〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to signifie the Providence of God Hebr. 1.3 and to shew that nothing cometh to pass without the will of God and all things that do come to pass by the wil of God are in respect of God most holy just and good for as in the creation all that he made was exceeding good so in the ordering disposing and governing of them all that he doth is exceeding just and the very evil that he suffereth to be done he turneth to good for his own glory and the benefit of his Church as he did the crucifying of his Son to the saving of all his servants For so great is his goodness saith S. Augustine that he would never have suffered Sin or any other evil to be done unless his power and wisdom were able as he drew light out of darkness so to draw a greater good out of our evil though not to them that commit the evil Rom. 6.1 because we should not sin that grace might abound as the Apostle sheweth 2. Signification Deut. 4.24 2. The foresaid Father and others say that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is derived 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is adurere accendere to burn and to kindle and enlighten and so Moses saith Our God is a consuming fire either because of his wrath against sin and sinners 1 John 1. or because of the brightness of his Majesty even as S. John saith God is light in whom there is no darkness at all Ezek. 1.27 and therefore he appeared unto Moses in a flame of fire in the burning bush and in his vision to Ezekiel he manifested himself in the appearance of fire which should make all sinners to be afraid to offend him lest this terrible fire should consume them 3 Signification Hebr. 4.13 3. The said Damascen saith that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 may be derived 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 because he seeth all things and all things are patent and open in his sight as the Apostle sheweth and no Creature no word no thought can be hid from him and therefore the Wise man adviseth all discontented persons to beware of murmuring which is nothing worth because the eare of jealousie heareth all things and the noise of your muttering is not hid Sap. 1.10 11. neither is there any word so secret that it shall go for naught These be the Etymologies and significations of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which Damascen giveth Curro uro cerno to run to burn to see and to these the Latine Writers do add another and say that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 may be derived à 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by changing the asperate Δ into Θ and that signifieth fear because all nations should fear the Lord our God And so the Greeks shew us Qualis sit Deus what manner of God he is that seeth and governeth all things and the Latines shew us Quid sit nostri officii what our duty is to be afraid to offend this great and glorious God and so the Prophet Jeremiah demandeth Who would not fear thee O King of nations and God himself saith Fear ye not me and will ye not tremble at my presence which have placed the sand for the bound of the Sea by a perpetual decree that it cannot pass it that is which have bridled and tamed that unruly Element by the small and silly Sands and though the waves toss themselves yet can they not prevail though they roar yet can they not pass over these poor and feeble things 4. The next Attribute here expressed is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The fourth Attribute is of Gods power which is omnipotent in three respects 1. Respect Psal 135.6 that is Almighty or that can do all things and he is said to be almighty in three special Respects 1. Because he can do whatsoever he would do and he can hinder whatsoever he would not have don for whatsoever pleased the Lord that did he in heaven and in earth in the sea and in all deep places saith the Prophet and so the Creation of the World makes this manifest And Solomon saith Prov. 19.21 that many devices are in man's heart but the counsel of the Lord that shall stand and all their devices without his counsel shall come to nought as the Gyants that thought to build the Tower of Babel to scale the Walls of Heaven were soon confounded and their devices suddenly destroyed Gen. 11. Gen. 19. so the men of Sodom thought to press upon Lot and the Angels that were with him but the Lord presently blind-folded them so Absolon conceited to make himself King but God brought him to the bough where he was hanged and so our late Vsurpers and Rebells had brave devices and projects in their hearts to destroy us all and to make themselves Lords over all but you see how easily the Lord overwhelmed them and brought them to shame and confusion 2. He is said to be Omnipotent 2. Respect because he bringeth all things to pass so easily without any difficulty in the world for he did but speak the word and they were made Psal 148.5 he commanded and they stood fast And he doth all things either without means or with the weakest means in the world and sometimes contrary to the nature of the proper means as when he made the world out of nothing he did but say Let there be light and it was so Psal 77.20 Josh 6.20 Judg. 4.21 Judg. 7.2 and what weak instruments were Moses and Aaron to bring Israel out of Egypt Or Rams horns to batter down the strong walls of Jericho or a silly woman to be the death of General Sisera or Gideon with three hundred men to overthrow the mighty Host and the innumerable Army of the Midianites And with what improbable strength hath this Almighty God brought our gracious King to his Crown and Kingdoms again It was the Almighty God that did it And so in the Spiritual work of our Redemption by what weak means hath he loosned and overthrown the work of the Devil 2 Cor. 12.19 and delivered his Prisoners out of captivity For blessed be this strong Jehovah we see how his power is made perfect through weakness as the Apostle speaketh and how Christ that seemed a worm and no man as the Prophet speaketh in becoming poor hath made us rich and in becoming a curse hath made us the heirs of blessing 2 Cor. 8.9 1 Pet. 3.9 and after his Ascention into heaven with what weak instruments hath he converted the world from Idolatry and Infidelity to imbrace the Christian Faith Through the foolishness of Preaching saith the Apostle of a few poor Fisher-men and us that are their successors this is the Lords doing and it is marvellous in our eye But it is more marvellous that he should do what he will not only without means and by weak means but also contrary to all means John 9.6 as with Clay that is
now being more incensed with ire through this Frantique fear he put to death his own wise Mariamne his mother Alexandra and fourty of his chiefest noble men of the tribe of Juda and he slew all the great Sanhedâ—im that is the 72 Senators of the Jews and fourteen thousand infants in and about Bethlehem as some do think and among the rest he slew his own infant born of a Jewish woman as Philo writeth which made Augustus say Philo Judaeus in l. de tempore That he had rather be his pig then his son And all this he did in hope to root out and destroy all the royal bloud of Juda least this King and Lion of Juda should deprive him of his Kingdom And what insanable incurable madness is this and how vain is the thought For this King which is now born Iunaniter ergo invidendo timuisti successorem quem credendo debuisti quarere Sâ—lvatorem Fulgeni Serm. de Epiph. fol. 652. doth not come saith Fulgentius reges pugnando superare sed moriendo mirabiliter subjugare not to overcome them by fighting but wonderfully to subdue them by dying and therefore he is not born ut tibi succedat sed ut in eum mundus fideliter credat That he should succeed thee but that thou and all the World should believe in him and so be saved by him And therefore it was but a vain thing for Herod to fear where no fear was and to foster fear where he should have faith but this fire of anger and this fear of heart doth sufficiently shew that Herod knew the Messias should be a King though he understood not what manner of King he should be and so Saint Matthew setteth down this his fear and cruelty for the third argument to prove the kingrick office of Christ and Christ to be a King 4 Argument From Chists riding to Hierusalem upon the asse The fourth argument that Saint Matthew useth to prove Christ to be a King is from his riding to Hierusalem upon an asse and he tells us plainly that Christ did this to shew that he was the King of the Jews for he saith that all this was done that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the Prophet saying Tell yee the daughter of Sion behold thy King cometh unto thee meek and sitting upon an asse Matth. 21.4 5. Chrysost hom 67. in Matt. and ask the Jews saith Saint Chrysostom quis naâ— regum asina vectus Hierosolymam intravit which of all their Kings entred Hierusalem upon an asse and they shall never be able to name any other besides Christ For the other Kings rode in Chariots to shew their pompe and this King onely rode upon an asse to shew his humility Beda lib. 5. in Luc. and yet neque amittit divinitatem nec regiam dignitatem cum nos docet humilitatem by teaching us humility he neither looseth his divinity nor abateth any thing of his royal dignity when as clemency and humility in Majesty do shine like a precious diamond well set in the purest gold And Saint Ambrose saith that when Christ rode to Hierusalem upon an ass the people that followed him What the people did did three speciall things 1. They repeated the Prophecie to shew that they were not deceived 2. They acknowledged his Deity in saying Hosanna Salvum fac save Lord. 3. They called him their King because he was the Son of David And all was to shew that this meek and humble King was the promised Messias the glory of Israel and the expectation of the Gentiles The fifth Argument that Saint Matthew useth to prove Christ to be a King is from the marriage of the kings son 5 Argument Matth. 22.1 2. From the marriage of the kings son for venerable Bede demandeth who is the Kings son but he of whom the Prophet speaketh homo est quis cognoscit eum And the marriage of this son is the union and joyning together of the God-head with our humane nature in uno supposito in one person The servants that he sent to invite the guests were the Prophets and Preachers of the Gospel Beda super Luc. l 4. those that were first invited were the Jews the three sorts of refusers are I. Rich Worldlings that say villam emi Who weâ—e the refusers to come to the Weddingâ— and do love the things of this World better then the things of God II. Sensual men that have 5 yoke of Oxen and doe follow the lusts of their 5 Senses the lusts of the eyes and pride of life III. Lascivious wanton men that cry uxorem duxi and are led away with carnal pleasures Or as Saint Ambrose saith we may understand I. The Gentiles by him that said villam emi I bought a farme II. The Jews by him that said I bought 5 yoke of Oxen because they were under the heavy yoke of the Law and the 5 books of Moses that were such a yoke as that neither they nor their fathers could bear it and therefore they cryed out Psal 2. dirumpamus vincula let us break these bonds asunder and cast away these cords from us And III. The Heretiques Schismaticks and the like Fanatique Sectaries that are wedded to their own obstinate and foolish opinions which like Eva tempteth them and as another Dalilah destroyeth them may be understood by him that had married a wife and therefore neither could nor would obey the truth and so come unto the marriage of this King which is h re shewed unto us by the Evangelist but tell us flatly they neither can nor will do it their wife which is their obstinate opinion will not suffer them The sixth Argument that Saint Matthew produceth to prove Christ to be a King 6 Argument is from the inscription of Pilate Jesus of Nazareth Beda in Lâ—c King of the Jews Whereupon Beda saith that because he was both King and Priest together when he offered up that invaluable sacrifice of his flesh upon the Altar of his cross unto God his Father he fitly challenged and it was rightly given unto him the title of his royalty which did belong and was so due unto him and that title was written in Hebrew Greek and Latine which were and are the three most special languages of the World that all the World might read it and believe it that Christ by his cross non perdiderat sed potius confirmavit corroboravit imperium hath not lost but rather strengthened his right unto his kingdome So that although God suffered them to take away his life yet they could not take away his kingdom from him but when he was dead upon the cross yet still the title remained that he was Jesus of Nazareth king of the Jews And it was written in Hebrew in respect of the Jews that gloryed in their Law and in Greek in respect of the Gentiles that boasted of their wisdom and in Latine in respect of the Romans which then ruled
They should be content with their wages but they should therefore have their wages and how should they have their wages if the Superiour officers defraud the inferiour Souldiers or the close-handed people detain their taxes I know not where the fault is if there be any but I know his Majesty and his Immediate Governours would have all things done with uprightness and according to the Dictate of right reason But to leave these and the like unreasonable men that do these and the like things without reason 4. They should be endued with the properties of the Eagle 4. We should all be like the flying Eagle and the chiefest properties of the Eagle are 1. A sharp sight 2. A lofty flight And both these are expressed in the Book of the Righteous Job 39.32 where the Lord demandeth of Job Doth the Eagle mount up at thy command and make her nest on high She dwelleth and abideth en the Rock 1 The sharp sight of the Eagle upon the crag of the Rock and the strong place there is her lofty flight then he proceedeth and saith From thence she seeketh the prey and her eyes behold afar off there is her sharp sight and of this sharpness of sight Saint Augustine saith How sharp our sight should be in spiritual things that being aloft in the clouds she can discern Sub frutice leporem sub fluctibus piscem Under the shrubs an hare and under the waves a fish Even so should we that profess Religion especially we that are the Ministers of God should have Eagles eyes to see the Majesty of God in a bramble-bush Exod. 3.2 like Moses to discern the presence of Christ with us in the fiery furnace Dan. 3.25 like Abednego to behold an Army of Angels ready to defend us in our straightest siege 2 Reg. 6.17 like Elizaus and to consider the assistance of God to help us when we are molested and compassed with the greatest heaps of afflictions Rom. 8.18 like the holy Apostle St. Paul The worldly mans quick sight But this the children of this Generation cannot doe for though the understanding of the worldly man which Nazianzen calleth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the eyes and lamp of reason be piâ—rcing sharp and cunning enough to make a large shekel and a small Epha Amos 8.5 Luke 12.56 and very well able to discern the alterations of the skyes as our Saviour witnesseth yea and to enter like Aristotle into the secrets of nature and the deepness of Satan to finde out the plots and practices of his craftyest instruments yet being but a meer natural man he cannot perceive the things that be of God 1 Cor. 2.14 as the Apostle sheweth neither can his understanding reach any further then 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 such things as may be manifested by demonstration as St. Clement saith For If you talk of Christ's conception in the wombe of a pure Virgin without the help of a man then the Heathen His dimness and blindeness in spiritual things like Sarah laugheth at it and the wise Philosopher as being in darkness stumbleth at it and cannot conceive how this thing can be If you talk of Christ's death and say that our God should dye and by his death procure to us eternal life then the Jews will storm at our folly and the Grecians count it a meer madness and a great reproach to our Religion And if you talk of his glory and power that being dead and buryed he should raise himself again and now reign as a King of Kings in Heaven then the children of infidelity deem it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a feigned thing The reason of the worldly mans blindeness And the reason thereof is rendred by St. Augustine that as the eye of man if it be either blinde or purblinde cannot thereby discern the clearest object even so saith he animus pollutus aut mens turbata a soul defiled with sin or a minde disturbed with worldly cares can neither see God that is present with him nor understand the things of God that belong unto him Yet the spiritual man that hath the Eagles eyes The spiritual mans quick sight which Philo calleth fidem oculatam faith enlightened by Gods spirit can discern all the deep things of God even the most excellent mystery of godliness which is as the Apostle saith God manifested in the flesh justified in the spirit seen of Angels 1 Tim. 3.16 preached unto the Gentiles believed on in the world and received up into glory For in the unspeakable birth of Christ the Eagles eye doth behold a divine miracle in his accursed death it seeth a glorious victory and in his return from death it conceiveth an assured hope of everlasting life 2. The lofty flight of the Eagle 2. The next Property of the Eagle is her lofty flight for the Poets feign that the Eagle fled up to Heaven and laid there her eggs in Jupiter's lap and the Prophet Esay alludeth to her lofty flight when he saith that those which wait upon God shall renew their strength Esay 40. ult and shall lift up their wings as the Eagles Jerem. 49.16 but Jeremiah goeth on further and saith that the Eagles do build their nests on high and yet Ezechiel goeth beyond them both for he saith that the great Eagle with great wings long-winged full of feathers which had diverse colours came unto Lebanon Ezech. 17.3 and took the highest branch of the Cedar where you see she takes first the highest tree and then the highest branch of that tree I know it was a Vision that shewed the state of Jerusalem but yet you may see thereby the lofty flight of the Eagle So St. John flew as high as Heaven to begin his Gospel and so we considere debemus in coelis ought to have our mindes set not on the fooleries and vanities of this world Ephes 2.6 but on heavenly things and heavenly places that Esay 58.14 being mounted up super altitudines terrae above all the high places of the earth as the Prophet speaketh we may behold all the things of this world to be tanquam muscas but as gnats and flyes or like the spiders web that though it be never so curiously woven yet will it make no garment for us and so all the titles of honour to be but folia venti the windy blasts of a fleshly pair of bellows too weak an air to carry up a noble Eagle How to deem of all worldly things all the pleasures of this world to be but lilia agri like the lilies of the field that are more delectable in shew then durable for continuance and all the allectives under heaven to be but vanity of vanities and altogether vanities For thus by a contemplation and continual consideration of heavenly things it would appear unto us quam abjecta sunt que jam alta videntur how base are all the
of Genua who promised to deliver Constantinople into the Emperours hands so he would make him King of such a place that he desired And Mahomet yielded and assured him that he would do it and so he did Pet. Primanday c. 39. pag. 423. for as soone as ever the said Justinian had betrayed the City into his hands he presently made him King for that good service which he had done unto him but for a reward of his treachery to his Lord and Master Augustulus he cut off his head within three dayes after And so all the wise men that I have read of do conceive that no good service done to succeeding Kings can merit the blotting out of the perjury and perfidiousness of Traytors to their former Kings and Masters but that after they be rewarded for their good turns done to the latter they should likewise receive the merit of their perfidiousness to the former Theodorus in Collect. l. 2. The reasons why perfidiousness should not be pardoned And the reason is rendred by the foresaid Sages 1. Because that as Theodoric the Arian said when he cut off the head of an Orthodox Deacon whom he loved because he revolted to please Theodoric as he thought to Arianism they that keep not their oaths and faith to God can never be faithful to any mortal man Flav. Vopisc in vita Aurelian 2. Because that as Aurelian said when he suffered Heraclemon which had done him so good service to be slain he could not believe that he which would betray his Countrey and prove faithless to his own Prince could ever continue faithful unto him but that upon the like discontent or hope of a greater gain such Traytors as will turn the leaf and saile with every winde will become as treacherous to their latter benefactors as they have been unto their former Masters And therefore though we should forgive them as Christians yet it is neither wisdome nor pollicy to believe them as friends because not onely the Fable of the Snake but the Son of Syrach also teacheth us what little credit is to be given to reconciled friends Eccles 10.12 And the wise heathen bids us semper diffidere to suspect such faithless men continually Object But what if the Kings and Princes have promised Pardons unto the Traytors for some special service done unto them Can they afterward punish them for their precedent offences unto others I answer that as Cicero saith Sol. every man is bound and much more it is for the honour of a Prince to keep his word and promises inviolable though upon some exigent necessity he may be constrained to make the same to his prejudice and against his will and it was well said that the bare word of a Prince should be of as great force as the oath of a private man But though Kings and Princes should inviolably observe their words in their Pardon 's granted unto Rebels and Traytors and other Malefactors Not to countenance and favour those that have been Traytors and why yet as Philip King of Macedon answered Lasthenes that betrayed the City of Olynthum and Augustus Caesar said to Rymetalces King of Thracia that had forsaken Antonius to joyn with him that he loved the treason that did him good but he could not endure the Traytor that betrayed his Master And Alexander Severus was of the same minde but that he joyned cruelty with his hatred unto the Traytors for when he had inticed many Captains of Piscennius Niger his Competitor of the Empire to disclose their Masters secrets and had served his turn of them and settled his affairs he made all those Traytors Herod l. 3 and their children also to be put to death as Herodian writeth So the wisest men conceived that they ought not to countenance and favour those that had been Traytors unto other Princes though they had done good service unto them and that for these three reasons 1. For that he which hath turned one leaf can turn another and he that hath betrayed my Father may upon the like hopes and surmises betray me likewise and he that hath been a Rebel knows the way to become a Rebel 2. For that this honouring and magnifying of Rebels and Traytors to former Princes for their good service done to latter Masters may prove to be an encouragement for others to become Rebels and Traytors in like manner against their Kings For when amongst many thousands of Rebels they see but few punished the rest pardoned and many of them favoured and preferred why may not the seditions think that they shall either prevail or if miss of their enterprise they may escape the fortune of those few that shall be punished and be magnified like those that they do see thus rewarded 3. For that this favouring and countenancing of those that have been Rebels and false is a great offence and discouragement to those that have ever continued faithful and loyal especially if they see themselves postponed and neglected And therefore the Kings and Princes that I told you of thought it neither wisdom nor policy to regard and favour those whom they pardoned for their treachery to their former Princes though they had done never so good service unto themselves and if all Kings did so I believe fewer Traytors would spring up among the people And this appeareth plainly by our new Plotters of Rebellions and Treasons now amongst us in this Kingdom of Ireland for who and what are they that doe thus murmur and mutter against both God and his Anointed the King and his Lieutenant the Church and Common-wealth But those that have been members of the Beast and limbs of the great Anti-Christ the Rebels and Traytors that rose and warr'd and some no doubt but had their hands or fingers dipped deep in the bloud of that blessed Saint and glorious Martyr our late most gracious King Charles the First and having escaped their just deserved shame and death and being so highly rewarded by their Grand Masters for their great wickedness with the lands of the Irish without distinction whether they were bloudy Murderers and Rebels against their King or innocent Papists that were both loyal unto their King and succourers of the Protestants and now seeing the touchstone of truth and justice rendring to every one his own according to his merit either of nocency or innocency they stamp and stare and being moved with madness like boyes at blinde manbuâ—â— they let fly their Arrows even bitter words nay false scandalous rebellious and treacherous words against the King against his Lieutenant and against the peace and happiness of this whole Kingdom they care not whom they traduce so they may stir up the coals of contention and move the discontented to a new Rebellion And what wayes do they take for this but the very same which they had learned and practised before in England under the Long-Parliament 1. To tax and to traduce the good King for doing that they know
forged to destroy their own most Pious King and all their Spiritual Fathers so that all the Kings Declarations all the Protestations of his friends and Councel and all the Preaching of the most faithful and Orthodox Preachers could not undeceive the seduced giddie-headed people And 2. For their impiety it is most certain and beyond comparison that there was not ever a greater wickedness committed then the crucifying of the Son of God but besides the many parallels betwixt those Jews and these Rebels exceeding all impiety the malicious prosecution and the violent persecution of these rebels against our late King and the hellish manner of compassing his death and killing him went beyond all the wickedness of those wicked Jews For. 1. The Jews knew him not 1 Resp Act. 13.27.17 nor yet the voices of the Prophets as the Apostles testifie in many places and Christ himself saith Father forgive them for they know not what they do and they knew him not to be their King for the Romans had long reigned over them and he had refused to be made King but the long Parliament knew Charles the first and knew him well enough to be their own indubitable just and lawful King And therefore they fought for the King and Parliament such a cheat and such a riddle as you never read the like and yet a very true one as true as Samsons riddle if you understand it right for they fought for the King to destroy him that iâ— for the Kings destruction and they fought for the Parliament to make them absolute Lords to reign and rule as Kings The Jews never had such wit 2. 2. Resp The Jews put Christ to death more for fear then for hate for Venient Romani was the spur that pricked them forward to destroy Christ lest the Romans should come and take away their rule and destroy their religion but not the fear of any strange Nations coming to reign and rule over them but inveterate malice to the King and the height of ambition to rule and to become as Kings themselves made the late Rebels to destroy the Vice-Roy of Christ 3. The Jews dismembred not our Saviour for 3 Resp not a bone of him was broken not the least limb of him was taken away but those Butchers brake and cut off the head of him that was their head and the head of us all and they did so many other such tragick-acts that while I was writing the great Antichrist I often conceived that if Beelzebub out of all the choisest Varlets and most transcendent Villains that from the beginning of the World he had collected to be his own cabinet-companions he had picked out a pack of rebels and had sent them unto us they would have become short of those bloody murderers of our late gracious King because that as Satan himself so the Instruments of Satan by experience and the length of time do grow subtler and subtler and are still better and better inabled to commit the greater wickedness And how a greater wickedness could be committed then that so good so pious and so excellent a Prince as King Charles the first should be withstood rebelled against betrayed deserted by his English Scottish and Irish subjects excepting a few noble Lords and others that stuck unto him and so cruelly bemangled him to death it makes me silent and dumb that I know not what to say but to pray to God that this great wickedness be not yet laid to our charge And Secondly For the Irish Rebellion it was beyond example I say that in many particulars their ingratitude was beyond all parallel for other Nations as the subjects of the King of Pontus and the like that rebelled and murdered all the Romans in their dominions and those Irish that rooted out the Danes had some kind of colour to do the same because their domineering Lords were aliens and oppressed them beyond measure as the Philistins did the Israelites and kept them as slaves under them but the late Irish Rebels were Peers and as the chief Lords of the kingdom and such interchange of marriages betwixt the English British and Irish and such mutual pledges of love amity and familiarity betwixt them that there could not be the least suspicion of the least distast amongst them And besides all this though there were some penal Statutes made against them yet they were for the most part suffered to lie asleep and covered over with many kindnesses and they themselves permitted as God said of Adam to become as one of us and as Q. Dido said of the Trojans Tros Tyriusque mihi nullo discrimine agetur We made no difference of any priviledge amongst us And therefore What a horrible ingratitude was it then for such men to rise and to rebel and so maliciously to intend so inhumanely so barbarously and so cruelly to root out and to destroy their Neighbours Friends and Allies And especially to plot such a mischievous act as they intended so subtly so secretly and so universally as they did For what created power under heaven is able to dissolve that villany and to evade that mischief which subtlety power and cruelty have combined and confederated to bring to pass Surely we may most justly take up the words of the Psalmist and say If the Lord himself had not been on our side now may England say Ps 124.1 If the Lord himself had not been on our side when these men rose up against us it had not failed but that they had swallowed us up quick and we had been utterly destroyed when they were so wrathfully displeased at us And this his being on our side is not to be understood of an ordinary manner and common providence which ruleth and disposeth all things wisely but of a special providence in an extraordinary manner and a signal favour towards us which the Lord hath shewed three special times in our days and to our people As 1. In the reveiling of the Gunpowder-plot when as flos medulla regni the King and all his Peers the flower and marrow of the kingdom should have been blown up and all destroyed uno ictu in one twinckling of an eye 2. In the discovery of this Irish machination and desperate intention of these Rebels which had got into this City and had gotten their ends had not our good God set a hook in their nostrils and said unto them as he saith unto the Sea Hitherto shalt thou go and no further here shalt thou stay thy proud waves and out of his special providence sent one in a strange manner out of themselves to discover them unto our Governours 3. In the dividing and scattering both of the English and the Irish Rebels and the bringing in of our most gratious King unto us so peaceably so quietly and in a manner so miraculously sine sanguine sine strepitu to the joy and comfort of us all For these things above all the rest of Gods mercies are
lift up his Rod over the Sea and promised the Sea should be divided Exod. 14.16 so that the children of Israel might go on dry ground through the midst of the Sea and so likewise when he commanded him to smite the Rock of stone and promised that the waters should flow thereout which had no possibility with all the power of nature to be done yet Moses never doubted of Gods Promise but presently did what God commanded both in the one and the other Even so when God commands us to do any thing and promiseth we shall have such and such blessings by doing it as to have our sins remitted by being baptized in a little water and by the worthy receiving of a little Sacramental Bread and Wine to injoy all the benefits of the body and bloud of Christ and by a stedfast faith in the death of Christ to be assured of eternal life how unlikely soever they may seem to be we ought with Abraham and Moses and the rest of Gods faithful Servants most readily do what God biddeth us and undoubtedly believe what he promiseth And though it may seem a strange wonder that cannot sink into worldly mens heads that Christ his death should procure to us eternal life and therefore the preaching of this doctrine is to the Jews that looked for such a Christ that should abide alive for ever a stumbling-block and to the Grecians that gloried only in their eloquence and ascribed all things with Aristotle to their natural causes meer foolishness 1 Cor. 1.23 as the Apostle testifieth Yet if you truly weigh this doctrine of our deliverance from eternal death How just it is that the death of Christ should free all men that believe in him from eternal death and obtaining of everlasting life by the death of Christ we shall find it very consonant to just reason and no wayes to be doubted of and that in a twofold respect 1. Because that although we for our sins deserved most justly to die the death that is to suffer the eternal wrath of God whom we have and do so highly offend yet seeing it Reason 1 pleased Christ out of his great pity to our miserable condition and his infinite love to mankind to become our Surety and to die and so satisfie the wrath of God for us Is it not agreeable to reason that Christ paying our debt and suffering for our sins as the Prophet testifieth he hath done we should be discharged and have our lives spared For so when the Officers came to apprehend Christ and to arrest him and he asked them Whom seek ye And they answered Jesus of Nazareth And he said I am he and if you seek me then let these that are my Disciples and do believe in me go their way It is apparent by these words that Christ held it agreeable to all reason that if he paid the debt the debtor should be free and if he suffered death for us we should be delivered from that death which we deserved Reason 2 2. Because that although the death of Christ was but the death of one man and we that sinned and deserved death are many thousand millions of men even all the posterity of Adam yet the death of this one man Propter unionem hypostaticam by reason of the hypostatical union of the Godhead with the manhood in the person of that one man whereby he is not only man but also God himself his death being the death of God must needs be of sufficient worth and value to satisfie God and be more satisfactory to his justice then the death of all Men on Earth and all the Angels in Heaven in as much as the death of the Creator is of more infinite value then the death of all creatures And therefore well might Christ say and happy are we that he said it That the Son of man must be lifted up that whosoever believeth in him should not perish but have everlasting life And I if I be lifted up or being lifted up will draw all men unto me that is all which will believe in me And so you have seen what was typified in the Wilderness unto the Jews by the brazen Serpent was presented and performed to us by Jesus Christ to whom for his infinite love and favour towards us and his bitter Passion and death when he was lifted up and crucified for us to deliver us from eternal death be all honour and glory and thanks and praise for ever and ever Amen A SERMON PREACHED AT THE PUBLICK FAST The eighth of March in St MARIES OXFORD Before The Great Assembly of the Members Of the HONOURABLE HOUSE OF COMMONS There Assembled By GRYFFITH WILLIAMS L. Bishop of OSSORY And Published by their Special Command JOHN 14.6 I am the way the truth and the life London Printed by J. Hayes 1664. Die Sabbati nono Martii 1643. ORdered that Mr. Bodvell and Mr. Watkins give the Bishop of Ossory thanks and desire him to Print his Sermon Noah Bridges THE ONLY VVAY TO PRESERVE LIFE Amos 5.6 Seeke the Lord and you shall live LIght is the first born of all the distinguished Creatures The excellency of the light the first word that the Eternal Word after so many ages of silence uttered forth was Let there be light Gen. 1.3 light that giveth life to all Colours that is the mother of all beauties which hath no positive contrary in nature which maketh all things manifest to the detestation of all evil and the crowning of every good and which is a creature so beloved of the Creator that he calleth himself by this name saying 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 1 John 1.5 and he makes it the most worthy associate of Truth when he saith Send forth thy light and thy truth therefore Light is a Jewel Psal 43.3 not to be valued by the judgment of man And yet the sight by which we partake of all the benefits of the light and without which the light will avail us nothing nor yield us any comfort as good old Toby sheweth saying Quale gaudium est mihi qui in tenebris sedeo is but one sense and but scarce the fifth part of the happiness of the sensitive Creature a small thing in respect of that most invaluable good which is termed Life Life how precious and which is of more worth to every living creature then is all the world for the Father of Lies spake Truth herein though to a lying end That Skin for Skin and all that ever a man hath Job 2.4 he will give for his life Therefore as the greatest threatning that God laid upon Adam to deter him from Rebellion and to detain him within the Compass of his Obedience Gen. 2.17 was In the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt die the death so the greatest Blessing that he promiseth to any man for all his Service is Life or to live â—s The just shall live by faith Hab.
cannot do any thing nor will any thing Isidorus l. 1. c. 10. Aug. de fide ad petrum c. 3. contrary to the Will of God as both Isidorus and Saint Augustine do most fully and excellently declare Error 2 2. For that a vail or covering cannot be sufficient to keep any thing from the sight of a Spirit who doth so perfectly penetrate into all inferiour objects as that he knoweth them quantum cognoscibilia sunt so far as they are knowable And therefore touching this first opinion of their fall and sin as this Inference is insufficient so the foundation of it is not firm Zanch. de operibus Dei l. 4. c. 2. and I will not say with Zanchius that this opinion is nimis stulta and the Authors of it nimis stupidi as Theodoret in his forty seventh Question upon Genesis because that should be sermo nimis durus The double reason against the error of this first opinion too rigorous a censure upon those worthy men that held it But I say they were mistaken in a double respect 1. Because that there is no mention in the Scripture of this sin of carnal Concupiscence or fleshly Lusts until almost a thousand years after the Creation of the World but it is Reason 1 most certain that there were many other sins both of the Angels and Men long before this sin For the â—cripture teacheth us saith Saint Chrysostome that before Adam was formed the Devil fell away from his dignity And the Wise man saith That by the envy of the devil death entred into the world Therefore he sinned before Adam sinned for otherwise if he fell not before man was made how could he remaining in so great a dignity in Heaven envy man here on Earth It is not likely but it is against all reason to think that an Angel incorporeal placed in the height of glory and in the sight of God should envy man that bare a body of earth about him and lived here on earth but he being cast down from Heaven and to be chained in extream ignominy and seeing man in such great dignity then his malice saith Saint Chrysostome Non potuit non graviter ferre aliorum foeâ—icitatem could not endure the sight of others happiness without envy 2. Because that the Lord God himself saith Gen. 6.3 My Spirit Reason 2 shall not alwayes strive with man for that he is but flesh yet his dayes shall be an hundred and twenty years At natura incorporea carnes non habet But the Spirits have no flesh neither have the Angels a life defined or determined by time Theodoret q. 47. in Gen. seeing they are immortal saith Theodoret. Therefore the sin of these foul Spirits could not be any carnal Lust 2. Opinion is of them which say 2. Opinion of their fall Eccles 10.13 That pride caused them to fall That the first sin of Satan was Pride according to that of Syracides Initium omnis peccati est superbia Pride is the beginning of sin and the beginning of pride is to depart from God when the heart turneth away from his Maker Whereupon Saint Augustine saith Aug. in vet Test That the Devil elatione inflatus puffed up with pride would needs be counted and so taken for God And so Saint Chrysostome saith Chrysostome in Isai ad hom 3. That Satan Per superbiam factus est Diabolus qui antea Diabolus non erat by his pride was made a Devil which before he became proud was no Devil A good Lesson for proud fantastical men to think on what their pride will bring them to which brought the Angels of Heaven to be Devils in Hell Hierom in c. 28. Ezek Ambros in Psal 118. Ser. 3. Nazian Orat. 1. de pace Fulgent ad Monimum l. 10. Esay 14.13 14. 1. Reason to prove pride to be their sin Job 41.34 Ezek. 28.2 14.15 And this was the opinion of St. Hierom and of St. Ambrose and of St. Nazianzen Fulgentius Athanasius Theodoret and many more And this their opinion may be confirmed both out of the Old and New Testament For 1. In the old Testament it is said Cogitavit apud semetipsum He thought with himself to exalt his throne above the stars of God and said I will ascend above the height of the clouds and I will be like the most High The like whereof we find in Job under the name of the Leviathan who is said to be the king over all the children of pride And the very like in Ezekiel under the title of the Prince of Tyrus whose heart was lifted up and he said I am a god and I sit in the seat of God and the Prophet in the person of God saith of him Thou art the annointed Cherub that covereth and I have sâ—t thee so thou wast upon the holy mountain of God thou hast walked up and down in the midst of the stones of fire and thou wast perfect in thy wayes from the day that thou wast created until iniquity was found in thee For though I am not ignorant that the place of Esay is literally to be understood of the King of Babylon and that of Job of the Whale and the other place of Ezekiel is spoken of the King of Tyrus yet this can be no hinderance but that mystically these places may signifie the Devil who is the head and the grand Captain of all the children of pride Rupertus de victoria verbi Dei 2. Reason to prove it Luke 10.18 as Rupertus Tuitiensis doth most excellently declare 2. The same may be proved out of the new Testament where our blessed Saviour for the repressing of this detestable sin of pride alledgeth the fall of Satan saying I beheld Satan as lightning fall from heaven and therefore take heed of being proud that the foul Spirits are subject unto you lest you fall likewise even as he did And so Saint Paul sheweth That he which is puffed up with pride 1 Tim. 3.6 falleth into the snare and judgment or condemnation of the devil that for his pride was adjudged and condemned to hell And let all proud Gallants take heed of the like judgment and condemnation 3. Opinion is of them which say 3. Opinion of their fall That the first sin of the Devil was Envy when he saw man that was formed of the dust of the earth to be made in the Image of God and to confirm the same they alledge Athenagoras Petrus Alexandrinus and especially that place in the Book of Wisdom where the Wise man saith That Per invidiam Diaboli Sap. 2.24 mors intravit in mundum through the envy of the Devil death came into the world But this saith Zanchius crosseth not the truth of the former opinion but may well agree with it and proceed from his pride seeing as Aquinas saith Thom 12. q. 84. ar 20. 22. q. 77. art 5. Envy is a branch of pride Quando bonum