sana Gloria secli Haec via certa Vna manebit Haec via pastus Arx paradisi Diriget omnes Caetera fumus Hâcque beatas AD VRSVLAM THOMAE Fulfordiconiugem Orthodoxam Vrsula funesto flerem tua carmina fata Biblia si scirem te coluisâ—e parum Ast munit contra falsi praeludia mundi Messiae pectus pagina sancta tuum AD EANDEM Lesbia cantabat lasciua poemata Sappho Vrsula coelestis clara trophÄ™a Dei. Lesbis amica chelyn Phoebo dedit Vrsula Phoebo Vota feret fido pectore clausa suo Vrsula Sola Deo tua sit seruire voluptas Gaudia vera putes gloria sinis erit AD EANDEM Vrsula collectos cernis flaccescere flores Et verno nitâ—das deperiâ—sse rosas Anglorum spectas marcescere lilia peste Quae fuerant oculis lilia digna tuis Hinc subolere potes quaenam sit gloria mundi Quae tacitè tenues soluitur in cineres IT IS VVRITTEN IN the first Chapter of the Prophet Esaie 2. 3. Heare O heauens and hearken O earth for the Lord hath saide I haue nourished and brought vp children but they haue rebelled against me The Oxe knoweth his owner and the Asse his Masters Crib but Israel hath not knowne my people hath not vnderstand OF these you expect the interpretation and meaning but first let vs pray together that God of whome is euery good giuing and euery perfect gift may giue vnto you eares to heare his worde with frut may open vnto me the dore of vtterance Coll. 4.3 to speake the misterie of Christ that I may vtter it as it becommeth mee to his glorie to your comfort to the increase of his church O Eternall GOD and mercifull father wee thy poore seruaunts present our selues before the throne of thy Diuine Maiestie entirely desiring thy fatherly goodnes to graunt that thy worde may take such deepe roote in our hearts that it may fructifie bring forth an hundreth sixtie or thirtie folde so much as shall seeme best to thy heauenly wisedome And next vnto this we pray thee O Father to bee gratious and mercifull to thy whole militant Church dispersed farre and wide vppon the face of this earth especially to the two principall members of the same 1. Tim. 2. 1.2 England and Ireland And whereas by thy holy Apostle Paul we are willed to make praiers and supplications for all men for Kings and Princes and for all that are in authoritie we humbly and hartily pray and beseeche thee to blesse and preserue thy chosen seruaunt our dread Soueraigne Elizabeth by thy grace of England France and Ireland Queene defendresse of the true auncient and Apostolike faith and in all causes and ouer all persons within these hir Maiesties Dominions next and immediatly on earth vnder thee supreame Gouernesse Blesse O Lord we beseech thee both hir and all hir most Honourable Councellors against all domesticall and forren foes that thy Church so prosperously begunne may bee builded and fullie finished according to the platforme of thy most sacred and holy word And to this ende wee pray thee also O Lorde to visite comfort and cherrish with the spirit of thy grace the Archbishops Bishops and all other inferior Ministers to whom thou hast assigned the preaching of thy Law and the charge of thy chosen that they may bee found good Stewards oâ— thy will and true disposers of thy secretes and that by their labours sanctified of thee thy poore sheep which wander and goe astray in the vale of darkenes and shadow of death may bee brought home to thy sheepe sold vnder one shepheard thy sonne Christ the great shepheard of the sheepe and Bishop of our soules Wee recommende likewise to thy fauour and goodnes O Lord all the Rulers and Commons of this Realme that the Rulers with courage and in a reuerent feare of thee according to the trust committed vnto them may carefully and truely iudge thy people at all seasons and that the Commons in their seuerall degrees may liue and abide in Christian duety and obedience toward their superiors and in Godly loue and charitie one towards another We beseech thee O Lord that in like measure of thy grace thou wilt vouchsafe to water with the dewe of thy blessing the two notable Vniuersities of this Lande Oxford Cambridge that from age to age they may send forth Bezaleels and Aholiabs filled with the spirit of wisedome vnderstanding and knowledge to worke together with all the wise hearted all maner workemanship for the seruice of the Sanctuary for the vniting of the Saints for the worke of the Ministery and for the edification of the body And here O Lord for as much as we are all thy children sheep of thy pasture we call vppon thee for all our poore and afflicted brethren which by any meanes any where do grone vnder the Crosse for the testimony of thy eternall truth that according to thy promise it woulde please thee to giue them the fulnes of consolation patience and constancie that they may chearfully abide whatsoeuer fierie tryall it shall please thy heauenly wisdome to put them vnto that both by their life and by their death thy truth may be sealed Antichrist that man of sinne ashamed and the Kingdome enlarged of thy deare sonne Iesus Christ For these and all other thy graces what so euer which thou knowest to be needfull and necessary for vs and thy whole Church we make our humble hearty praier vnto thee our God and father which art the father of mercies and the God of all comfort according to that maner and forme which Christ thy sonne our Master in his Gospell hath taught vs. Our Father c. A SERMON PREACHED AT EXETER Esaie 1. verse 2. 3. Heare O heauens and hearken O earth for the Lord hath saide I haue nourished and brought vp children but they haue rebelled against me The Oxe knoweth his owner and the Asse his Masters Crib but Israel hath not knowne my people hath not vnderstand THese words which I haue read vnto you Men Fathers and BrethreÌ„ beloued in the Lord diuide themselues into two parts an exclamation and a complaint The exclamation is conteined in the first part of this second verse and is made not vnto men but vnto the heauens aboue and vnto the earth beneath Heare O heauens saieth the Prophet and hearken O earth For because the Iewes refused to tread the paths of the Lord and to walke in his waies because they were like vnto the serpent the deafe Adder that stoppeth his eare at the voice of the charme rcharme he neuer so wiselie Psal 58.4.5 Therefore now by the Lords appointment hee speaketh vnto deafe and dumbe creatures and saith Heare O heauens and hearken O earth As if he should haue saide because the ingratitude and impietie of men is such that they will not heare nor hearken vnto the voice of the Lorde I will speake vnto the heauens and earth and the heauens though
they bee farre off shall heare and the earth though it be stonie shall hearken for the eares of men that should heare and hearken indeede are out of course The Prophet doth not this as though the heauens and earth did vnderstande but to signifie and expresse the abhominable wickednes impiety of the Iewes he speaketh vnto these insensible creatures which did more obay the will of their Creatour than did they whom he had blessed with reason and vnderstanding Wherein the Prophet as in this place so in many other followeth the example of the true trustlie seruant of God Moses who in the 4. of Deutronomie against the Israelites calleth heauen and earth to witnes in these wordes I call heauen and earth to record against you this daie Meaning that if they would defile themselues with strange Gods that then if men would not condemn them the very insensible creatures of God woulde beare testimonie against them and their idolatrie So in the 32. of the same booke hee maketh them witnesses against them of their ingratitude and saith Hearken ye heauens and I will speak and let the earth heare the words of my mouth In like manner the man of God in the first of Kings and 13 when he saw King Ieroboam to stand by the Altar in Bethel to offer incense cried out by the commandement of the Lord not against the Prince or people but against the Altar and saide O Altar Altar thus saith the Lord 1. Kings 13.2.5 and immediately the Altar claue asunder and the ashes fell out from the Altar according to the signe which the man of God had giuen by the mouth of the Lord. So that our Prophet Esaie in this place intendeth no new thing for he taketh Moses and others for example who were wont to doo the like A kinde of speech then most vsuall when as iniquitie hath gotten the vpper hand when it is grown to that fulnes of measure that it astonieth not onely creatures sensible but also insensible and when the hearts of the vngodly are so hardned that they cannot be softned be the admonition neuer so gentle or the correction neuer so fearefull But what doth the Prophet require of the heauens and earth verily to heare and to hearken Heare saith hee O heauens and hearken O earth The Prophet requireth not a slack or a negligent hearing but a diligent and careful hearing fit and conuenient for so great a cause But wherefore would the Lord haue the Prophet thus to exclaim and crie out to the heauens and earth Doubtles for two speciall causes The one was that the heauens and earth might be astonished at the ingratitude and rebellion of his people So in the second of Ieremiah because they were vnthankfull because they made the Lords heritage an abhomination because the Priests taught not the people to seeke the Lorde because the Prophets prophesied in Baal and went after thinges that did not profite because they had changed their glorie euen their God which was their glorie and who had made them glorious aboue all other people and to bee short because all estates were corrupt and out of course the Prophet inferreth hereupon O ye heauens be astonied at this hee afraide and vtterlie confounded saith the Lord Iere. 2.12 Hereby declaring that the very insensible creatures of God did detest and abhorre the sinne of ingratitude vnkindnes and as it were did tremble at Gods most seuere and bitter iudgements against the same The other was that the heauens and earth hearing the complaints of the Lord against his people might iudge and determine between him them So in the Prophet Micah 6.2 the high hills and mountaines the hard rocks and mighty foundations of the earth are taken to witnes and to decide betwixt him and his in this sort Heare ye O mountains the Lords quarrell and ye mightie foundations of the earth for the Lord hath a quarrell against his people and he will pleade with Israell The summe whereof is this that of the one part the wickednes of the people was such and so notorious and of the other the cause and quarrell of the Lorde so iust that if the case were to be decided of the heauens earth of the hills and mountaines of the rocks mighty foundations of the earth they wold stand all together on the Lords part against his people they would giue sentence with him against them and not without astoniednes would iudge and condemne them of extreamest madnes and impietie But alas that the heauens and earth that the hills and mountaines that the rocks and mightie foundations of the earth that such senseles creatures should condemne mankinde of ingratitude and vnkindnes That they should condemne Man the most excelent creature of God indued with reason vnderstanding That the heauens should be summoned to testifie against him which are the Lords seate and the earth to witnes against him which is his footestoole That dull and dumme creatures should be more prompt and readie to follow and obey the Lords will than they his people vnto whō he had giuen eyes to see eares to heare and an heart to perceiue But so it is they that should haue liued best in order are found to liue most out of course For if the worlde be considered together with the partes and portions thereof in order and as they lie we by searching shall see and by seeing shal confesse euerie member thereof Man only excepted diligentlie and truely to doe his dutie Saith Dauid The heauens declare the glorie of God and the firmament sheweth the workes of his hands Psa 19.1 The Sun Moone and Starres do keepe their courses the earth bringeth forth frute the Sea passeth not his appointed bounds in all other things a singular dutie and obedience toward their creatour and yet they all without vnderstanding But Man for whose sake all thinges were created and whome God hath inriched with singular gifts farre beyond any other of his creatures and vnto whom he hath giuen the vse of his word a lanterne vnto his feete and a light vnto his pathes Psa 119.105 this Man will not be reclaimed but walketh on still in the stifnes stoutnes of heart that now the prophet is forced to appeale vnto deafe and dumme creatures and saith Heare O Heauens and harken O earth But what Doth the prophet make this exclamation and outcrie to the heauens earth of his own mind Not so for he saith Quoniam Dominus locutus est for the Lorde hath saide As who should say I speake not this of mine owne minde I doe not this of mine owne authoritie I came not before I was sent I vtter nothing of my selfe but what the Lord did first reueale vnto me which yee are bound to heare and hearken beleeue and obey And therefore Heare O heauens and hearken O earth It might haue seemed more methodically done and fitter for manner and order of teaching if the prophet straight way
prophet begā to prophesie after that God had blessed him maruellously had giuen him many notable victories thereby was grown to be strong lifted vp his heart and vsurped the priests office and went into the temple of the Lord to burne incense vpon the altar of incense and when he was willed to leaue off would not but waxed wroth as it is in the second of Chronicles and 26. chap. v. 19. Ierusalem a faithfull citie and which had promised fidelitie vnto God as a wife to her husband is now become a common harlot and a filthie strumpet Esa 1.21 She was once full of iudgement and iustice was lodged within her brest but now she is full of rauen crueltie and deceit verse 22. Her siluer is become drosse and her wine is mixt with water The testimonies of the Lord which sometime were pure and without drosse like vnto siluer that is tried with fire are now defiled with pharisaicall traditions and doctrines of men The commandements of the Lord which were like vnto pure wine reioycing the heart through watery dregs haue lost their strength colour and beautie verse 23. The princes of the people were rebellious and companions of theeues they loued giftes and followed after rewardes they iudged not the fatherlesse neither did the widowes cause come before them Ierem. 2.8 The Priests said not so much as where is the Lorde and they that should minister the lawe knew not God Deut. 32.15 He that should haue beene vpright when he waxed fatte and grose and was laden with fatnesse spurned with his heele and forsooke the Lorde that made him regarded not the strong God of his saluation And therefore the state and condition of Iudah Ierusalem being thus corrupt whom neither the benefits of God could win nor his punishments amend the Lord by his Prophet dooth iustly charge them with ingratitude and disobedience in this sort They haue rebelled against me Wherein they did rightly imitate and follow their forefathers Psal 78.8 a stubborne and rebellious generation a generation whose heart was not aright and whose spirit was not faithfull vnto God For no sooner had God brought thē out of Egipt out of the house of bondage with a mighty hand and stretched out arme Psal 106.7 but they forgate his great goodnesse and rebelled at the Sea euen at the red Sea Exo. 16.3 In the wildernesse of Sin they grudged for bread and flesh Exod. 17.2 and in Rephidim for water They made a calfe in Horeb Exod. 32.4 worshipped the molten image Psa 106.19 They maliced Moses Aaron the holy one of the Lord. v. 16. They would haue stoned Caleb and Ioshua Nom. 14.10 They ioined themselues vnto Baal peor did eat the offrings of the dead Psa 106.28 They sacrificed their sonnes and daughters vnto deuils shed innocent bloud euen the bloud of their sonnes and daughters whom they offred vnto the idols of Canaan Deut. 32.17 gods whom they knew not new gods that came newly vp forsooke the Lorde God of their fathers which brought them out of the land of Egipt and followed other gods as Baal and Ashtaroth the gods of the people that were round about them and bowed vnto them Wherefore the wrath of the Lord was hote against Israel and he deliuered them into the hands of spoilers that spoiled them and solde them into the hands of their enemies round about them Notwithstanding the Lord raised vp Iudges which deliuered them out of the hands of their oppressours ve 16. but they would not obey their Iudges for they wet a whoring after other gods and worshipped thē Iudg. 10.6 as the gods of Aram Zidon and Moab the gods of the children of Ammon and of the Philistins forsooke the Lorde God and serued not him And thus they rebelled and their posteritie to the dayes of Iohn the fore-runner of Christ and his Apostles insomuch that of Christ before him of Iohn the Baptist they are called Progenies viperarum the generations of vipers Mat. 3.7 And because they were the children of them which murthred the prophets fulfilled the measure of their fathers Mat. 23.31 the lord vpbraideth casteth in their teeth not onely their owne but also their fathers malice Many a time would the Lord haue gathered them together Matt. 23 37. as the hen doth her chickens vnder her wings but they would not And therefore did Stephan to their faces charge them with stubbornesse and rebellion calling them Act. 7.51 stifnecked and of vncircumcised hearts and eares alwaies resisting the holy Ghost as their fathers did So that though Israel and Iudah after a sort could colour their rebellion and stifnesse of heart against the Lord and against his annointed with the multitude of sacrifices Esa 1.11 with the burnt offerings of Rams and fat of fed beasts with the bloud of bullockes of Lambes and of goates with the obseruation of new moones Sabbaths and solemne daies with the stretching out of hands and making many praiers yet we see what they are and the Lord who alone looketh into the harts of all by the prophet here chargeth the very Rulers to be rebellious companions of theeues ve 23 yea and the whole packe of them for their impietie and wickednesse to be like vnto the princes of Sodoma and people of Gomorah The application And now to applie these former points vnto our selues before we come to the exaggeration of this peoples ingratitude and vnkindnesse let vs take some short view whether our condition be the same with the condition of Israel and Iudah or whether ours be better than theirs was The Lorde our God as yee all know hath nourished and brought vp vs his children in as good and ample manner as euer he did the Iewes his elect and chosen people He hath giuen vs for our comfort Psa 8.7.8 the beasts of the field the foules of the ayre and the fishes of the sea He brought vs out of the yron fornace of Romish Egipt at what time the Egyptian tyrants made vs wearie of our liues with sore labourin the clay and bricke of hellish superstition and with all maner of bondage which they laide vpon vs most cruelly Hetherto the Lorde hath gone before vs by day in a pillar of a cloude and by night in a pillar of fire to lead vs the way and to giue vs light that we might go both by day and by night out of all danger He hath giuen vs Manna frō heauen not Manna of which the Fathers did eate in the wildernesse and are dead but a liuing Manna a Manna that giueth life vnto the world a Manna of which he that truly eateth shall liue for euer Ioh. 6 38. The Israelites after they had drunke of the water out of the rocke thirsted againe but of the water which he shall giue vs if we once drinke we shall neuer be more a thirst Joh 4.14 for it is the water of life euen the grace and loue of God in
no vncleane thing The frute will be this You shall eate your bread in plenteousnes and dwell in your Citie safely Leuit. 26.5 6. God will send peace in the land and ye shall sleepe and none shall make you afraid He will couer you vnder his wings Psal 91.4 and you shall bee safe vnder hys feathers his truth shall be your shield and buckler You shall not be afraid of the feare of the night nor of the arrowe that flyeth by day for he shall giue his Angels charge ouer you vers 11. to keepe you in all your wayes And this will the Lord doo for you and much more if you feare loue serue obey him For he will receiue you he will be a father vnto you and you shall bee hys sonnes and daughters 2. Corinth 6.17 18. hee will dwell with you and walke among â—ou he will be your God and you shall be â—â—s people Leu. 26.12 Finally that I may conclude with the Prophet with whom I began if ye consent and obay ye shall eate the good things of the lande Esaie 1.19.20 But if ye refuse and bee rebellious yee shall be deuoured with the sword for the mouth of the Lord hath spoken it This same our Lord God who alone pondereth 2. Chron. 6.30 trieth ruleth the harts of the sonnes of men Pro. 21.2 guide vs our harts to the loue of him 1. Thess 2.4 mollifie and soften vs Act. 1.34 and them by the gratious and mighty working of his holy and blessed spirit 2. Thess 3.5 that we may sensibly feele perceiue how good and louing a God and mercifull father hee hath beene and is vnto vs and that we may shew our selues thankfull and obedient vnto him liuing vnto his lawes and embracing his word and obeying his commandements so dooing wee shall be the Lords chiefe treasure aboue all people â—he will fight for vs as he did for the Israelites his elect chosen children he will carrie vs on Eagles wings as he did them throughout the dangers and troubles of this wofull Egypt till wee come to the hauen of perfect rest to the land of the celestiall Canaan where we shal haue the fruition of endles ioyes 1. Cor. 2.6 which eye hath not seen neither eâ—re hath heard neither haue entred into the hart of man prepared of God for them that loue him Of which ioyes God of his infinite mercie grant vs all to be partakers through the merites and death of Iesus Christ his sonne our Lord and sauiour to whome with the holy Ghost triple in person but one in substance be praise and glory and wisedome and thankes honour and power and might for euermore Apoc. 7.12 Now let vs pray O Lord thou that liuest for euer which beholdest from thy holy hill the things that are done vpon earth heare and hearken we beseech thee vnto the Prayers of thy seruants and receiue into thine eares the petitions of thy creatures Looke not O Lord vpon the multitude of our iniquities and haue no respect to the number of our sinnes let it not bee thy will to destroy vs which appeare worse before thee than the Oxe and Asse for the Oxe knoweth his owner and the Asse his Masters Cribbe but we thy children whom thou hast nourished and brought vp as a most louing father haue not knowne and wee that in time past were not a people but nowe thine owne people haue not vnderstand VVe must acknowledge and confesse vnto thee our Lord and God that euen the byrdes of the Ayre as the Storke and the Turtle and the Crane and the Swallow doo better knowe and obserue the times of their comming then we the iudgments of thee our God Our misdeedes are great and they presse vs downe as an heauy burden Our iniquities are as the sand of the sea in number before thee Thou hast O Lord many and iust causes to doe with vs according to our offences because wee haue not kept thy commandements neither haue walked in duty and obedience before thee but haue rebelled as did thy people the Iewes VVee haue the sickenesse of our Fathers wee haue done amisse and dealt wickedly Notwithstanding O Lord wee trust that thou wilt be fauourable and gracious vnto vs. In a contrite heart and an humble spirite let vs be receiued Deale with vs thy seruants which put their trust in thee after thy louing kindnes and according to the multitude of thy mercies so shalt thou be called mercifull and we shall haue great cause to praise and glorifie thee both for this and all other thy former benefits specially for that as vpon this day thou diddest deliuer vs and our Citie out of the handes of our wicked enemies and hatefull foes which sayd that they would burne our dwelling places and kill our yong men with the sword dash our sucking children against the ground and make our infants as a pray our virgins a spoyle which also sayd we will diuide the booty our lust shall be satisfied vpon them and then wee will draw the weapon and our hand shall destroy them But thou the Lord of Hoasts which art great and glorious maruelous and inuincible in power whose voyce no creature can abide diddest soone bring them and their deuises to naught Thy right hande was glorious in power thy right arme brused the enemy In thy great glory thou diddest ouerthrow them that rose against thee thou diddest send forth thy wrath which consumed them as the stubble and by the blast of thy nostrels the waters came which ran mightily through the channels of our streets so drowned the labours of their hands And so from that day to this as the Egle doth her yong ones thou hast carried vs vppon the winges of thy mercy out of all dangers for which and all other thy blessinges most gracious and louing father we shall from age to age remember thee and thy goodnes this shall bee a feast day vnto vs and our posterity we that are now and they that are to come shall sing prayses vnto thee exalt thy name Thou O Lord wast and art our strength and power thou wast and art our saluation thou hast beene and art our refuge our defence our castle and the rocke of our might thou art our God thou art the God of our fathers we will magnifie thee And here also wee are bolde to make our deuout and harty prayers vnto thee Lord almighty and father of vs al that thou after thine accustomed mercy wilt vouchsafe continually to remember vs from thy holy mount to looke downe vppon vs. Keep vs Lord as the apple of thine eye graue vs as another Zion vppon the palme of thine handes and let our walls bee euer in thy sight VVhen men shall rise vp against vs and shall be wrathfully displeased at vs if wee turne to thee with all our hearts and with all our soules and confesse thy name and pray and make supplication before thee in this house heare thou then O Lord in heauen in the dwelling place of thy habitation what prayer and supplication so euer shall bee made of any man or of all thy people and pardon the sinne of thy seruants and bee mercifull to the transgressions of thy children punish vs not according to our deserts deliuer vs not whom thou hast purchased for a spoile vnto captiuity and death sell vs not into the hands of our enemies round a-about vs giue vs not ouer for a pray vnto their teeth make vs not for a Prouerbe of reproch to the Nations farre and neere lest they aske where is now their God Let not the Heathen say which haue heard the fame of thee because the Lorde was not able to saue this people in the land that he gaue them or because hee hated them therefore hee hath left them in the handes of spoilers to spoile them and of the Nations to raigne as Lordes ouer them Lord we are thy people and thine inheritance which thou deliueredst of olde by thy mighty power and preseruedst by thy stretched out arme Let this greatnes of thy power continue withdraw not thy accustomed fauor from vs hide not thou thy face from vs in the time of troble but be thou mercifull vnto vs according to thy great mercies Let all the earth be filled with the brightnesse of thy glory let all such that beare euill will at Zion which seeke to lay thy vineyard wast which thou so graciously hast planted fortified on euery part to bring thine heritage to confusion be confouÌ„ded by thy great force and power and let their strength bee broken that they may knowe that thou which art called Iehouah art alone euen the most High ouer all the earth Finally O Lorde carry vs thy people by thy great mercie whom thou deliueredst bring vs we beseech thee in thy strength vnto thy holy habitation plant vs in the mountaine of thine inheritance which is the place that thou hast prepared for to dwell in euen in the Sanctuarie O Lorde which thine handes shall stablish make vs ioyfull Citizens of thy holy Citie Hierusalem which is aboue goe before vs both by day and by night in the pillar of thy fauour and goodnesse to leade vs the way that we may safely passe through this vale of misery and wretchednesse and finish this our pilgrimage with ioy And lastly that through the ayde and assistance of our true Ioshua thy son Iesus Christ we thy children hauing passed all difficulties may rest and dwell with thee our father in the Kingdome of all happines and felicitie Euen so Lord Iesus Nomb. 6.24 The Lord blesse you and keep you the Lord make his face to shine vpon you and be mercifull vnto you the Lord lift vp his countenance vpon you and giue you peace to your City and your selues now and euer Amen Soli Deo Gloria FINIS