man whom the King would honour Haman thinking the King spake so for him invented all the wayes and meanes hee could to enjoy and encrease this honour therefore he answered the King thus As for the man whom the King will honour let them bring for him royall apparell which the King useth to weare and the horse that the King rideth upon and that the crowne royall may be set upon his head and that one of the greatest Princes should goe before him and proclaime Thus shall it he done unto the man whom the King will honour In this ample description of Honour we note the definition of it to wit to give glory to doe homage to any one to seeke all the meanes that may be to advance his credit and encrease his reputation through all the world and thus that cursed Haman thought to be honoured But this word to Honour the King in that sense that our Apostle takes it is like to that honour mentioned in the first Commandement of the second table Honour thy Father and thy mother which signifieth in generall to serve reverence obey assist those whom wee honour and of that reverence obedience and assistance Saint Paul speaketh expresly 1. Tim. 5.17 The Elders that rule well are worthy of a double honour where observe and note that by the first honour hee understandeth a civill and common honour like that which is due to other honourable men but by the second honour hee understandeth a subvention and reward of his labours as it appeareth by the following words Thou shalt not musle the mouth of the Oxe that treadeth out the come and the labourer is worthy of his wages Luk. 10.7 And of all these foure duties which wee are to practise to honour the King is spoken at large 1. Sam. Chap. 8. When the Israelites did so earnestly desire him to give them a King hee doth lively set forth unto them how perfectly they must be subject to him how they must reverence him how they must obey him But because commonly among good corne there be tares or some other bad seed we will shew by expresse words of Scripture and by invincible reasons That hee that obeyeth not to the higher powers offendeth directly God himselfe who will destroy him Saint Paul Tit. 3.1 Put them in remembrance that they be subject to principalities and powers and that they be obedient and ready to every good worke And Rom. 13.4 The Prince is the Minister of of God for thy good but if thou doe evill the feare for he beareth not the sword for nought for he is the Minister of God to execute justice on him that doth evill therefore ye must bee subject not for feare onely but also for conscience sake wherefore those that resist the power resist the ordinance of God and those that resist this ordinance drawes on themselues condemnation But if these rules bee not strong enough to convert those preverse men at least let them be frighted by the fearefull judgements which fell on so many wicked men which aunciently rebelled against Moses their Prince Soveraigne who by Gods commaund had deliuered them from the hands of Pharao the cruellest of men and had led and conducted them with a wonderfull wisedome into the wildernesse let them set before their eyes the example of Core Dathan and Abiram who with two hundred and fifty Princes of the Israelites Numb 16.2 rebelled against their Prince but God avenger of their folly caused the earth to open her mouth and to swallow them up alive with their families Nadab and Abihu his owne Nephewes because they had not obeyed him were consumed with their fellowes by fire that went out from the Altar Levit. 10.2 and his owne sister Marie for speaking undiscreetly of him was by the Lord infected with leprosie what shall wee say of Abishai and Absalom against King David the History of whose destruction and confusion is so well knowne that wee neede not insist upon it But here are yet very expresse words Exod. 22.28 Thou shalt not rayle upon the Iudges neither speake evill of the ruler of thy people And Acts 23. Thou shalt not speake ill of thy Prince of him that governeth thee But because these lawes and examples like waves of the Sea follow one another wee will insist on the consideration of the horror of this crime which cannot take place in a soule never so little endued with heavenly graces for that heart must be desperately wicked and that soule possessed with a thousand furies that suffereth the least thought of it to harbour in his will that soule I say must not onely be voyd of reason but worse then bruit beasts who without contradiction follow and obey their Kings The birds yeeld to the Eagle the fishes follow the Dolphin and the beasts are pliant and humble before the Lyon and should man that is made after Gods image be worse then all other living creatures This is to be neither man nor beast but the off-spring of those abominable spirits which rebelled in heaven against God and therefore received the punishment due to their foolish ambition in hell but wee will no longer stay out contemplation about these detestable men hoping that our age is not so unhappy as to be corrupted by them But we will now speake of the reward profit and recompence which those shall certainely receive that obey this commandement of God in honouring the King All the Interpreters of the law of God with one consent agree that the first commandement of the second table to wit Honour thy Father and thy Mother is to be understood of all them that have any power or dominion over us and chiefely of Kings and Princes to whom wee are subject and to whom wee owe both our lives and goods and besides that all the Fathers are of that opinion yet we also see it proved in the 13. Chap. to the Romanes where the Apostle teaching the faithfull all the lawes which they must observe hee runnes over all the Commandements of God and yet speakes not of this word Father because hee comprehendeth it sufficiently under that of King because the Father is King in his Family and the King is the Father of his people As for that objection that there is no mention made of a King in the Decalogue the reason is cleare and manifest first the Israelites had no neede of it because God did every day appeare visibly unto them spake to them at all times and wrought continually so many miracles among them that they could not be doubtfull of his presence secondly there is no mention made neither of Governour nor of Prince and yet it is unlikely that God had forgotten Moses who had delivered them before God wrote the Law with his owne finger on the mountaine of Sinai but the reason is that by the word Father God understandeth as well Kings and Princes as those that have begotten us all the curses made against the rebellious and disobedient
the glorious throne of his beloved Sonne and the tabernacle which the holy Ghost hath chosen for his habitation where is then that heart of stone that soule so base and obstinately resolved to bee lost that knowing the happy and most honourable arrivall of the great King of Kings of the three divine persons of the ineffable and incomprehensible Trinity and trine-unity doth not sweepe and cleanse the house of his heart and doth not purifie it from all dirt and filthinesse who I say will not adorne it with the richest treasures and with the rich ornaments that holinesse justice and innocencie abundantly affords purposely to receive with honour and reverence so magnificent a King who promiseth us to come unto us when hee saith in the 14. Chap. of Saint Iohn If a man love me he will keepe my words and my Father will love him and we will come in unto him and make our abode with him Our good Master Jesus Christ the Saviour of our soules teacheth us in the 22. Chap. of Sai t Mathew how much and how dearely purenesse is acceptaâ—le before him saying That the Kingdome of heaven is like a certaine King which made a marriage for his sonne and having invited many the banquetting roome was filled and the King himselfe being come in to see the guests hee there sawe a man which had not a wedding garment and said unto him Friend how camest thou in hither not having a wedding garment And hee was speechlesse Then said the King to the servants bind him hand and foote and cast him into utter darknesse where shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth for many are called but fewe are chosen Can we desire a more lively representation or an example more formall to shew us that God delighteth in the sincerity and purenesse of our soules and contrariwise that he abhorreth and detesteth the filthinesse of sinne the inke and coales of iniquiry which blacks and defiles our consciences for it is impossible ever to tast of the dainty and delicious Viands served at the Lambs wedding at the sumptuous and magnificent feast of the onely Sonne of the great King of Kings before we have left off our working dayes cloathes the infected and stinking coate or our naturall corruption to put on the white roabe of holinesse purity and amendment of life and to use the very words of Scripture Colos 3. Wee must cast off the old man with his deedes and put on the new man which is renewed in knowledge after the image of him that created him And Ephes 4. concerning the former conversation Cast off the old man which is corrupted according to the deceitfull lusts of his heart and be renewed in the spirit of your minde and put on the new man which like unto God is created in righteousnesse and true holinesse And in Rom. 6.6 Our old man is crucified with Christ that the body of sinne might be destroyed that henceforth wee should serue sinne no more but walke before him in renovation and newnesse of life The clearest waters are alwayes the best and therefore commonly see that the excellentest springs are derived from the rockes and fetch'd from the highest hills because that the water distilling through many narrow passages and strait places the farther it goes the more it is purified the most subtill and clearest springs seeke the highest places as approaching nearer to the nature of the ayre whose nature and propriety is still to ascend And contrariwise you may observe and marke that the thick and heavie waters are alwayes filthy and stinking and are conserved in pitts and deepe sinkes as participating of the nature of the earth and therefore are fit for nothing but to breed serpents and Frogges whereof some kill us by their mortall venome and the other trouble us with their unsufferable croaking These cleare and pure waters doe lively prefigure and set forth unto us the faithfull servant of the Lord who hath purified and as it were distilled himselfe at the fire of the love of God thereby to leave off what was earthly ponderous and troublesome in him as hatred ambition sensuality and vaine glory purposely to soare aloft and to elevate himselfe to the holy mountaine of Syon towards heaven which is the center whither the circumference of his desires designes and thoughts tendeth These black and muddy waters may expresse and set forth hell unto us where there is nothing but horrible darknesse and fearefull obscurity where that old serpent is iustly banished for his deserts and where the damned gastly and frightfull soules doe nothing else but vexe themselves and curse But to apply it to the subject of our text these stinking and corrupted waters may very fitly be compared to the wicked and to the men of this world who have Woolfes or Lyons hearts under the shape and forme of men who wallowe like Hogges in the mire and dirt of carnall security who runne not after pietie and vertue but remaine fast chained and bound to sensualitie and vice casting all their affections on the earth whereof their body is made and composed never ayming nor levelling their thoughts at heaven whence their soule had their originall True serpents in malice hatred and envie that with mortall venome infect the Lillies and Roses of the best consciences Frogges in prating and slandering that never open their mouthes but to utter unsufferable blasphemies oathes lyes and detractions Take yet this farther conceit upon the purity of the heart to wit that as the eyes ore-vayled with clowds or with cataracts and webbs cannot clearely discerne the objects or colours which are exposed before them because their faculty is prevented and hindered by the interposition of these obstacles which are placed betweene the object and the sight whereas contrariwise good sound and well disposed eyes as are these of Eagles who though soaring in the highest clowds doe neverthelesse see very plainely in the thickest bushes in the remotest furrowes of the farre distant fields and which is most admirable is that her sight is so strong and powerfull that contrary to the nature and practise of other living creatures she can steddily behold and contemplate the Sunne without winking at all yea when shee is nearest him and standing on the highest branch of a tree planted on the top of the loftiest mountaine Now to appropriate this to our matter wee say That hee whose heart is incombred with the things of this world whose soule is ore-vayled with ambition with the clowds of vanity and vaine glory whose conscience is obscured and darkned with hatred envie and malice can never contemplate God nor see his face which is all the consolation all the joy and in a word the true center of our happinesse the fulnesse of all our felicity and the greatest delights which the faithfull can wish or desire But those that shall be carefull and diligent to keepe their soules pure and cleane from the filthinesse of sinne those like Eagles indeede alwaves soaring
peace and tranquillity that hee liveth therein as in his owne element out of the which hee cannot subsist but when either by chance or misfortune he findes himselfe in the midst of noyse in the fire of disorder and among the flames of contentions riots then he crieth runneth and tormenteth himselfe untill by his agitation and diligence hee have quenched and repressed all holding this indubitable maxime that Candiaa pax homines trux decet ira feras In a word to end this discourse of politique peace we say that if warre be a thorne peace is a Rose if that be bitternesse this is sweet nesse if that be a storme this is a calme weather if that be full of mischiefes this is full of goodnesse if that causeth poverty that brings and gives riches In a word if that killeth this giveth life and to end with the Poet let us say Nulla salus bello pacem te poscimus omnes But let us after the example of the high Priest enter into the most holy place of the Temple of Salomon and there visite that sacred arke of our consciences within the which God will keepe his sessions let us contemplate that inestimable peace immediatly proceeding from the remission of our sinnes and most particular and perfect assistance of the holy Ghost dwelling in our soules for it is impossible that any other but the just should possesse that peace of conscience seeing that betweene sinne the devils child and the father of trouble and peace and quietnesse there is so great an antipathy that if sinne can set the least footing in any place hee driveth away presently from thence peace and rest and in their roome introduceth and breedeth therein quarrells and contentions which like tormentors doe miserably torture and cruelly handle the miserable hearts where they lodge and therefore the ancient Fathers of the Church openly pronounce that the greatest felicity wherein Adam the first modell of mankinde was created was peace of the heart that rest of conscience which hee possessed absolutely within Paradise having no other care or thought but to love his Creator to honour his Conseruator and to adore his God But after that hee was fallen from that state of innocencie by the greatnesse of his fault after that sinne by disobedience had driven away peace from his heart then you see him in trouble he flieth he hideth himselfe he is afraid of himselfe he covereth his nakednesse with figge leaves he trembleth and dareth not answere to that terrible and fearefull voyce which hee heard walking in the Garden behold the first effects which his sinne brought forth The Royall Prophet David Psalm 85.10 saith Righteousnesse and peace have kissed each other vpon which Saint Augustine discourseth thus Duae sunt amicae justitia pax tu forte unam vis alteram non facis nemo enim est quinon velit pacem sed non omnes volunt operari justitiam si amicam pacis non amaveris neque te amabit pax ipsa Righteousnesse and Peace bee two friends thou it may bee desirest the one and wilt not practise the other there bee none but wish for peace but all will not doe righteousnesse if thou love not the friend of peace peace also will not loue thee Iustice with reason is called the mother of peace because it goeth alwayes before and is immediatly followed by it Peace is the worke of justice saith the Prophet Isaiah chap. 32.17 And the Psalmist in the 72. Psalm ver 7. In those dayes righteousnesse shall flourish and abundance of peace And Psalm 119. ver 165. Great peace have they which love thy law From which propositions wee draw this conclusion that to have this peace of conscience it is needfull for us to be just to feare God and to walke exactly in the obseruation of his sacred commandements So contrarily the wicked can have no peace because of the worme of sinne that gnaweth continually their soules as we read Psalm 28.3 Ill lucke and unhappinesse is in their wayes and the way of peace have they not knowne There is no peace for the wicked saith the Lord they thinke neverthelesse that they have this peace when they enjoy their pleasures but this peace lasteth but a moment and like their pleasure is presently followed by an extreame griefe it is lethargick sleepe very dangerous it is a security but it is carnall it is a sleepe but that representeth unto them a thousand apparitions and a thousand strange visions The wicked mans peace is like those fires which by night appeare burning in hills and medowes the which if a man follow they will insensibly leade him into terrible downfalls but the true peace of a good conscience as saith an ancient Author is the title of Religion the Temple of Salomon the field of blessing the garden of delights the Angels joy the Arke of the covenant the treasure of the great King the Court of God the Tabernacle of his Sonne the tent of his Spirit the tower of Sion the booke with seaven seales which is to be opened upon that great and fearefull day of judgement Saint Augustine in his Citie of God speaketh thus of it Pax nostra propria hic est cum Deo per fidem in aeternum erit cum illo per speciem talis est paxut solatium miseriae sit potius quam beatitudinis gaudium Our owne peace that is the peace of our hearts is here with God by faith and in eternall life shall it be with him by vision that peace which now we enjoy is but a sparke in respect of that great fire here it subsisteth but by faith then it shall be effected In a word let us say that the peace of conscience is a particular feeling and knowledge that God is pacified with us that he hath blotted out our misdeedes that hee hath cast away our iniquities from before his face like a clowd that wee are no longer under the Kingdome of Satan nor of the flesh but are received in our heavenly Fathers favour like the prodigall child that wee shall dwell in his house all the dayes of our life and there receive those goods joyes and delights which he hath reserued for his children Hitherto wee have spoken of peace in generall and in particular of politique peace and of the care must bee used to bring it to passe of peace of conscience or with God of the worlds or wicked mans peace that troubleth all them that live not like him now let us speake of that peace which h in our selues and of the vertue of it Among all the perfections wherewith our first Father Adam was adorned during the state of his innocencie mildnesse was one at the sent whereof all living creatures ranne to him to doe him homape and yeeld him obedience Moses in the booke of Numbers is called the debonnaire or gracious for which quality God loved him dearely and for a testimoniall of his love called him to that