Blessed be God we need not say so we amount to thousands and as Tertullian said of the Christians in his days Singuli magis noti quam omnes Could we take a view there thousands might amount to millions such as whatever their knees have done their hearts never bowed to God-Parliament But what are these to many millions So many so suddenly fallen off from Religion Loyalty Friends Faith and all that good is But the Devil is a cunning Fisher and hath baited his Hooks thorowly with the fat Lumps of Bishopricks and Cathedrals and least that should he too little for the Maws of those Cormorants there 's more bait Forrest-lands Ships Offices and I know not what And now have they verified that old Proverb No Bishop no King But God bless them both I hope he will suffer no man long to do them wrong There is one thing yet remains and that 's the Place whither our Pilgrims went But I remember that saying Vivorum difficilis censura 't is dangerous to censure living men much more whole Countreys specially where the Censor is nec beneficiis nec maleficiis cognitus But something doth misg ve where the sweet Innocent Dove finds no rest fo the sole of his foot I hope he shall ere long and an Olive-branch too But you Worthâ—es and the rest of my dear Country-men In Joshuah's dayes one Aâ—hâ—â— was the overthrow of an Army The Theft of Achan Afterward in Jeroboam's dayes the Son of Joash one Jonah w thout a special Providence had been the total ruin f a Ship and all the Passengers The Disobedience of Jonah In Christ's dayes one Judas dissolved the best Society that ever trod upon the Earth The Treason of Judas Is there no Achan Jonah Judas amongst us God grant it You have gone from one Nation to another from one Kingdom to another People and are you all sound at the heart none tainted with the Vices of those Countries you come from Let no Amasiah bite the lipp and tell me this is Bethel I know it well But where was God more dishonoured then at Bethel which became Bethaven And who hath more betrayed a glorious Cause for King Country and Religion then some which were the sometimes Grandees of the Court and the pretended Servants to the same And who hath more disgraced dishonoured blasphemed the Name of Christ and his Religion then those that do profess themselves the Reformers and Refiners of Christianity You know the Macedonians in Babylonia Carthaginians at Capua and the French at Naples what they found and what they learnt and what the end of it was If any one be tainted yet there is a Salve for that soar there is a Noli amplius O sin no more least a worse thing happen Give Glory to God with Achan Cry tollite me with Jonah Or if that be hard then say with David Tolle or Dele blot out my unrighteousness till thou find none I conclude with the words of St. Paul Rom. 10. My hearts dâ—sire and prayer to God is that they may be saved And that as Israel you may have power and prevail with God and Man Be of one heart and of one mind Pour out your souls in prayer for all men for Kings for our King O Lord deliver him not over unto the will of his enemies and let not those who câ—â—selesly and maliciously persecute him let them not longer triumph over him Cloth them all with shame but upon himself let the Crown flourish May we live to see the day when we shall sing with Moses Surge Domine Rise up Lord and let thine Enemies be scattered Nay Return O Lord return to the ten thousands of Israel Numb 10. ult With David I began with David I must end Arise Lord into thy resting place thou and the Ark of thy strength Let him find a resting place Let his golden Pot of Manna be all glorious without and gracious within Let Aaron's Rod bud blossom and yield Almonds Let the Tables of the Covenant be preserved entire in despight of all cursed Covenanters And let him who is utriusque Tabulae Custos find favour in the eyes both of God and Man Amen A SERMON UPON 2 KINGS IV. 1 2. Now there cryed a certain woman of the wives of the Sons of the Prophets unto Elisha saying Thy servant mine husband is dead And thou knowest that thy servant did fear the Lord And the Creditor is come to take unto him my two Sons to be Bond-men And Elisha said unto her what shall I do for thee tell me What hast thou in thy House And she said Thine Hand-maid hath not any thing in the house save a pot of Oyl DEATH Sorrow Penury and Fears begin the Text Compassion Deliverance and Plenty end it Here 's a Story fraught with much variety Many are the Miseries and yet a Salve for every Sore After Poverty comes Plenty unexpected Mercy follows cut-throat Cruelty Fear and Danger find Deliverance You have here the brief Relation of a Man and his Wife of a Widow and her Children of a Creditor and his Debtor Of a Prophet and his Client or Petitioner The Woman acts the greatest part in whom you may observe three things Her Distress Her Address Her Redress 1. What she suffered 2. To whom she applyed her self 3. What the Issue was Her Distress is fully shewed in three respects 1. In the loss of a good Husband 2. Ecce Creditor she is like to loose her Children after 3. Her poverty and inability to relieve her self or them We shall begin with the Husband He is said to be Filius Prophetarum and a good man and therefore the loss the greater Where by the way those Prophets were not only such as did foretell things to come and are often called Seers in Scripture but also such as did interpret and expound the Law teach and instruct the People and pray for the Congregations Now Filii Prophetarum were such as were bred up in Learning and fitted to succeed the Prophets either at Jerusalem in the Temple or in the lesser Synagogues abroad in the Country And we shall note in them three things Cohabitation Subordination Preparation First their Cohabitation in the Schools and Nurseries of Learning Secondly their Subordination and rising by degrees Whence the younger are called Filii Prophetarum Thirdly their Preparation and fitting them to the work they were to be imployed in not leaping into the Ministry but acquiring some competent knowledge and measure of Learning before they presumed to offer themselves abroad unto the World First For their Cohabitation in certain Schools and Nurseries of Learning read but 2 Kings 2.3 at Bethel vers 5. at Jericho 2 Kings 4.38 at Gilgal Unto which add 2 Kings 6.1 Acts 22.3 Secondly For their Subordination and Degrees You have Aaron and his Sons Priests and Levites Principes Levitarum Principes Principâ—â—â— Numb 3.32 In the New Testament we have our Saviour the High-Priest twelve Apostles seventy Disciples Luke
Bored Servants for the time to come Exod. 21. Nor was there any hope of Freedom afterward No marvel then if the poor Woman cryed Clamavit mulier There is a saying Curae Leves loquuntur ingentes stupent Light Sorrows speak when greater silent are And it might seem then somewhat to lessen her Sorrow that she could and did Cry 'T is true In some sudden and unexpected Misery Vox faucibus haeret the unexpectedness and greatness of Sorrow doth stop the Floud-gates and there are found those who could neither weep nor speak for a while But violent Motions are not lasting and the thickest Cloud will be broken and the Rain will fall Tears and Words will find vent Tell me ye Mothers tell me what you would do if you should see the merciless Officer or Souldier seizing on your Child for his prey if but one Child But Vtrumque Filium Both All and All without hope of Redemption Not one left to comfort the poor Mother in her Calamity Me thinks I see Rebecka's swoln heart ready to break Gen. 27. when she counsels Jacob to fly from the fury of his Brother Esau who had sworn his Death O why should I be deprived of both of you in one day And that witty Complaint of the Woman of Tekoa did pierce Davids heart Thy Hand-maid had two Sons they strove they fought and one is slain The Kinred call for Justice and lo they 'l quench my Coal which is left O King without thy help and pardon I shall be deprived of them both Here 's a widow a poor widow deprived of her best Comfort and now like to be robbed of her Children also Well might she have borrowed Jerusalem's mournful Complaint out of Jeremy O ye that pass by behold and see if there be any sorrow like unto my sorrow Let Fathers speak who exeunt hominem leave off to be men if they leave off natural affection Let Mothers speak if Schools distinguish right their Love is more fervent though the Fathers love be more constant Let all those speak who are so much troubled at every common Cross Loss or Affliction What would they say if Mephibosheth must loose all If they must go hand in hand with Job If with this poor widow Goods and Children and All must be lost and for ought they know without the hope of any Jubile or Restitution Here we may see the affection of Parents towards their Children How many years doth Jacob lament the supposed death of his beloved Joseph How bitterly doth David bewail the untimely death of his ungracious Absolon Anna calls young Toby sorrowing for his Departure the Staff of her old Age the Staff in her hand that she went by Stories will tell you of some Fathers that have given their own eyes to save their Sons of those who have resigned their Crowns their Loves their Lives and all to do their Children good I will add but one Example more though of many in that one in the third Punick War when the choicest young Noble-men were sent away Hostages into Sicily The Mothers accompany them to the Ship with all expressions of sorrow Thence they get up the top of the Rocks and at their going out of sight the Mothers many of them cast themselves head-long into the Sea A sad farewel Yet were their Sons sent away for Hostages and not taken away for Slaves And thus doth Love descend in a full carrier from the Parents to the Children But I fear the Motion is very slow in rising upward from the Children to the Parents Sure this Motion is against the Hill we pause too often The Poet said true Filius ante diem And many say in their hearts what Esau did Gen. 27.41 The dayes of mourning for my Father are at hand He cannot live long And then a sad Suit and a merry heart But beware of that Lex talionis As sure as a day they are paid again in their own Coyn Besides the sting of a guilty Conscience is sure to follow them as long as they live O that Children would but think upon the many Cares and Fears and Cost that Parents are put to for their Children and with what neglect contempt and disobedience 't is oft-times repayed But take heed remember that of the Apostle Eph. 6.1.2 Filii obedite c. Honour thy Father and Mother which is the first Commandement with promise The Promise is long life which all desire And our undutifulness to our Parents cuts of the thread of life and sends men headlong to the grave c. Now come we to those Horse-Leeches whose Teeth are spears as Solomon sayes And they devour the poor of the earth Prov. 30.14 Ecce Creditor The Father is dead The Mother almost distracted The Children in despair The whose little House nought but Tears and Terrour And in comes this Moth-of-men this Canker that hath eaten up many good Houses and their Masters to boot In comes the Vsurer one qui laetatur de lachrymis proximorum when all weep he laughs He hopes to gain wherever the loss fall and he riseth most while by the ruins of the poor Of all Vertues Mercy is the best It conforms us to our Maker and hath the promise of a reward both in this life and in the life to come Matth. 5.7 Blessed are the merciful for they shall be sure of mercy The object of Mercy is Misery To him that is afflicted pity should be shewed Job 6.14 So David Psal 41. Blessed is he that considereth the poor and needy And Solomon He that hath pity upon the poor lendeth unto the Lord and look what he giveth God will pay him again Prov. 19.17 Now of all People in misery God regardeth none so much as the Widow and the Fatherless And therefore one special Branch in Moses's Law was a Proviso for them Exod. 22.22 Ye shall not afflict any widow or fatherless child And when ye make a Feast call the fatherless and the widow Deut. 16. Nay thrice in that Chapter you are bid to rejoyce in your Feasts but call the fatherless and the widow No good feasting without them So likewise at Harvest-time at Olive gathering and Grape gathering still Remember the widow and fatherless Deut. 24. And one of the Charges which Asaph gave the Judges was to help the poor and fatherless Psal 82.3 4. When Eliphaz thought to load Job with Reproaches he tells him he had sent away the widows empty and he had not relieved the fatherless Chap. 9 And in Psal 94. one of their crying sins was They slay the widow and the stranger and put the fatherless to death Well then see here one that regardeth nor God nor Man nor Widow nor Fatherless All 's fish that comes to his Net Hee 'l have away the Children And let the Mother break her heart All 's one to him The Debt could not be great But the Forfeit was too great The Debtor was a good man and therefore would not borrow what in
death Aquin 2.7 q 124. art 3. Ex zelo fidei charitate fraterna c. saith Aquinas Out of the fervency of their faith and to hearten and encourage their Brethren The Martyrs have often come forth and offered themselves to the fire or other fury of their enemies Apolog. cap. 1. This made Tertullian cry out Christianis quid simile c. What may be compared to the Christian question him and he is glad accuse him and he saith guilty adjudge him to death and he will give thee thanks This made Antonius Pius give a liberal testimony of them in his time Euseb Eccl. Hist. lib. 4. c. 13. It is their desire in Gods quarrel rather to die than to live Not to speak of Isaiah cut in twain Sixt. Senens lib. Sanct. l. 1. Jeremy stoned Ezekiel beheaded Daniel in the Den and his three companions in the Oven and indeed which of the Prophets have not been persecuted and slain Act 7.52 nor of Eleazar beaten to death being fourscore years old and ten 2 Machab. 6. ibid. c 7. nor of that honourable Woman and her seven Sons enduring to the amâ—zement of the Tormentors And though it be most true as one saith Erasmus virginum Martyr comparat Parentes atrocius torquentur in liberis quà m in seipsis The poor Mother suffered more Martyrdoms than she had Children and every stripe their backs felt went to her heart yet she exhorted every one of them with a mâ—nly stomack and prayed them all to die couragiously never deploriâ—g that she had brought them forth to such misery but overjoyed that she should be the Mother of so many Saints And though I know it to be true what the Orator hath Cic. 3. in Verrem Vetera exempla pro fictis fabulis jam audiri Yet will I touch at a few of those holy Saints and blessed Souls in Heaven who willingly joyfully constantly yielded up their spirits in his quarrel who first trod out the way and shed his blood for them Policarpe when many urged him to deny his Saviour and sâ—ve himself answered resolutely fourscore and six years have I served Him neither hath he ever offended me in any thing and how can I revile my King who hath thus long preserved me And when the Proconsul threatned to burn him his answer was Thou threatnest fire for an hour which lasteth a while and is quickly quenched but thou art ignorant of the everlasting fire of the day of Judgment and of the endless torments which are preparâ—d for the wicked And being now come to his last he turneth from 〈◊〉 Persecutor to his Maker O God saith he I thank thee that thou hast g aciously vouchsafed this day and this hâ—ur to aâ—lot me a portion among the number of Martyrs and Servants of Christ Ignatius â—hen he was sent from Syria to Rome to be meat for wild Beasts Idem lib 3. c. 32. Gr. â—5 Now saith he do I begin to be a Disciple I weigh neither visible noâ— invisible things Let Fire Gallows Violence of Beasts bruising of Bones racking of the Members stamping of my whole Bodâ— and all the plagues Satan can invent light upon me so I may win my Saviour Christ Fox in tertia persecutionâ— Simeon Bishop of Hierusalem being an hundred and twenty years old was scourged many daies together and at last Crucified Peter a Noble man of Nicomeâ—ia Euseb Eccl. Hist lib 8. cap 6. had his body rent in pieces with the Lash afterward Vinegar mixt with Salt was poured into his wounds and last of all he was fryed to death upon a Gridiron Sanctus Idem l 5. c 1. one that would neither confess his Name Kinred or Country but only that he was a Christian had his body fired feared scorched with hot plates of brass Forty Martyrs young Gentlemen Fox in decima persecat ex Basil for professing themselves Christians were in the depth of Winter compelled to stand in a Pond all the night and in the morning taken out and burned Take one Wom n among the rest Blanaina Euseb lib 5. a 1. who was tormented from morning till night the Executioners tormenting her by turns and after a world of Cruelties she was wrapped in a Net and tumbled before a wild Bull which tossed her too and fro upon his horns and for a fare-well she had her Head divided from her Body I have read of some Jaques de Lavardin Hist. of Scanderbeg lib. 11. and those some of the valiantest the World did see within their Age who after all kind of Ignominy and Turkish cruelty practised upon them were flead alive by little and little for fifteen daies together Heb. 11.32 Euseb lib. 6. c 40. Gr 41. Ibid cap. 41. Gr. 42. Ibid. cap 40. Idem l. 5 c. 1. And to borrow the Apostles words what shall I more say for the time would be too short for me to tell how some had their eyes pricked out with sharp quills as Metras some were beaten to death with Cudgels as Ischyrion some had all their teeth beaten out of their head as Apollonia And what should I speak of the setting them in the Stocks Fox decima persecut and stretching their leggs unto the fifth-hole or of the Iron Chair wherein they sate broyling to death of holes made in their necks and their Tongues drawn out backward their Eyes pulled out and the hollow places seared with hot Irons (a) D King on â—onas Lect. 24. pownding in Mortars rowling in Barrels armed with pikes of Iron (b) D Benefiâ—ld on Amos Lect 7. Womens breasts seared (c) Sab. Prateolus lib 7. §. 7. Virgins faces whipped their whole body abused prostituted and tormented I am faint in telling and you be weary in hearing but they unterrified undaunted endured all couragiously * Erasmus viâ—ginum Martyr compâ—rat Tertul Apol. cap 50. Hemming in Pâ—â—l â—4 7. Naâ—anz Oat 〈◊〉 de Machabaeis Hosius Confess fidei cap. 6 8. Nasianz Cygneorum Carm. lib. Orat 3â— de Machabeis Heb. 2 Moses and Maximus c. 26 Ep. inter opera Cyprianâ— Tyrannorum ingeniosa crudelitas saith one The bloudy Tyrants set their wits on work to invent torment but nihil proficit exquisitior quaeque saith another the more the Torments the more the Martyrs Their bloud was like corn sown one brought forth many Yea the Persecutors themselves were astonished to see their constancy and how they went to their Martyrdom tanquam ad epulas tanquam ad de licias tanquam ad nuptialem thalamum they went to the fire as to a feast as to a dainty feast as to their bridal bed Wherefore let us also seeing that we are compassed with so great a cloud of Witnesses cast away every thing that presseth down and the sin that hangeth so fast on Let us remember from whence we are fallen that so we may repent and do the first works We
10.1 After his Death Apostles Bishops Deacons After the Apostles dayes Bishops Priests Deacons I too well know Hesterni Illi as Tertullian called Praxeas Some later Writers have had their new-found and different thoughts touching those Church-Degrees and Hierarchy But the Consentient Judgment of Antiquity and universal continued practise of the Church shall ever be reputed by me The best Interpreter of Scripture The third thing is their Preparation The two first make good the last And we must be Discentes antequam Docentes as Bernard said Learners before we can be Teachers They tell us greater Gifts were reserved for these times and those dayes of Ignorance are past Amen say I. But what if our Gifts be less and our Presumption more They tell us of Jeremy and Daniel both Children of Amos an Herd-man of Elisha this Elisha taken from the Plough But sure Jeremy was Propheta Natus Jer. 1.5 yet was afraid to undertake the Calling till he had a command and a promise and a touch too v. 9. Daniel was bred up a Scholar Dan. 1.4 and at v. 17. God gave him knowledge and skill in all learning and wisdome And Amos had his special call from God Amos 7.15 c. I have read indeed of Learning gotten without Learning Archippus Ingenio pro Libris utebatur Anthony had the Heavens for his School-master Nepotianus his memory alone made him learned so that from a Souldier he became a Priest Johannes Trajectensis Episcopus à Plaustro ad Pulpita ascendit Divinitùs edoctus Nay I have read of one Qui omnium Linguarum notitiam ex morbo adeptus est An happy Sickness What shall I say of these but that Spiritus ubi vult spirat John 3.8 The Creator of Spirits can inspire how and when and whom he please And these and the like Examples are not for Imitation but Admiration Solomon hath a good Rule Prov. 24.27 Prepare thy Materials and then build thine house First get Learning and then expect a Call 'T is St. Paul's Rule too 1 Tim. 4.13 Attende Lectioni and v. 15. Give thy self wholly to it v. 16. persist continue But beware of those Clouds without Rain that boast themselves of their false Gifts Prov. 25.14 Who instead of dividing the Word aright 2 Tim. 2.15 do slice and chop it out without Rules Method Matter any thing full of Battologies Tautologies vain Repetitions tumbling out Non-sense with incredible Confidence The second observable thing This Filius Prophetarum was Vxoratus a married Man We meet with three sorts of men The first are Enemies to Women The second to Marriages The third to Priests marriages As for Women-haters in general I could willingly let them pass by as unworthy to be thought upon but that some of them think it their greatest praise when they can wittily dispraise that Sex I can think them no better then Cowards that are sure to strike when they cannot be stricken again Doubtless there 's many a Jezebel Herodias Messalina and those Jones of Naples There are many such as Bernard stigmatizeth Mulier secularis Organum Satanae But 't is Secularis then 't is a bad woman must be so bad an Instrument Tertullian cryes out Tu es Diaboli Janua Tu es c. But I see no reason why one Eve should make us angry with the whole Sex more then one Adam who did personate and represent Mankind and by his Transgression conveyed sin to all his Posterity And though the Apostle some where layes the blame on Eve for the priority in the Transgression Adam was not deceived but the Woman 1 Tim. 2.14 Yet for Natures Gangreen and Sins Transmission the same Apostle sends us all to Adam Omnes in Adamo 1 Cor. 15.22 All died in Adam I might hear bring in Cyril speaking but untowardly of Women but he elsewhere gives them their Right again And the like doth Hieronimus Tertullian after so many shrewd speeches yet he allows them a place in Heaven though not as Women for he thinks they must change their Sex into that of men Idem Sexus qui est viris The Turk in his Alcoran shuts all women out of Heaven But let him go for a Turk Some may think better of him who gave the Gods thanks that he was not born a woman But I am sure he had never been born without one We must pass from Women-haters to Wedlock-haters Such as like the Sex but not the Knot They can love a Woman but not a Wife There are perchance too many Libertines of this Opinion in these dayes of old the Adamites and Albanenses of late the David-Georgians taught Matrimony to be evil in it self The Tatians nil differre à Scortatione Durand de Waldach Matrimonium nil aliud esse quam occultum Meretricium O Enemies of Mankind O Doctrine of Devils Foretold condemned by St. Paul 1 Tim. 4.3 Matrimony instituted in the time of Innocency and honoured by our Saviours presence in the Gospel 2 John Well if not all Marriages yet Priests-Marriages are cryed down hewed down by a stronger hand Indeed they be but yet with greater strength justice reasons powerfully maintained I shall but touch this string 'T is a common question between us and the Papists 'T is sufficient that amongst the Patriarchs Prophets Apostles and ancient Bishops and Fathers of the Church we still find married men who lived more chastly with their Wives without Concubines then these now with their Concubines without Wives But above all we have the Apostles warrant for it Marriage is honourable in all Heb. 13.4 And the Son of the Prophet here was a married man The third Observation He was a good man He did fear the Lord. Yea will some body say So did the Devils also Ja. 2.19 Nay not so 'T is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 there they do more than fear they tremble and alwayes tremble A word taken from the waves of the Sea that are never at rest No Lucida intervalla no hope no intermission Non est pax impiis Less Diabolo The usual distinction of Fear is into Filial and Servile Fear Fear to offend and Fear to suffer But Devils fear Timore Desperationis And good men fear Timore Venerationis So is Fear taken in this place for the Worship of God Veneration and Piety Moses will tell you that to fear God is To keep his Commandements Deut. 6.2 The Psalmist will tell you He that fears the Lord doth delight in his Commandements Psal 112.1 Solomon He that fears the Lord will depart from evil Prov. 3.7 and Chap. 14.2 He that walketh in Vprightness feareth the Lord. St. Paul sums it up in three words Titus 2.12 Sobrie juste pie Those three duties concern God our Neighbour and our Selves Piety is for God Justice for our Neigbours and Sobriety for our own selves And these make a man good indeed These are like Solomons three-twisted cords not quickly broken Eccl. 4.12 Religion consists not in Lip-labour nor in hanging down the heâ—d or