Iudah fiue hundred thousand the ordinarie companies which serued by course for the roiall gard foure and twentie thousand each moneth needed not be reckoned the addition of them with their seuerall Captaines raises the summe of Israel to the rate of eleuen hundred thousand A power able to puffe vp a carnall heart but how can an heart that is more then flesh trust to an arme of flesh Oh holy Dauid whither hath a glorious vanitie transported thee Thou which once didst sing so sweetly Put not your trust in Princes nor in the sonne of man for there is no helpe in him His breath departeth and he returneth to his earth then his thoughts perish Blessed is he that hath the God of Iacob for his helpe whose hope is in the Lord his God How canst thou now stoope to so vnsafe and vnworthy a confidence As some stomackfull horse that will not be stopt in his career with the sharpest bit but runs on heddily till he come to some wall or ditch and then stands still and trembles so did Dauid All the disswasions of Ioab could not restraine him from his intended course almost ten moneths doth he run on impetuously in a way of his owne rough and dangerous at last his heart smites him the conscience of his offence and the feare of iudgment haue fetcht him vpon his knees O Lord I haue sinned exceedingly in that I haue done therefore now Lord I beseech thee take away the trespasse of thy seruant for I haue done very foolishly It is possible for a sinne not to baite only but to soiourne in the holiest soule but though it soiourne there as a stranger it shall not dwell there as an owner The renewed heart after some rouings of error will once ere ouer-long returne home to it selfe and fall out with that ill guide wherewith it was misled and with it selfe for being misled and now it is resolued into teares and breathes forth nothing but sighes and confessions and deprecations Heere needed no Nathan by a parabolicall circumlocution to fetch in Dauid to a sight and acknowledgement of his sin The heart of the penitent supplied the Prophet no others tongue could smite him so deep as his owne thoughts But though his reines chastisd him in the night yet his Seer scourges him in the morning Thus saith the Lord I offer thee three things choose thee which of them I shall doe vnto thee But what shall we say to this When vpon the Prophets reproofe for an adulterie cloked with murder Dauid did but say I haue sinned it was presently returned God hath put away thy sinne neither did any smart follow but the death of a mis-begotten infant and now when he voluntarily reproued himselfe for but a needlesse muster and sought for pardon vnbidden with great humiliation God sends him three terrible scourges famine sword or pestilence that he may choose with which of them he had rather to bleed he shall haue the fauour of an election not of a remission God is more angred with a spirituall and immediate affront offred to his Maiestie in our pride and false confidence in earthly things then with a fleshly crime though hainously seconded It was an hard and wofull choice of three yeeres famine added to the three fore-past or of three moneths flight from the sword of an enemie or three daies pestilence The Almightie 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 wills that which was fore-appointed in heauen We doe well beleeue thee ô Dauid that thou wert in a wonderfull straite this very libertie 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 miserie in all there is miserie in any thou and thy people can die but once and once they must die 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 be no euill of punishment wherein God hath 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 fal 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 daies pestilence then by so many yeares famine The wealthiest might auoyd the dearth the swiftest might run away from the Sword no man could promise himselfe safetie from that pestilence In likelihood Gods Angell would rather strike the most guiltie How euer therefore Dauid might well looke to be in wrapped in the common destruction yet he rather chooses to fal into that mercy which he 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 alwaies auert temporall iudgements Gods Angell is abroad and within that short compasse of time sweepes away seuentie 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 wee commonly smart These thousands of Israel were not so innocent that they should onely perish for Dauids sinne Their sins were the motiues both of this sinne and punishment besides the respect of Dauids offence they die for themselues It was no ordinary 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 he who doubtlesse had spent those three dismall daies in the saddest contrition humbly casts himselfe downe at the feete of the auenger and layes himselfe ready for the fatall stroke of iustice It was more terror that God intended in the visible shape of his Angell and deeper humiliation and what hee meant hee 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
opinion If we giue almes and fast some will magnifie our charity and deuotion others will taxe our hypocrisie If we giue not some will condemne our hard-heartednesse others will allow our care of iustice If we preach plainly to some it will sauour of a carelesse slubbering to others of a mortified sinceritie Elaborately some will tax our affectation others will applaud our diligence in dressing the delicate viands of God What maruel is it if it be thus with our imperfection when it fared no otherwise with him that was puritie and righteousnesse it selfe The austere fore-runner of Christ came neither eating nor drinking they say He hath a Deuill The sonne of man came eating and drinking they say This man is a glutton a friend of Publicans and sinners and here one of his holy acts carries away at once wonder censure doubt celebration There is no way safe for a man but to square his actions by the right rule of iustice of charitie and then let the world haue leaue to spend their glosses at pleasure It was an heroicall resolution of the chosen vessell I passe very little to be iudged of you or of mans day I maruell not if the people maruelled for here were foure wonders in one The blinde saw the deafe heard the dumbe spake the demoniacke is deliuered Wonder was due to so rare and powerfull a worke and if not this nothing We can cast away admiration vpon the poore deuices or actiuities of men how much more vpon the extraordinarie workes of omnipotencie Whoso knowes the frame of heauen and earth shall not much be affected with the imperfect effects of fraile humanitie but shall with no lesse rauishment of soule acknowledge the miraculous workes of the same almightie hand Neither is the spirituall eiection worthy of any meaner intertainment Raritie and difficultie are wont to cause wonder There are many things which haue wonder in their worth and leese it in their frequence there are some which haue it in their strangenesse and leese it in their facilitie Both meet in this To see men haunted yea possessed with a dumbe Deuill is so frequent that it is a iust wonder to finde a man free but to finde the dumbe spirit cast out of a man and to heare him praising God confessing his sinnes teaching others the sweet experiments of mercie deserues iust admiration If the Cynick sought in the market for a man amongst men well may we seeke amongst men for a conuert Neither is the difficultie lesse then the rarenesse The strong man hath the possession all passages are blockt vp all helpes barred by the trecherie of our nature If any soule be rescued from these spirituall wickednesses it is the praise of him that doth wonders alone But whom doe I see wondring The multitude The vnlearned beholders follow that act with wonder which the learned Scribes entertaine with obloquie God hath reuealed those things to babes which he hath hid from the wise and prudent With what scorne did those great Rabbins speake of these sonnes of the earth This people that knowes not the Law is accursed Yet the mercie of God makes an aduantage of their simplicitie in that they are therefore lesse subiect to cauillation and incredulitie as contrarily his iustice causes the proud knowledge of the other to lie as a blocke in their way to the readie assent vnto the diuine power of the Messias Let the pride of glorious aduersaries disdaine the pouertie of the clients of the Gospell it shall not repent vs to goe to heauen with the vulgar whiles their great ones goe in state to perdition The multitude wondered Who censured but Scribes great Doctors of the law of the diuinitie of the Iewes What Scribes but those of Ierusalem the most eminent Academie of Iudea These were the men who out of their deepe-reputed iudgement cast these foule aspersions vpon Christ. Great wits oft-times mis-lead both the owners and followers How many shall once wish they had beene borne dullards yea idiots when they shall finde their wit to haue barred them out of heauen Where is the Scribe where is the disputer of this world Hath not God made the wisdome of the world foolishnesse Say the world what it will a dramme of holinesse is worth a pound of wit Let others censure with the Scribes let me wonder with the multitude What could malice say worse He casteth out Deuils through Beelzebub the Prince of Deuils The Iewes well knew that the Gods of the heathen were no other then Deuils Amongst whom for that the Lord of Files so called whether for the concourse of flies to the abundance of his sacrifices or for his aide implored against the infestation of those swarmes was held the chiefe therefore they stile him The Prince of Deuils There is a subordination of spirits some hier in degree some inferiour to others Our Sauiour himselfe tels vs of the Deuill and his Angels Messengers are inferiour to those that send them The seuen Deuils that entred into the swept and garnished house were worse then the former Neither can Principalities and Powers and Gouernours and Princes of the darknesse of this world designe other then seuerall rankes of euill Angels There can be no being without some kinde of order there can be no order in paritie If wee looke vp into heauen there is The King of Gods The Lord of Lords hier then the hiest If to the earth There are Monarchs Kings Princes Peeres people If we looke downe to hell There is the Prince of Deuils They labour for confusion that call for paritie What should the Church doe with such a forme as is not exemplified in heauen in earth in hell One deuill according to their supposition may be vsed to cast out another How farre the command of one spirit ouer another may extend it is a secret of infernall state too deepe for the inquirie of men The thing it selfe is apparent vpon compact and precontracted composition one giues way to other for the common aduantage As we see it in the Common-wealth of Cheaters and Cut-purses one doth the fact another is feed to bring it out and to procure restitution both are of the trade both conspire to the fraud the actor falls not out with the reuealer but diuides with him that cunning spoile One malicious miscreant sets the Deuill on worke to the inflicting of disease or death another vpon agreement for a further spirituall gaine takes him off There is a Deuill in both And if there seeme more bodily fauour there is no lesse spirituall danger in the latter In the one Satan wins the agent the suitor in the other It will be no cause of discord in hell that one deuill giues ease to the body which another tormented that both may triumph in the gaine of a soule O God that any creature which beares thine Image should not abhorre to be beholden to the powers of hell for aid for aduice Is it not because there is not a God
doe with his creature The first Fole of the Asse is commanded vnder the law to haue his necke broken what is that to vs The creatures doe that they were made for if they may serue any way to the glory of their Maker But seldome euer doth God leaue his actions vnfurnished with such reasons as our weaknesse may reach vnto There were sects amongst these Iewes that denied spirits they could not be more euidently more powerfully conuinced then by this euent Now shall the Gadarens see from what a multitude of Deuils they were deliuered and how easie it had beene for the same power to haue allowed those spirits to seaze vpon their persons as well as their Swine Neither did God this without a iust purpose of their castigation His iudgements are righteous where they are most secret though we cannot accuse these inhabitants of ought yet hee could and thought good thus to mulct them And if they had not wanted grace to acknowledge it it was no small fauour of God that he would punish them in their Swine for that which he might haue auenged vpon their bodies and soules Our goods are furthest off vs If but in these we smart we must confesse to finde mercie Sometimes it pleaseth God to grant the suits of wicked men and spirits in no fauour to the suitors Hee grants an ill suit and withholds a good He grants an ill suit in iudgement and holds backe a good one in mercie The Israelites aske meat hee giues Quailes to their mouthes and leanenesse to their soules The chosen vessell wishes Satan taken off and heares only My grace is sufficient for thee Wee may not euermore measure fauour by condescent These Deuils doubtlesse receiue more punishment for that harmefull act wherein they are heard If we aske what is either vnfit to receiue or vnlawfull to begge it is a great fauour of our God to be denied Those spirits which would goe into the Swine by permission goe out of the man by command they had staied long and are eiected suddenly The immediate workes of God are perfect in an instant and doe not require the aid of time for their maturation No sooner are they cast out of the man then they are in the Swine They will leese no time but passe without intermission from one mischiefe to another If they hold it a paine not to be doing of euill Why is it not our delight to be euer doing good The impetuousnesse was no lesse then the speed The heard was carried with violence from a steep-downe place into the lake and was choked It is no small force that could doe this but if the Swine had beene so many mountaines these spirits vpon Gods permission had thus transported them How easily can they carrie those soules which are vnder their power to destruction Vncleane beasts that wallow in the mire of sensualitie brutish drunkards transforming themselues by excesse euen they are the swine whom the Legion carries headlong to the pit of perdition The wicked spirits haue their wish The Swine are choked in the waues What ease is this to them Good God that there should be any creature that seekes contentment in destroying in tormenting the good creatures of their Maker This is the diet of hell Those fiends feed vpon spight towards man so much more as he doth more resemble his Creator Towards all other liuing substances so much more as they may be more vsefull to man The Swine ranne downe violently what maruell is it if their keepers fled that miraculous work which should haue drawne them to Christ driues them from him They run with the newes the countrie comes in with clamour The whole multitude of the countrie about besought him to depart The multitude is a beast of many heads euery head hath a seuerall mouth and euery mouth hath a seuerall tongue and euery tongue a seuerall accent Euery head hath a seuerall braine and euery braine thoughts of their owne so as it is hard to finde a multitude without some diuision At least seldome euer hath a good motion found a perfect accordance it is not so infrequent for a multitude to conspire in euill Generalitie of assent is no warrant for any act Common error carries away many who inquire not into the reason of ought but the practise The way to hell is a beaten road through the many feet that tread it when vice growes into fashion singularitie is a vertue There was not a Gadarene found that either dehorted their fellowes or opposed the motion it is a signe of people giuen vp to iudgement when no man makes head against proiects of euill Alas what can one strong man doe against a whole throng of wickednesse Yet this good comes of an vnpreuailing resistance that God forbeares to plague where he findes but a sprinkling of faith Happie are they who like vnto the celestiall bodies which being carried about with the sway of the hiest sphere yet creepe on their owne waies keepe on the courses of their owne holinesse against the swinge of common corruptions They shall both deliuer their owne soules and helpe to withhold iudgement from others The Gadarenes sue to Christ for his departure It is too much fauour to attribute this to their modestie as if they held themselues vnworthie of so diuine a guest Why then did they fall vpon this suit in a time of their losse Why did they not taxe themselues and intimate a secret desire of that which they durst not begge It is too much rigor to attribute it to the loue of their hoggs and an anger at their losse then they had not intreated but expelled him It was their feare that moued this harsh suit A seruile feare of danger to their persons to their goods Least hee that could so absolutely command the Deuils should haue set these tormentors vpon them Least their other Demoniacks should be dispossessed with like losse I cannot blame these Gaderens that they feared This power was worthy of trembling at Their feare was iust the vse of their feare was vniust They should haue argued This man hath power ouer men beasts Deuils it is good hauing him to our friend his presence is our safetie protection Now they contrarily mis-inferre Thus powerfull is he it is good he were further off What miserable and pernicious misconstructions do men make of God of diuine attributes and actions God is omnipotent able to take infinite vengeance of sinne Oh that he were not He is prouident I may be carelesse He is mercifull I may sinne He is holy Let him depart from me for I am a sinfull man How wittie sophisters are naturall men to deceiue their owne soules to rob themselues of a God Oh Sauiour how worthy are they to want thee that wish to be rid of thee Thou hast iust cause to be wearie of vs euen whiles we sue to hold thee but when once our wretched vnthankfulnesse growes wearie of thee who can pittie vs to be punished with thy departure Who can say it is other then righteous that thou shouldst regest one day vpon vs Depart from mee yee wicked FINIS