rebellion tooke aduantage as from the weaker spirits so from the sickly body of Ahaziah whose disease was not naturall but casuall walking in his palace of Samaria some grate in the floore of his Chamber breakes vnder him and giues way to that fall whereby hee is bruised and languisheth The same hand that guided Ahabs shaft cracks Ahaziahs lattesse How infinite varietie of plagues hath the iust GOD for obstinate sinners whether in the field or in the chamber he knowes to finde them out How fearlesly did Ahaziah walke on his wonted pauement The Lord hath laid a trap for him whereinto whiles he thinkes least he fals irrecouerably No place is safe for the man that is at variance with God The body of Ahaziah was not more sicke then his soule was gracelesse None but chance was his enemy none but the God of Ekron must bee his friend He lookes not vp to the Omnipotent hand of diuine iustice for the disease or of mercy for the remedy An Idoll is his refuge whether for cure or intelligence Wee heare not till now of Baal-zebub this new God of flies is perhaps of his making who now is a suter to his owne erection All these heathen Deities were but a Deuill with change of appellations the influence of that euill spirit deluded those miserable clients else there was no fly so impotent as that out-side of the god of Ekron Who would thinke that any Israelite could so farre dote vpon a stocke or a Fiend Time gathered much credit to this Idol in so much as the Iewes afterwards stiled Beel-zebub the Prince of all the regions of darknesse Ahaziah is the first that brings his Oracle in request and payes him the tribute of his deuotion Hee sends messengers and sayes Goe inquire of Baal-zebub the god of Ekron whether I shall recouer of this disease The message was either idle or wicked idle if he sent it to a stock if to a deuill both idle and wicked What can the most intelligent spirits know of future things but what they see either in their causes or in the light of participation What a madnesse was it in Ahaziah to seeke to the posterne whiles the fore-gate stood open Could those euill spirits truely foretell euents no way pre-existent yet they might not without sinne bee consulted the euill of their nature debarres all the benefit of their information If not as intelligencers much lesse may they be sought to as gods who cannot blush to heare and see that euen the very Euangelicall Israel should yeeld Pilgrims to the shrines of darknesse How many after this cleere light of the Gospell in their losses in their sicknesses send to these infernall Oracles and damne themselues wilfully in a vaine curiositie The message of the iealous God intercepts them with a iust disdaine as here by Elijah Is it not because there is not a God in Israel that yee goe to enquire of Baal-zebub the god of Ekron What can be a greater disparagement to the True God then to be neglected then to stand aside and see vs make loue to an hellish riuall were there no God in Israel in heauen what could wee doe other what worse This affront of what euer Ahaziah cannot escape without a reuenge Therefore thus saith the Lord Thou shalt not come downe from that bed on which thou art gone vp but shalt surely die It is an high indignitie to the True God not to be sought to in our necessities but so to bee cashiered from our deuotions as to haue a false god thrust in his roome is such a scorne as it is well if it can escape with one death Let now the famous god of Ekron take off that brand of feared mortalitie which the liuing God hath set vpon Ahaziah Let Baal-zebub make good some better newes to his distressed suppliant Rather the King of Israel is himselfe without his repentance hasting to Beel-zebub This errand is soone done The messengers are returned ere they goe Not a little were they amazed to heare their secret message from anothers mouth neither could chuse but thinke Hee that can tell what Ahaziah said what hee thought can foretell how hee shall speed Wee haue met with a greater God then wee went to seeke what need wee inquire for another answer With this conceit with this report they returne to their sicke Lord and astonish him with so short so sad a relation No maruell if the King inquired curiously of the habit and fashion of the man that could know this that durst say this They describe him a man whether of an hairy skin or of rough course carelesse attire thus drest thus girded Ahaziah readily apprehends it to be Elijah the old friend of his father Ahab of his mother Iezebel More then once had he seene him an vnwelcome guest in the Court of Israel The times had beene such that the Prophet could not at once speake true and please Nothing but reproofes and menaces sounded from the mouth of Elijah Michaiah and hee were still as welcome to the eyes of that guilty Prince as the Syrian arrow was into his flesh Too well therefore had Ahaziah noted that querulous Seer and now is not a little troubled to see himselfe in succession haunted with that bold and ill-boding spirit Behold the true sonne of Iezebel the anguish of his disease the expectation of death cannot take off the edge of his persecution of Elijah It is against his will that his death-bed is not bloody Had Ahaziah meant any other then a cruell violence to Elijah he had sent a peaceable messenger to call him to the Court hee had not sent a Captaine with a band of Souldiers to fetch him the instruments which hee vseth cary reuenge in their face If he had not thought Elijah more then a man what needed a band of fifty to apprehend one and if he did thinke him such why would hee send to apprehend him by fifty Surely Ahaziah knew of old how miraculous a Prophet Elijah was what power that man had ouer all their base Deities what command of the Elements of the heauens and yet hee sends to attache him It is a strange thing
without cruelty though in the hot chases of warre executions may be iustifiable yet in the coolenesse of deliberation it can bee no other then inhumane to take those liues which haue beene yeelded to mercy But here thy bow and thy sword are guiltlesse of the successe onely a strange prouidence of the Almighty hath cast them into thine hands whom neither thy force nor thy fraud could haue compassed If it bee victory thou aimest at ouercome them with kindnesse Set bread and water before them that they may eate and drinke Oh noble reuenge of Elisha to feast his persecutors To prouide a Table for those who had prouided a graue for him These Syrians came to Dothan full of bloody purposes to Elisha he sends them from Samaria full of good cheare and iollity Thus thus should a Prophet punish his pursuers No vengeance but this is heroicall and fit for Christian imitation If thine enemy hunger giue him bread to eate if hee thirst giue him water to drinke For thou shalt heape coales of fire vpon his head and the Lord shall reward thee Be not ouercome with euill but ouercome euill with good The King of Israel hath done that by his feast which hee could not haue done by his sword The bands of Syria will no more come by way of ambush or incursion into the bounds of Israel Neuer did a charitable act goe away without the retribution of a blessing In doing some good to our enemies wee doe most good to our selues God cannot but loue in vs this imitation of his mercy who bids his Sunne shine and his raine fall where he is most prouoked and that loue is neuer fruitlesse The Famine of Samaria releeued NOt many good turnes are written in Marble soone haue these Syrians forgotten the mercifull beneficence of Israel After the forbearance of some hostile inroade all the forces of Syria are mustered against Iehoram That very Samaria which had releeued the distressed Aramites is by the Aramites besieged and is affamished by those whom it had fed The famine within the walles was more terrible then the sword without Their worst enemy was shut within and could not be dislodged of their owne bowels Whither hath the Idolatry of Israel brought them Before they had beene scourged with warre with drought with dearth as with single cords they remaine incorrigible and now God twists two of these bloody lashes together and galls them euen to death there needs no other executioners then their owne mawes Those things which in their nature were not edible at least to an Israelite were now both deare and dainty The Asse was besides the vntoothsomnesse an impure creature that which the law of Ceremonies had made vncleane the law of necessitie had made delicate and precious the bones of so carrion an head could not bee picked for lesse then foure hundred pieces of siluer neither was this scarcitie of victuals only but of all other necessaries for humane vse that the belly might not complaine alone the whole man was equally pinched The King of Israel is neither exempted from the iudgement nor yet yeelds vnder it He walkes vpon the walls of his Samaria to ouersee the Watches set the Engines ready the Guards changed together with the posture of the enemy when a woman cries to him out of the Citie Help my Lord O King Next to God what refuge haue we in all our necessities but his Anointed Earthly Soueraigntie can aide vs in the case of the iniustice of men but what can it doe against the iudgements of God If the Lord doe not helpe thee whence shall I helpe thee out of the barne floore or out of the wine-presse Euen the greatest powers must stoope to afflictions in themselues how should they be able to preuent them in others To sue for aide where is an vtter impotence of redresse is but to vpbraid the weaknesse and aggrauate the misery of those whom we implore Iehoram mistakes the suit The suppliant cals to him for a wofull peece of Iustice Two mothers haue agreed to eate their sonnes The one hath yeelded hers to be boiled and eaten the other after shee hath taken her part of so prodigious a banquet withdrawes her child and hides him from the knife Hunger and enuy make the Plaintiffe importunate and now shee craues the benefit of royall iustice Shee that made the first motion with-holds her part of the bargain and flyes from that promise whose trust had made this mother childlesse Oh the direfull effects of famine that turnes off all respects of nature and giues no place to horror causing the tender mother to lay her hands yea her teeth vpon the fruit of her owne body and to receiue that into her stomacke which shee hath brought forth of her wombe What should Iehoram doe The match was monstrous The challenge was iust yet vnnaturall This complainant had purchased one halfe of the liuing child by the one halfe of hers dead The mother of the suruiuing Infant is pressed by couenant by hunger restrained by nature To force a mother to deliuer vp her child to voluntarie slaughter had been cruell To force a Debtor to pay a confessed arerage seemed but equall If the remaining child be not dressed for food this mother of the deuoured child is both robbed and affamished If he be innocent blood is shed by authoritie It is no maruell if the questiō astonished the Iudge not so much for the difficulty of the demand as the horror of the occasion to what lamentable distresse did Iehoram find his people driuen Not without cause did the King of Israel rend his garments and shew his sackcloth wel might he see his people branded with that ancient curse which God had denounced against the rebellious The Lord shall bring a Nation against thee of a fierce countenance which shall not regard the person of the old nor shew fauour to the yong And he shall besiege thee in all thy gates And thou shalt eat the fruit of thine owne body the flesh of thy sonnes and of thy daughters The tender and delicate woman her eyes shall bee euill towards her yong one that commeth out from betweene her feet and toward◠the children which shee shall beare for she shall eate them for want of all things secretly in the siege and straitnesse He mournes for the plague he mournes not for the cause of this plague his sinne and theirs I finde his sorrow I find not his repentance The worst man may grieue for his smart onely the good heart grieues for his offence In stead of being penitent Iehoram is furious and turnes his rage from his sinnes against the Prophet God doe so to me and more also if the head of Elisha the son of Shaphat shall stand on him this day Alas what hath the righteous done Perhaps Elisha that wee may imagine some colours of this displeasure fore-threatned this iudgement but they deserued it perhaps hee might haue auerted it by his prayers their
renuing the remembrance of Gods mercies 1093 Merit Concerning it 647 Method A false method the bane of many hopefull endeuours 279 Micha His idolatry 1009 Michaiah The Prophet commended 1362 c. His sentence by Ahab 1363 Michal her wyle 1088 Her scorne and end 1130 Mildnesse This and fortitude must lodge together as in Moses 915 Minde Of tranquilitie of minde p. 32 Of doing good with an ill minde 63 64 Minister A pretty description of a bold minister without abilities p. 5 Of much ostentation with little learning in a minister p. 5 An apologie for the mariage of Ministers 297 c. Of the ministers great charge 344 c. Whether a minister vpon conceit of insufficiency may forsake his calling 379 A ministers wisdome in taking his time to speake 474 The truth and warrant of the ministery of the Church of England 575 Certaine arguments against it ibid. The censure of such as think that they can goe to heauen without the ministery of the Word 694 Of the Church of England approuing an vnlearned minister 590 Whether ministers should endure themselues silenced 597 Of ministers mariage whether lawfull 717 c. A meanes to make the ministerie effectuall 870 A pretty picture of the ministers portion among a discontented people 875 A note for ministers in reprouing 915 An excellent example for a minister among a troublesome people 919 Flatterie in a minister what 920 The ministerie will not grace the Man but the Man must grace the ministery 922 The regard that should bee vnto the ministerie 925 1017 Ministers must not stand on their owne perils in the coÌ„mon causes of the Church 926 The lawfulnesse of a ministers calling a thing very materiall 927 The approbation of our calling is by the fruit ibid. The worlds little care of the ministers blessings 932 The honour that Heathen gaue to the Prophets vvill iudge or shame our times towards their ministers 935 A note for ministers not to goe beyond their warrant 940 Another note for to enduce ministers to mildnesse in their admonitions 956 A good ministers losse is better seene in his losse then presence 970 Holy ministers a signe of happy reconciliation with God 973 It is no putting of trust in those men that neglect Gods ministers 974 Of not caring for a ministers doctrine that is of an euil life 1000 The ministers pouerty is religions decay 1010 A pretty censure of the good cheape minister 1011 The withdrawing the ministers meanes is the way to the vtter desolation of the Church 1012 Minister Mercy how well fitting a minister 1016 Where no respect is giuen to the minister there is no religion 1017 If ministers be prophane who shall be religious 1028 The ministerie not free of vncleannesse 1033 No ministers vnholinesse should bring the seruice of God in dislike ibid. The sinnes of Teachers are the teachers of sinne 1061 He is no true Israelite that is not distressed in the want of a minister of a Samuel 1062 1063 For ministers to heare religion scorned and be silent is not patience but want of zeale 1130 An excellent note for ministers ibid. A note for yong ministers 1187 Ministers called Fishers 1201 Of niggardlinesse to our ministers 1271 Of all others the sinne of a minâ—ster shall not goe vnreuenged 1321 There is nothing wherein the Lord is more tender then in the approuing of the truth of his ministers 1335 The ministers message is now counted euill it vnpleasant 1361 The departure of a faithfull minister worthy our lamentation 1371 1372 Miracles concerning the miracles of our time 284 285 The desiring a miracle without a cause is a tempting of God 967 Miracles are not purposed to silence and obscurity 1369 Miriam Of Aaron and Miriam 913 Mischiefe they that seeke it for others fall into it themselues 1099 Mockers their sinne iudgement and end seene in Michol 1130 A caueat for mockers 1374 Modestie with that which is contrary to it 224 What Christian modesty teacheth 910 Those that passe its bounds grow shamelesse in their sinnes 938 Monument What is a mans best monument 12 Those monuments would God haue remaine in his Church which cary in them the most manifest euidences of that which they import 928 Motions good motions make but a thorow-fare in wicked mens hearts 874 875 Labouring minds are the best receptacles for good motions 1017 The foulest heart oft-times entertaines good motions 1089 The wicked are the worse for good motions 1091 Good motioÌ„s in wicked mens hearts what like 1106 Mourning of immoderate mourning for the dead 307 A pretty item in mourning for the dead 913 Moses Or his birth and breeding 866 His mothers affection sweetly described ibid. The Contemplations of his killing the Hebrew 867 His calling 869 The hand of Moses lifted vp 893 Of his Vaile 907 Of his modesty 910 Mildnesse fortitude how they meet together in him 914 Two patternes of his meeknesse 916 An admirable pithy speech of his to Israel at their desire of going backe to Egypt 918 Moses death 939 What an example of meekenesse hee was in his death 941 Multitude the successe of dealing with an obstinate multitude 919 A multitude is a beast of many heads 1303 Murmurers Gods mercy to them 887 Musicke what good it doth to Saul in his deiection 1079 N NAaman Of him and Elisha 1383 Nabal and Abagail 1102 His churlish answer to Dauids seruants 1105 Naboth Of him and Ahab 1356 His deniall of Ahabs request censured 1317 Name A mans good name once tainted what compared to 16 A good name worth the striuing for 60 Obseruations of a good name 135 Of significant names 1031 Naomi and Ruth 1022 Nathan Of him and Dauid 1141 Nature Naturall more difference betwixt a naturall man and a Christian a then betweene a man and a beast 27 How ready nature is to ouerturne all good purposes 143 Nature and grace described in Cain and Abel 817 Nature not content except it might be its own caruer 929 Necessitie It will make vs to seeke for that which our wantonnesse hath despised 921 922 None to bee contemned for their necessitie 1103 Neere When we come too neere to God 870 Neutralitie Wherein odious wherein commendable 139 Hatefull to God in matters of Religion 1337 New God makes new 466 Wee must bee made so too ibid. A reproofe of our new things ibid. Oâ— our New-yeares gifts to God ibid. Newes Ill newes doth either runne or fly 1036 Noble The character of one truely noble 178 Nourishment The power of it is not in the creature but in the Maker 996 Number Of Dauids numbring the people 1246 His sinne therein ibid. O OAth Of the oath of allegeance and iust suffering of those that haue refused it 342 Of the oath Ex officio 988 How sacred and vnuiolable an oath should be 947 Oaths for conditions of Peace whether bound to be kept if they be fraudulent 959 The sequel of a breaking an oath ibid. Euen a iust oath may be rashly
it bee easie or obscure 616 Whether all men may or must reade the scriptures 617 Whether the scriptures depend on the authority of the Church 618 Concerning the Cannon of scripture 653 Of its insufficiencie 654 And authoritie 655 They that wrest the scriptures see of what race they come 1197 Scornes They with taunts are the best answeres for serious Idolatry 1338 Sea Euery affection is the good mans Red Sea 883 Seasonablenesse It is best in all things 137 138 Secrets How to doe in holding and disclosing them 28 To whom to reueale a great secret ibid. et in finem Hee that doth not secret seruice with delight doth but counterfeit his publike 144 A note of sinnes secresie 954 The hope of secresie what it doth with sinners 955 Secresie the cause of corruption 970 Great mens sins are seldome secret 1140 Security secure mindes neuer startle till God comes home to their senses 931 The most secure heart hath its flashes of feares 951 Wee can neuer bee secure in the strongest places that are without God ibid. The worldlings security laid out in Iaels entertainment of Sisera 974 The close bordering of securitie and ruine 1005 Security and presumption euer attend at the threshold of ruine 1043 Sedition Pride is its ground 914 Selfe Men that cannot endure to examine themselues are like vnto the Elephant 23 None hurt vs so much as we doe our selues 37 Of condemning others in that of which wee are faultie our selues 58 Wee should know our selues ibid. Not to loue our selues before the publike-good 976 Selfe-loue doth sometimes borrow the face of true zeale 1121 Selfe-conceipt He that hath it is a foole 16 It makes a man vnreasonable 914 Selling A rule in buying and selling 697 Separation and Saparatists vide Brownists Their iniury to the Church and censure with aduice 315 A disswasion from separation 389 The kinds of separation and which is iust 552 The antiquity of separation 553 What separation is to be made in Churches in their planting or restauration 555 What separation the Church of England hath made 556 573 576 577 578 The maine grouÌ„ds of separation 574 Separation from the world how required 600 The issue of separation 607 Serpent he was seene in Paradise much more in our corruption 816 Of the brazen serpent 928 The application of that serpent 930 Seruant The freedome of Gods seruants 9 Many weare Gods cloth that are none of his seruants 50 Seruants what they must be 243 To bee Gods seruant is an high style 477 The happinesse of seruants that haue vertuous Masters 1110 A good thing to haue faithfull seruants 1386 Seruice The homeliest seruice in an honest calling with conscience to the commandement of God shal be crowned 137 He that doth not secret seruice with delight doth but counterfeit his publike 144 Feare and seruice must goe together 474 Our seruice must be grouÌ„ded on feare 476 What the life of seruice is ibid. Seruice briefly described ib. Sinne makes God to serue vs. 476 477 How men cozen themselues in doing seruice to Satan 477 Gods seruice must bee true and totall ibid. The voluntary seruice of the wicked is often more painfull then the duties enioined by God 1066 A religious seruice must partake of feare and ioy 1295 Seruice-booke Whether ours be made an Idol 584 Shamelesse they that once breake the bonds of modesty grow euen shamelesse in their sinnes 938 Sheba Of her Salomon 1270 Shebae His rebellion 1240 Shemei of him and his cursing 1231 His execution 1261 Shunamite of the Shunamitish woman 1378 Sight the sight or beholding of sinners how it infects 901 Silence Its prayse 63 Simon he is called 1199 His humility rewarded with an Apostleship 1201 Sinne its power 7 No sinne small 24 A most thanklesse office to be a man Pandor vnto sinne 49 Sinne hath commonly beene accounted to haue two roots Loue and feare 51 Since sinne came in wee are sent to the silliest to learne our duty 54 Sinne is sometimes an euill and a punishment 65 Sollicitations to sinne remedied 79 It is seldome seene that all affect all sinnes 136 Its vse 137 Remedies against sinne and meanes to auoyd it 386 Sinne makes God to serue vs. 476 477 It makes a forfeiture of all fauours 484 No sin but hath punishment ibid. 485 Of hiding and shifting off sinne 505 Of giuing foule sinnes fine names ibid. The distinction of veniall and mortall sinnes 652 Sinne paid home in its owne coyne 846 What difference God puts between sinnes of wilfulnesse and infirmitie 851 One sinne commonly made a vayle for another 853 He that would bee free from the acts of sinne must fly the occasions ibid. Sinnes shamelesnesse ibid. c. Grosse sinnes cannot preiudice the calling of God 900 Foule sinnes seeke faire pretences as is instanced in the Golden Calfe 901 No sinne so vnnaturall but that the best is subiect vnto without God 914 Behold a circle of sinnes and iudgements 925 Sinne is no lesse crafty then Satan 937 Wee must stop the beginnings of sinne ibid. As the sinnes of great men are exemplary so are their punishments 937 Those that haue once past the bounds of modesty they grow shamelesse in their sins 938 Whether wee may sinne for for the promotion of a good cause 946 A note for sinnes secresie 954 It is to no purpose to pray against punishment whilest the sinne remaines 955 Sinnes round circle 970 Gods iustice makes one sinne the punishment of another 971 Sinnes not afflictions argue Gods absence 977 Sinne is steepe and slipperie 1006 All sinnes haue power to befoole a man 1006 Sinnes wages 1018 Where it is suppressed it will rise but where it is encouraged it will tyrannize 1019 Our sinne doth not only strip vs of our hope in earth but heauen also 1064 Sinne beâ—ots the wisest 1075 Sinne a good heart how easily stayed from sinne and how glad to be crossed in ill purposes 1104 Sinne is not acted alone 1138 Sinnes deceit 1140 Great mens sins are seldome secret ibid. How easily wee get into it how hardly out of it 1143 In that that a man sinneth in that is he punished 1144 How God censures sinnes 1246 Where euer sinne is Satan is 1186 Sinner hee is like the Larke in stooping at a feather whilest he is caught of the Fouler 26 A sinner so foule as that hee is halfe a Beast halfe a Deuill 39 So is his Pandor 49 The sottishnesse of wilfull sinners 530 Sinners oft paid home in their owne coyne 846 One sinner how pernicious to thousands 954 Nothing so worthy of pitie as the sinners peace 1006 It must be a strong euidence that must make a sinner conuict himselfe 1061 Nothing but violence can perswade a resolued sinner 1146 Two chaines fit for outragious sinners 1294 Singularitie A disswasion from the affectation of it â—95 Sisera and Iael 973 Of Sisera's entertainment with Iael 974 Slandâ—rer His exercise and entertainment 217 Sloth Its character 192 The properties
account of these thoughts no better than proudly foolish Thou art poore what difference is there betwixt a greater man and thee saue that he doth his businesses by others thou doest them thy selfe Hee hath Caters Cookes Baylines Stewards Secretaries and all other officers for his seuerall seruices thou prouidest dressest gatherest receiuest expendest writest for thy selfe His patrimonie is large thine earnings small If Briareus feed fiftie bellies with his hundred hands what is he the better than he that with two hands feedeth one He is serued in siluer thou in vessell of the same colour of lesser price as good for vse though not for value His dishes are more daintie thine as well rellished to thee and no lesse wholsome Hee eats Oliues thou Garlike hee mislikes not more the smell of thy sawce than thou dost the taste of his Thou wantest somewhat that he hath he wisheth something which thou hast and regardest not Thou couldst bee content to haue the rich mans purse but his gout thou woulds not haue He would haue thy health but not thy fare If we might picke out of all mens estates that which is laudable omitting the inconueniences wee would make our selues complete but if we must take all together we should perhaps little aduantage our selues with the change For the most wise God hath so proportion'd out euery mans condition that hee hath some iust cause of sorrow inseparably mixed with other contentments and hath allotted to no man liuing an absolute happinesse without some grieuances nor to any man such an exquisite miserie as that hee findeth not somewhat wherein to solace himselfe the weight whereof varies according to our estimation of them One hath much wealth but no childe to inherit it hee enuies at the poore mans fruitfulnesse which hath man heires and no lands and could be content with all his abundance to purchase a successor of his owne loynes Another hath many children little maintenance he commendeth the carelesse quietnesse of the barren and thinkes fewer mouthes and more meat would doe better The labouring man hath the blessing of a strong body fit to digest any fare to endure any labour yet hee wisheth himselfe weaker on condition hee might bee wealthier The man of nice education hath a feeble stomacke and rasping since his last meale doubts whether hee should eat of his best dish or nothing this man repines at nothing more than to see his hungry Plough-man feed on a crust and wisheth to change estates on condition hee might change bodies with him Say that God should giue thee thy wish what wouldest thou desire Let mee thou faiest be wise healthfull rich honourable strong learned beautifull immortall I know thou louest thy selfe so well that thou canst wish all these and more But say that God hath so shared out these gifts by a most wise and iust distribution that thou canst haue but some of these perhaps but one which wouldest thou single out for thy selfe Any thing beside what thou hast If learned thou wouldest bee strong if strong honourable if honourable long-liued Some of these thou art already Thou foole cannot God choose better for thee than thou for thy selfe In other matches thou trustest the choice of a skilfuller chapman when thou seest a goodly horse in the Faire though his shape please thine eie well yet thou darest not buy him if a cunning Horse-master shall tell thee he is faultie and art willing to take a plainer and sounder on his commendation against thy fancie How much more should we in this case allow his choice that cannot deceiue vs that cannot bee deceiued But thou knowest that other thou desirest to be better than what thou hast Better perhaps for him that hath it not better for thee Libertie is sweet and profitable to those that can vse it but fetters are better for the franticke man Wine is good nourishment for the healthfull poyson to the aguish It is good for a sound body to sleepe in a whole skinne but hee that complaines of swelling sores cannot sleepe till it be broken Hemlocke to the Goat and Spiders to the Monkey turne to good sustenance which to other creatures are accounted deadly As in diets so in estimation of good and euill of greater and lesser good there is much varietie All palats commend not one dish and what one commends for most delicate another reiects for vnsauourie And if thou know what dish is most pleasant to thee thy Physician knowes best which is wholsome Thou wouldst follow thine appetite too much and as the French haue in their Prouerbe wouldst dig thy owne graue with thy teeth thy wise Physician ouer-sees and ouer-rules thee Hee sees if thou wert more esteemed thou wouldst be proud if more strong licentious if richer couetous if healthfuller more secure but thou thinkest not thus hardly of thy selfe Fond man what knowest thou future things beleeue thou him that onely knowes what would bee what will be Thou wouldest willingly goe to heauen what better guide canst thou haue than him that dwels there If hee leade thee thorow deepe sloughs and brakie thickets know that he knowes this the neerer way though more combersome Can there be in him any want of wisdome not to foresee the best Can there be any want of power not to effect the best any want of loue not to giue thee what hee knowes is best How canst thou then faile of the best Since what his power can doe and what his Wisdome sees should be done his Loue hath done because al are infinite Hee willeth not things because they are good but they are good because hee wills them Yea if ought had beene better this had not beene God willeth what hee doth and if thy will accord not with his whether wilt thou condemne of imperfection SECT XXVII The conclusion of the whole I Haue chalked out the way of Peace What remaineth but that we walke along in it I haue conducted my Reader to the Mine yea to the Mint of Happinesse and shewed him those glorious heapes which may eternally enrich him If now hee shall goe away with his hands and skirt empty how is he but worthy of a miserable want Who shall pity vs while we haue no mercy on our selues Wilfull distresse hath neither remedie nor compassion And to speake freely I haue oft wondered at this painefull folly of vs men who in the open view of our peace as if we were condemned to a necessarie and fatall vnquietnesse liue vpon our owne racke finding no more ioy than if we were vnder no other hands but our executioners One droupeth vnder a fained euill another augments a small sorrow through impatience another drawes vpon himselfe an vncertaine euill through feare one seekes true contentment but not enough another hath iust cause of ioy and perceiues it not One is vexed for that his grounds of ioy are matched with equall grieuances another cannot complaine of any present occasion of sorrow yet liues sullenly because he