different actions as persons yet all haue one common intention of good to themselues true in some but in the most imaginary The glorified Spirits haue but one vniforme worke wherein they all ioyne The praise of their Creator This is one difference betwixt the Saints aboue and below They aboue are free both from businesse and distraction these below are free though not absolutely from distraction not at all from businesse Paul could thinke of the cloke that he left at Troas and of the shaping of his skins for his Tents yet thorow these he look't still at heauen This world is made for businesse my actions must vary according to occasions my end shall be but one and the same now on earth that it must be one day in heauen 3 To see how the Martyrs of God died and the life of their persecutors would make a man out of loue with life and out of all feare of death They were flesh and bloud as well as we life was as sweet to them as to vs their bodies were as sensible of paine as ours wee goe to the same heauen with them How comes it then that they were so couragious in abiding such torments in their death as the very mention strikes horror into any Reader and we are so cowardly in encountering a faire and naturall death if this valour had beene of themselues I would neuer haue looked after them in hope of imitation Now I know it was he for whom they suffered and that suffered in them which sustained them They were of themselues as weake as I and God can bee as strong in me as hee was in them O Lord thou art not more vnable to giue me this grace but I am more vnworthie to receiue it and yet thou regardest not worthinesse but mercie Giue mee their strength and what end thou wilt 4 Our first age is all in hope When wee are in the wombe who knowes whether wee shall haue our right shape and proportion of body being neither monstrous nor deformed When wee are borne who knowes whether with the due features of a man wee shall haue the faculties of reason and vnderstanding When yet our progresse in yeeres discouereth wit or follie who knowes whether with the power of reason wee shall haue the grace of faith to bee Christians and when wee begin to professe well whether it bee a temporarie and seeming or a true and sauing faith Our middle age is halfe in hope for the future and halfe in proofe for that is past Our old age is out of hope and altogether in proofe In our last times therefore we know both what wee haue beene and what to expect It is good for youth to looke forward and still to propound the best things vnto it selfe for an old man to looke backward and to repent him of that wherein he hath failed and to recollect himselfe for the present but in my middle age I will looke both backward and forward comparing my hopes with my proofe redeeming the time ere it be all spent that my recouerie may preuent my repentance It is both a folly and miserie to say This I might haue done 5 It is the wonderfull mercie of God both to forgiue vs our debts to him in our sinnes and to make himselfe a debtor to vs in his promises So that now both waies the soule may be sure since hee neither calleth for those debts which hee hath once forgiuen nor withdraweth those fauours and that heauen which hee hath promised but as hee is a mercifull creditor to forgiue so is hee a true debtor to pay whatsoeuer hee hath vndertaken whence it is come to passe that the penitent sinner owes nothing to God but loue and obedience and God owes still much and all to him for he owes as much as he hath promised and what he owes by vertue of his blessed promise we may challenge O infinite mercie Hee that lent vs all that wee haue and in whose debt-bookes wee runne hourely forward till the summe be endlesse yet owes vs more and bids vs looke for payment I cannot deserue the least fauour hee can giue yet will I as confidently challenge the greatest as if I deserued it Promise indebteth no lesse than loane or desert 6 It is no small commendation to manage a little well He is a good Waggoner that can turne in a narrow roome To liue well in abundance is the praise of the estate not of the person I will studie more how to giue a good account of my little than how to make it more 7 Many Christians doe greatly wrong themselues with a dull and heauie kinde of fullennesse who not suffering themselues to delight in any worldly thing are thereupon oft-times so heartlesse that they delight in nothing These men like to carelesse guests when they are inuited to an excellent banquet lose their dainties for want of a stomacke and lose their stomacke for want of exercise A good conscience keepes alwaies good cheereâ— hee cannot chuse but fare well that hath it vnlesse hee lose his appetite with neglect and slothfulnesse It is a shame for vs Christians not to finde as much ioy in God as worldlings doe in their forced meriments and lewd wretches in the practice of their sinnes 8 A wise Christian hath no enemies Many hate and wrong him but hee loues all men and all pleasure him Those that professe loue to him pleasure him with the comfort of their societie and the mutuall reflection of friendship those that professe hatred make him more warie of his waies shew him faults in himselfe which his friends would either not haue espied or not censured send him the more willingly to seeke fauour aboue and as the worst doe bestead him though against their wills so hee againe doth voluntarily good to them To doe euill for euill as Ioab to Abner is a sinfull weaknesse To doe good for good as Ahasuerus to Mordecai is but naturall iustice To doe euill for good as Iudas to Christ is vnthankfulnesse and villanie Onely to doe good for euill agrees with Christian profession And what greater worke of friendship than to doe good If men will not be my friends in loue I will perforce make them my friends in a good vse of their hatred I will be their friend that are mine and would not be 9 All temporall things are troublesome For if wee haue good things it is a trouble to forgoe them and when wee see they must bee parted from either wee wish they had not beene so good or that wee neuer had enioyed them Yea it is more trouble to lose them than it was before ioy to possesse them If contrarily wee haue euill things their very presence is troublesome and still we wish that they were good or that we were disburdened of them So good things are troublesome in euent euill things in their vse They in the future these in present they because they shall come to an end these because they doe
kinde to thee as to be vniust to himselfe God will be iust goe thou on to presume and perish There can be no satisfaction by any recompence of ours an infinite iustice is offended an infinite punishment is deserued by euery sinne and euery mans sinnes are as neere to infinite as number can make them Our best endeuour is worse than finite imperfect and faulty If it could be perfect we owe it all in present what wee are bound to doe in present cannot make amends for what we haue not done in time past which while we offer to God as good payment we doe with the profane traueller thinke to please him with empty Date-shells in lieu of preseruation Where shall we then finde a paiment of infinite value but in him which is onely and all infinite The dignitie of whose person being infinite gaue such worth to his satisfaction that what hee suffered in short time was proportianable to what wee should haue suffered beyond all times He did all suffered all payed all be did it for vs we in him Where shall I begin to wonder at thee O thou diuine and eternall Peace-maker the Sauiour of men the Anointed of God Mediator betweene God and man in whom there is nothing which doth not exceed not onely the conceit but the very wonder of Angels who saw thee in thy humiliation with silence and adore thee in thy glory with perpetuall praises and reioycings Thou wast for euer of thy selfe as God of the Father as tne Sonne the eternall Son of an eternall Father not later in being not lesse in dignity not other in substance Begotten without diminution of him that be got thee while he communicated that wholly to thee which he retained wholly in himselfe because both were infinite without inequality of nature without diuision of essence when being in this estate thine infinite loue and mercy to desperate mankinde caused thee O Sauiour to empty thy selfe of thy glory that thou mightest put on our shame and misery Wherefore not ceasing to be God as thou wert thou beganst to be what thou wert not Man to the end that thou mightest be a perfect Mediator betwixt God and man which wert both in one person God that thou mightst satisfie man that thou mightst suffer that since man had sinned and God was offended thou which wert God and man mightst satisfie God for man None but thy selfe which are the eternall Word can expresse the depth of this mysterie that God should be clothed with flesh come downe to men and become man that man might be exalted into the highest heauens and that our nature might be taken into the fellowship of the Deitie That he to whom all powers in heauen bowed and thought it their honour to be seruiceable should come downe to be a seruant to his slaues a ransome for his enemies together with our nature taking vp our very infirmities our shame our torments and bearing our sinnes without sinne That thou whom the heauens were too strait to containe shouldst lay thy selfe in an obscure cratch thou which wert attended of Angels shouldst be derided of men reiected of thine owne persecuted by Tyrants tempted with Deuils betrayed of thy seruant crucified among theeues and which was worse than all these in thine owne apprehension for the time as forsaken of thy Father That thou whom our sinnes had pierced shouldst for our sinnes both sweat drops of bloud in the Garden and powre out streames of bloud vpon the Crosse O the inualuable purchase of our peace O ransome enough for moe worlds Thou which wert in the counsell of thy Father the Lambe slaine from the beginning of time cam'st now in fulnesse of time to bee slaine by man for man being at once the Sacrifice offered the Priest that did offer and the God to whom it was offered How graciously diddest thou both proclaime our peace as a Prophet in the time of thy life vpon earth and purchase it by thy bloud as a Priest at thy death and now confirmest and appliest it as a King in heauen By thee onely it was procured by thee it is proffered O mercy without example without measure God offers peace to man the holy seekes to the vniust the Potter to the clay the King to the traitor Wee are vnworthy that we should be receiued to peace though wee desired it what are wee then that we should haue peace offered for the receiuing An easie condition of so great a benefit he requires vs not to earne it but to accept it of him what could he giue more what could he require lesse of vs SECT VI. The receit of our peace offered by Faith THe purchase therefore of our peace was paid at once yet must bee seuerally reckoned to euery soule whom it shall benefit If wee haue not an hand to take what Christs hand doth either hold or offer what is sufficient in him cannot be effectuall to vs. The spirituall hand whereby we apprehend the sweet offers of our Sauiour is faith which in short is no other than an affiance in the Mediator receiue peace and bee happy beleeue and thou hast receiued From hence it is that we are interessed in all that either God hath promised or Christ hath performed Hence haue we from God both forgiuenesse and loue the ground of all either peace or glory Hence of enemies we become more than friends sonnes and as sonnes may both expect and challenge not onely carefull prouision and safe protection on earth but an euerlasting patrimonie aboue This field is so spacious that it were easie for a man to lose himselfe in it and if I should spend all my pilgrimage in this walke my time would sooner end than my way wherein I would haue measured more pases were it not that our scope is not so much to magnifie the benefit of our peace as to seeke how to obtaine it A corolary of the benefit of this receit Behold now after we haue sought heauen and earth where only the wearied Doue may finde an Oliue of peace The apprehending of this all sufficient satisfaction makes it ours vpon our satisfaction we haue remission vpon remission followes reconciliation vpon our reconciliation peace When therefore thy conscience like a sterne Sergeant shall catch thee by the throat and arrest thee vpon Gods debt let thy only plea be that thou hast already paid it Bring forth that bloudie acquittance sealed to thee from heauen vpon thy true faith straightway thou shalt see the fierce and terrible looke of thy conscience changed into friendly smiles and that rough and violent hand that was ready to dragge thee to prison shall now louingly embrace thee and fight for thee against all the wrongfull attempts of any spirituall aduersarie O heauenly Peace and more than Peace Friendship whereby alone wee are leagued with our selues and God with vs which who-euer wants shall finde a sad Remembrancer in the midst of his dissembled iollitie and after all vaine strifes shall
tune of that knowne song beginning Preserue vs Lord. THee and thy wondrous deeds O God Wiâ—h all my soule I sound abroad verse 2 My ioy my triumph is in thee Of thy dread name my song shall be verse 3 O highest God since put to flight And fal'ne and vanisht at thy sight verse 4 Are all my foes for thou hast past Iust sentence on my cause at last And sitting on thy throne aboue A rightfull Iudge thy selfe doest proue verse 5 The troupes profane thy checks haue stroid And made their name for euer void verse 6 Where 's now my foes your threatned wrack So well you did our Cities sacke And bring to dust while that ye say Their name shall die as well as they verse 7 Loe in eternall state God sits And his high Throne to iustice fits verse 8 Whose righteous hand the world shall weeld And to all folke iust doome shall yeeld verse 9 The poore from high finde his releefe The poore in needfull times of griefe verse 10 Who knowes the Lord to thee shall cleaue That neuer doest thy clients leaue verse 11 Oh! sing the God that doth abide On Sion mount and blazon wide verse 12 His worthy deeds For he pursues The guiltlesse bloud with vengeance due He mindes their cause nor can passe o're Sad clamors of the wronged poore verse 13 Oh! mercy Lord thou that dost saue My soule from gates of death and graue Oh! see the wrong my foes haue done verse 14 That I thy praise to all that gone Through daughter Sions beauteous gate With thankfull songs may loud relate And may reioyce in thy safe aide Behold the Gentiles whiles they made A deadly pit my soule to drowne Into their pit are sunken downe In that close snare they hid for mee Loe their owne feet intangled be verse 16 By this iust doome the Lord is knowne That th' ill are punisht with their owne verse 17 Downe shall the wicked backward fall To deepest hell and nations all verse 18 That God forget nor shall the poore Forgotten be for euermore The constant hope of soules opprest verse 19 Shall not aye die Rise from thy rest Oh Lord let not men base and rude Preuaile iudge thou the multitude verse 20 Of lawlesse Pagans strike pale feare Into those brests that stubborne were And let the Gentiles feele and finde They beene but men of mortall kinde PSALME 10. As the 51. Psalme O God Consider WHy stand'st thou Lord aloofe so long And hidst thee in due times of need verse 2 Whiles lewd men proudly offer wrong Vnto the poore In their owne deed And their deuice let them be caught verse 3 For loe the wicked braues and boasts In his vile and outragious thought And blesseth him that rauines most verse 4 On God he dares insult his pride Scornes to enquire of powers aboue But his stout thoughts haue still deni'd verse 5 There is a God His waies yet proue 〈◊〉 prosperous thy iudgements hye Doe farre surmount his dimmer fight verse 6 Therefore doth he all foes defie His heart saith I shall stand in spight Nor euer moue nor danger ' bide verse 7 His mouth is fill'd with curses foule And with close fraud His tongue doth hide verse 8 Mischiefe and ill he seekes the soule Of harmelesse men in secret waite And in the corners of the street Doth shead their bloud with scorne and hate His eies vpon the poore are set verse 9 As some fell Lyon in his den He closely lurkes the poore to spoyle He spoyles the poore and helplesse men When once he snares them in his toyle verse 10 He croucheth low in cunning wile And bowes his brest whereon whole throngs Of poore whom his faire showes beguile Fall to be subiect to his wrongs verse 11 God hath forgot in soule he saies He hides his face to neuer see verse 12 Lord God arise thine hand vp-raise Let not thy poore forgotten be verse 13 Shall these insulting wretches scorne Their God and say thou wilt not care verse 14 Thou see'st for all thou hast forborne Thou see'st what all their mischiefes are That to thine hand of vengeance iust Thou maist them take the poore distressed Rely on thee with constant trust The helpe of Orphans and oppressed verse 15 Oh! breake the wickeds arme of might And search out all their cursed traines And let them vanish out of sight verse 16 The Lord as King for euer raignes From forth his coasts the heathen sect verse 17 Are rooted quite thou Lord attendst To poore mens sutes thou deo'st direct Their hearts to them thine eare thou bendst verse 18 That thou maist rescue from despight The wofull fatherlesse and poore That so the vaine and earthen wight On vs may tyrannize no more FJNJS CHARACTERS OF VERTVES AND VICES JN TWO BOOKES By IOS HALL SIC ELEVABITVR FILIVS HOMINIS Io 3. ANCHORA FIDEI LONDON Printed for THOMAS PAVIER MILES FLESHER and John Haviland 1624. TO THE RIGHT HONOVRABLE MY singular good Lords EDWARD LORD DENNY BARON of WALTHAM AND JAMES LORD HAY HIS RIGHT NOBLE AND WORTHY SONNE IN LAW I. H. HVMBLY DEDICATES HIS LABOVR DEVOTETH HIMSELFE Wisheth all Happinesse A PREMONITION OF THE TITLE AND VSE of Characters READER THe Diuines of the old Heathens were their Morall Philosophers These receiued the Acts of an inbred law in the Sinai of Nature and deliuered them with many expositions to the multitude These were the Ouerseers of manners Correctors of vices Directors of liues Doctors of vertue which yet taught their people the body of their naturall Diuinitie not after one manner while some spent themselues in deepe discourses of humane felicitie and the way to it in common others thought it best to apply the generall precepts of goodnesse or decency to particular conditions and persons A third sort in a meane course betwixt the two other and compounded of them both bestowed their time in drawing out the true lineaments of euerie vertue and vice so liuely that who saw the medals might know the face which Art they significantly tearmed Charactery Their papers were so many tables their writings so many speaking pictures or liuing images whereby the ruder multitude might euen by their sense learne to know vertue and discerne what to detest J am deceiued if any course could be more likely to preuaile for herein the grosse conceit is led on with pleasure and informed while it feeles nothing but delight And if pictures haue beene accounted the bookes of Jdiots behold here the benefit of an image without the offence It is no shame for vs to learne wit of Heathens neither is it materiall in whose Schoole we take out a good lesson yea it is more shame not to follow their good than not to lead them better As one therefore that in worthy examples hold imitation better than inuention J haue trod in their paths but with an higher and wider steppe and out of their Tablets haue drawne these larger portraitures of both sorts More
the other of Tecla What partiality is this to deny that to the children of Christians which they grant to knowne Infidels The promise is made to vs and our seed not to those that are without the pale of the Church Those Innocents which were massacred for Christ are by them canonized for Saints and make one day in their Kalendar each yeare both holy and dismall whereof yet scarce any liued to know water none to know baptisme Yea all Martyrs are here priuiledged who are Christened in their owne blood in stead of water but where hath God said All that die without baptisme shall die for euer except Martyrs why not except beleeuers It is faith that giues life to Martyrs which if they should vvant their first death could not auoid the second Ambrose doubted not to say his Valentinian was baptised because he desired it not because he had it he knew the mind of God who accounts vs to haue what we vnfainedly wish Children cannot liue to desire baptisme if their Parents desire it for them why may not the desire of others be theirs as well as according to Austins opinion the faith of others beleeuing and the mouth of others confessing In these cases therefore of any soules but our owne it is safe to suspend and dangerous to passe iudgement Secret things to God He that made all soules knowes vvhat to doe vvith them neither will make vs of counsell But if wee define either way the errors of charitie are inoffensiue We must honour good means and vse them and in their necessarie want depend vpon him who can vvorke beyond vvithout against meanes Thus haue I endeuoured your Ladiships satisfaction in what you heard not without some scruple If any man shall blame my choice in troubling you with a thornie and scholasticall discourse let him know that I haue learned this fashion of Saint Hierome the Oracle of Antiquitie vvho was vvont to entertaine his Paula and Eustochium Marcella Principia Hedibia and other deuout Ladies with learned canuases of the deepe points of Diuinitie This is not so perplexed that it need to offend nor so vnnecessary that it may be vnknowne To Sir RICHARD LEA since deceased EP. V. Discoursing of the comfortable remedies of all afflictions WISE men seeke remedies before their disease sensible patients when they begin to complaine fooles too late Afflictions are the common maladies of Christians These you feele and vpon the first groanes seeke for ease Wherefore serues the tongue of the learned but to speake words in season I am a Scholler of those that can comfort you If you shall vvith me take out my lessons neither of vs shal repent it You smart and complaine take heed lest too much There is no affliction not grieuous the bone that vvas disioynted cannot bee set right without paine No potion can cure vs if it worke not it vvorkes not except it make vs sicke we are contented with that sicknesse which is the vvay to health There is a vexation without hurt such is this We are afflicted not ouer-pressed needie not desperate persecuted not forsaken cast downe but perish not How should we vvhen all the euill in a Citie comes from the prouidence of a good God which can neither be impotent nor vnmercifull It is the Lord let him doe vvhat hee will Woe were vs if euils could come by chance or were let loose to alight where they list now they are ouer-ruled wee are safe The destinie of our sorrowes is written in heauen by a vvise and eternall decree Behold he that hath ordained moderates them A faithfull God that giues an issue vvith the tentation An issue both of their end and their successe He chides not alwayes much lesse striketh Our light afflictions are but for a moment not so long in respect of our vacancy and rest If wee weepe sometimes our teares are precious As they shall neuer be dry in his bottle so they shall soone be dry vpon our cheekes He that wrings them from vs shall vvipe them off how sweetly doth hee interchange our sorrowes and ioyes that we may neither be vaine nor miserable It is true To be strooke once in anger is fearfull his displeasure is more then his blow In both our God is a consuming fire Feare not these stripes are the tokens of his loue he is no Sonne that is not beaten yea till he smart and cry if not till he bleed no Parent corrects anothers childe and he is no good Parent that corrects not his owne Oh rod worthy to be kissed that assures vs of his loue of our adoption What speake I of no hurt short praises doe but discommend I say more these euils are good looke to their effects What is good if not patience affliction is the mother of it tribulation bringeth forth patience What can earth or heauen yeeld better then the assurance of Gods Spirit Afflictions argue yea seale this to vs. Wherein stands perfect happinesse if not in our neere resemblance of Christ Why was man created happy but because in Gods image The glory of Paradise the beauty of his body the duty of the creatures could not giue him felicitie without the likenesse to his Creator Behold what wee lost in our height wee recouer in our miserie a conformitie to the image of the Sonne of God he that is not like his elder brother shall neuer be coheire with him Loe his side temples hands feet all bleeding his face blubbred ghaftly and spitted on his skin all pearled with a bloody sweat his head drouping his soule heauy to the death see you the vvorldling mercy soft delicate perfumed neuer wrinkled with sorrow neuer humbled with afflictions What resemblance is here yea what contrarietie Ease flayeth the foole it hath made him resty and leaues him miserable Be not deceiued No man can follow Christ without his Crosse much lesse reach him and if none shall raigne with Christ but those that suffer vvith him what shall become of these iolly ones Goe now thou dainty worldling and please thy selfe in thy happinesse laugh alwayes and be euer applauded It is a wofull felicitie that thou shalt finde in opposition to thy Redeemer He hath said Woe to them that laugh Beleeuest thou and dost not weepe at thy laughter and with Salomon condemne it of madnesse And againe with the same breath Blessed are yee that weepe who can beleeue this and not reioyce in his owne teares and not pitie the faint smiles of the godlesse Why blessed For ye shall laugh Behold wee that weepe on earth shall laugh in heauen we that now weepe vvith men shall laugh vvith Angels while the fleering worldling shall be gnashing and howling with Diuels we that weepe for a time shall laugh for euer who would not be content to deferre his ioy a little that it may be perpetuall and infinite What mad man would purchase this crackling of thornes such is the vvorldlings ioy with eternall shrieking and torment hee that is
with his verie pen hath so laid error vpon the backe that all the world cannot raise it what a shame were it to be wanting to him to Truth to our selues But perhaps now I know some of your thoughts you would buy Truth ye thinke you would hold it if ye could be sure to know it There are many slips amongst the true coyne Either of the mothers pleaded the liuing childe to be hers with equall protestations oathes teares True yet a Salomons sword can diuide Truth from falshood and there is a test and fire that can discerne true metals from adulterate In spight of all counterfeiting there are certaine infallible marks to know Truth from Error Take but a few of many whether in the originals in the natures in the ends of both In the first Truth is diuine Error is humane what is grounded vpon the diuine word must needs be irrefragably true that which vpon humane Traditions either must or may be erroneous In the second Truth is one conforme euer to it selfe 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as one said Omne verum omni vero consonat All Truth accords with euery Truth as Gerson and as it is pure so peaceable Error is full of dissonance of cruelty No particulars of ours dissent from the written verity of God We teach no man to equiuocate Our practise is not bloudy with treasons and massacres In the third Truth as it came from God so is referd to him neither hath any other end than the glory of the God of Truth Error hath euer some selfe-respects either 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 filthy lucre or vaine-glory profit or pride We doe not pranke vp nature we aime not either to fill the cofers or feed the ambition of men Let your Wisdomes apply and inferre and now if ye can shut your eyes that you should not see the Truth and if ye care not for your soules when ye see it sell it Let no false tongue perswade you there is no danger in this sale How charitably so euer we thinke of poore blinded soules that liue in the forced and inuincible darknesse of error certainly Apostasie is deadly How euer those speed that are robbed of Truth you cannot sell Truth and be saued Haue mercy therefore on your own soules for their sakes for the sake of him that bought them with the deare ransome of his precious bloud And as God hath blessed you with the inualuable treasure of Truth so hoard it vp in your hearts and menage it in your liues Oh let vs be Gens iusta custodiens veritatem Esa 26. A iust nation keeping fast the Truth So whiles ye keepe the Truth the Truth shall keepe you both in Life in Death in Iudgment In life vnto death in death and iudgement vnto the consummation of that endlesse and incomprehensible glory which the God of Truth hath prepared for them that ouercome To the happy possession whereof he that hath ordained in his good time as mercifully bring vs and that for the sake of the Son of his Loue Iesus Christ the Righteous To whom with thee O Father and thy blessed Spirit one infinite God be giuen all praise honour and glory now and for euer Amen A SERMON PREACHED AT THE RECONCILEMENT OF THE HAPPILY-RESTORED and reedified Chapell of the Right Honourable the Earle of EXCETER in his House of S. IOHNS ON SAINT STEPHENS DAY 1623. By IOS HALL SIC ELEVABITVR FILIVS HOMINIS Io 3. ANCHORA FIDEI LONDON Printed for GEORGE WINDER and are to be sold at his shop in Saint DVNSTONS Church-yard 1624. TO THE RIGHT HONOVRABLE MY SINGVLAR GOOD Lady the Lady ELIzABETH Countesse of Exceter RIght Honourable this poore Sermon both preached and penned at your motion that is to mee your command now presents it selfe to your hand and craueth a place though vnworthy in your Cabinet yea in your heart That holy zeale which desired it will also improue it The God whom your Ladiship hath thus honoured in the care and cost of his House will not faile to honour you in yours For me your Honour may iustly challenge mee on both sides both by the Druryes in the right of the first Patronage and by the Cecils in the right of my succeeding deuotions Jn either and both that little J haue or am is sincerely at your Ladiships seruice as whom you haue merited to be Your Honours in all true obseruance and duty IOS HALL A SERMON PREACHED AT THE REEDIFIED CHAPEL OF THE RIGHT HONOVRAble Earle of Exceter in his House of Saint Iohns HAGGAI 2.9 The glory of the latter house shall be greater than of the former saith the Lord of Hosts and in this place will I giue peace saith the Lord of Hosts AS we haue houses of our owne so God hath his yea as great men haue more houses than one so hath the great God of Heauen much more more both in succession as here the latter house and the first and in varietie He hath an house of flesh Ye are the Temples of the liuing God An house of stone Salomon shall build me an house An house immateriall in the Heauens 2 Cor. 5.1 Wherfore then hath God an house Wherefore haue we ours but to dwell in But doth not he himselfe tell Dauid and so doth Stephen the Protomartyr vpon whose day we are falne tell the Iewes that He dwels not in Temples made with hands True He dwels not in his House as we in ours by way of comprehension he dwels in it by testification of presence So doe we dwell in our houses that our houses containe vs that we are only within them and they without vs. So doth he dwel in his that yet he is elsewhere yea euery where that his house is within him Shortly God dwels where he witnesses his gracious presence that because he doth both in the Empyreall heauen amongst his Angels and Saints and in his Church vpon earth therefore his dwelling is both in the highest Heauen in perfect glory and on Earth in the hearts and assembly of his children As of the former our Sauiour saith In domo Patris mei In my Fathers house are many Mansions So also may we say of the latter There is much variety and choice in it There was the Church of the Iewes the Church of the Gentiles There is a materiall and a spirituall house In the one Salomons Zorobabels such piles as this In the other so much multiplicity as there are Nations yea Congregations that professe the Name of Christ One of these was a figure of the other the Materiall vnder the Law of the Spirituall vnder the Gospell Yee see now the first house and the latter the subiect of our Text and discourse The latter commended to vs comparatiuely positiuely Comparatiuely with the former Maior gloria Positiuely in it selfe In this place will I giue peace Both set out by the stile of the promiser and a vower saith the Lord of Hosts All which challenge your
faithfull vnlesse I be vnnaturall Or if I must needs bee the Monster of all Parents vvill not Ismael yet be accepted O God where is thy mercy where is thy iustice Hast thou giuen me but one onely sonne and must I now slay him Why did I vvait so long for him Why didst thou giue him me Why didst thou promise mee a blessing in him What vvill the Heathen say when they shall heare of this infamous massacre How can thy Name and my Profession escape a perpetuall blasphemie With what face shall I looke vpon my wife Sarah whose sonne I haue murdered How shall she entertaine the Executioner of Isaac Or who will beleeue that I did this from thee How shall not all the World spet at this holy cruelty and say There goes the man that cut the throat of his owne sonne Yet if he were an vngracious or rebellious child his deserts might giue some colour to this violence but to lay hands on so deare so dutifull so hopefull a sonne is vncapable of all pretences But grant that thou which art the God of Nature mayst either alter or neglect it what shall I say to the truth of thy promises Can thy iustice admit contradictions Can thy decrees be changeable Canst thou promise and disappoint Can these two stand together Isaac shall liue to be the father of Nations and Isaac shall now dye by the hand of his Father when Isaac is once gone where is my seed where is my blessing O God if thy commands and purposes be capable of alteration alter this bloody sentence and let thy first word stand These would haue been the thoughts of a weake heart But God knew that he spake to an Abraham and Abraham knew that he had to doe with a God Faith had taught him not to argue but obey In an holy wilfulnesse he either forgets Nature or despises her he is sure that what God commands is good that what hee promises is infallible and therefore is carelesse of the meanes and trusts to the end In matters of God whosoeuer consults with flesh and blood shall neuer offer vp his Isaac to God there needs no counsellor when wee know God is the Commander here is neither grudging nor deliberating nor delaying His faith would not suffer him so much as to be sorie for that hee must doe Sarah her selfe may not know of Gods charge and her husbands purpose lest her affection should haue ouercome her faith lest her weaknesse now growne importunate should haue said Disobey God and dye That which he must doe he will doe he that hath learned not to regard the life of his sonne had learned not to regard the sorrow of his wife It is too much tendernesse to respect the censures and constructions of others when wee haue a direct word from God The good Patriarch rises early and addresses himselfe to his sad iourney And now must he trauell three whole dayes to this execution and still must Isaac be in his eye whom all this while he seemes to see bleeding vpon the pile of Wood which he caries there is nothing so miserable as to dwell vnder the expectation of a great euill That misery which must be is mitigated with speed and aggrauated with delay All this while if Abraham had repented him hee had leisure to returne There is no small tryall euen in the very time of tryall now vvhen they are come within sight of the chosen Mountaine the seruants are dismissed what a deuotion is this that vvill abide no witnesses he will not suffer two of his owne Vassals to see him doe that which soone after all the world must know he hath done yet is not Abraham afraid of that pietie which the beholders could not see without horror vvithout resistance which no eare could heare of without abomination What stranger could haue endured to see the Father carie the knife and fire instruments of that death which hee had rather suffer then inflict The sonne securely carying that burden which must carie him But if Abrahams heart could haue knowne how to relent that question of his deare innocent and religious sonne had melted it into compassion My Father Behold the fire and the wood but where is the Sacrifice I know not whether that word My Father did not strike Abraham as deepe as the knife of Abraham could strike his sonne yet doth he not so much as thinke O miserable man that may not at once be a Sonne to such a God and Father to such a Sonne Still he persists and conceales and where hee meant not prophesies My sonne God shall prouide a Lambe for the burnt-offering The heauy tidings was loth to come forth It was a death to Abraham to say what he must doe He knowes his owne faith to act this hee knowes not Isaacs to indure it But now when Isaac hath helped to build the Altar whereon he must be consumed he heares not without astonishment the strange command of God the finall will of his Father My sonne thou art the Lambe which God hath prouided for this burnt offering If my bloud would haue excused thee how many thousand times had I rather to giue thee my owne life then take thine Alas I am full of dayes and now of long liued not but in thee Thou mightest haue preserued the life of thy Father and haue comforted his death but the God of vs both hath chosen thee He that gaue thee vnto me miraculously bids me by an vnvsuall meanes returne thee vnto him I need not tell thee that I sacrifice all my worldly ioyes yea and my selfe in thee but God must be obeyed neither art thou too deare for him that cals thee Come on my Sonne restore the life that God hath giuen thee by me offer thy selfe willingly to these flames send vp thy soule cheerefully vnto thy glory and know that God loues thee aboue others since he requires thee alone to be consecrated in sacrifice to himselfe Who cannot imagine with what perplexed mixtures of passions with what changes of countenance what doubts what feares what amazement good Isaac receiued this sudden message from the mouth of his Father how he questioned how hee pleaded But when hee had somewhat digested his thoughts and considered that the Author was God the actor Abraham the action a sacrifice hee now approues himselfe the sonne of Abraham now he encourages the trembling hands of his Father with whom he striues in this praise of forwardnesse and obedience now hee offers his hands and feet to the cords his throat to the knife his body to the Altar and growing ambitious of the sword fire intreats his Father to doe that which he would haue done though he had disswaded him O holy emulation of faith O blessed agreement of the Sacrificer and Oblation Abraham is as ready to take as Isaac to giue hee binds those deare hands which are more straightly bound with the cords of duty and resolution he layes his sacrifice vpon the
brethren Craftily yet and vnder pretence of a false title had they acknowledged the victory of Gideon with what forehead could they haue denied him bread Now I know not whether their faithlesnesse or enuy lie in their way Are the hands of Zeba and Zalmunna in thy hands There were none of these Princes of Succoth and Penuel but thought themselues better men then Gideon That he therefore alone should doe that which all the Princes of Israel durst not attempt they hated and scorned to heare It is neuer safe to measure euents by the power of the instrument nor in the causes of God whose calling makes the difference to measure others by our selues There is nothing more dangerous then in holy businesses to stand vpon comparisons and our owne reputation sith it is reason God should both chuse and blesse where he lists To haue questioned so sudden a victory had been pardonable but to deny it scornfully was vnworthy of Israelites Carnall men thinke that impossible to others which themselues cannot doe From hence are their censures hence their exclamations Gideon hath vowed a fearefull reuenge and now performes it the taunts of his brethren may not stay him from the pursuit of the Midianites Common enmities must first be opposed domesticall at more leysure The Princes of Succoth feared the tyranny of the Midianitish Kings but they more feared Gideons victory What a condition hath their enuy drawne them into that they are sorry to see Gods enemies captiue that Israels freedome must be their death that the Midianites and they must tremble at one and the same Reuenger To see themselues prisoners to Zeba and Zalmunna had not been so fearefull as to see Zeba and Zalmunna prisoners to Gideon Nothing is more terrible to euill mindes then to reade their owne condemnation in the happy successe of others hell it selfe would want one piece of his torment if the wicked did not know those whom they contemned glorious I know not whether more to commend Gideons wisedome and moderation in the proceedings then his resolution and iustice in the execution of this businesse I doe not see him run furiously into the City and kill the next His sword had not been so drunken with bloud that it should know no difference But he writes down the names of the Princes and singles them forth for reuenge When the Leaders of God come to a Iericho or Ai their slaughter was vnpartiall not a woman or child might liue to tell newes but now that Gideon comes to a Succoth a City of Israelites the rulers are called forth to death the people are frighted with the example not hurt with the iudgement To enwrappe the innocent in any vengeance is a murderous iniustice Indeed where all ioyne in the sin all are worthy to meet in the punishment It is like the Citizens of Succoth could haue been glad to succour Gideon if their rulers had not forbidden they must therefore escape whiles their Princes perish I cannot thinke of Gideons reuenge without horror That the Rulers of Succoth should haue their flesh torne from their backs with thornes and briers that they should bee at once beaten and scratcht to death What a spectacle it was to see their bare bones looking some-where thorow the bloudy ragges of their flesh and skinne and euery stroke worse then the last death multiplied by torment Iustice is sometimes so seuere that a tender beholder can scarce discerne it from cruelty I see the Midianites fare lesse ill the edge of the sword makes a speedy and easie passage for their liues whiles these rebellious Israelites dye lingringly vnder thornes and bryers enuying those in their death whom their life abhorred Howsoeuer men liue or dye without the pale of the Church a wicked Israelite shall be sure of plagues How many shall vnwish themselues Christians when Gods reuenges haue found them out The place where Iacob wrestled with God and preuailed now hath wrestled against God and takes a fall they see God auenging which would not beleeue him deliuering It was now time for Zeba and Zalmunna to follow those their troops to the graue whom they had led in the field Those which the day before were attended with an hundred thirty fiue thousand followers haue not so much as a Page now left to weep for their death and haue liued onely to see all their friends and some enemies dye for their sakes Who can regard earthly greatnesse that sees one night change two of the greatest Kings of the World into captiues It had been both pitty and sinne that the Heads of that Midianitish tyranny into which they had drawn so many thousands should haue escaped that death And yet if priuate reuenge had not made Gideon iust I doubt whether they had died The bloud of his brothers cals for theirs and awakes his sword to their execution He both knew and complained of the Midianitish oppression vnder which Israel groned yet the cruelty offered to all the thousands of his Fathers sonnes had not drawne the bloud of Zeba and Zalmunna if his owne mothers sonnes had not bled by their hands He that slew the Rulers of Succoth and Penuel spared the people now hath slain the people of Midian and would haue spared their Rulers but that God which will finde occasions to winde wicked men into iudgement will haue them slaine in a priuate quarrel which had more deserued it for the publike If we may not rather say that Gideon reuenged these as a Magistrate not as a brother For Gouernours to respect their owne ends in publike actions and to weare the sword of iustice in their owne sheath it is a wrongfull abuse of authority The slaughter of Gideons brethren was not the greatest sinne of the Midianitish Kings this alone shall kill them when the rest expected an vniust remission How many lewd men hath God payd with some one sinne for all the rest Some that haue gone away with vnnuturally filthinesse and capitall thefts haue clipped off their owne dayes with their coyne Others whose bloudy murders haue been punished in a mutinous word Others whose suspected felony hath payd the price of their vnknowne rape O God thy iudgements are iust euen when mens are vniust Gideons young soone is bidden to reuenge the death of his Vncles His sword had not yet learned the way to bloud especially of Kings though in yrons Deadly executions require strength both of heart and face How are those aged in euill that can draw their swords vpon the lawfuly Anointed of God These Tyrants plead not now for coutinuance of life but for the haste of their death Fall thou vpon vs. Death is euer accompanied with paine which it is no maruell if we wish short We doe not more affect protraction of an easefull life then speed in our dissolution for here euery pang that tends toward death renewes it To lye an houre vnder death is tedious but to be dying a whole day we thinke aboue the
with thee is mercy and plentious redemption thine hand is open before our mouthes before our hearts If we did not see thee smile vpon suiters we durst not presse to thy footstoole Behold now we know that the King of heauen the God of Israel is a mercifull God Let vs put sackcloth vpon our loynes and strew ashes vpon our heads and goe meet the Lord God of Israel that he may saue our soules How well doth this habit become insolent and blasphemous Benhadad and his followers a rope and sackcloth A rope for a Crowne sackcloth for a robe Neither is there lesse change in the tongue Thy seruant Benhadad saith I pray thee let me liue Euen now the King of Israel said to Benhadad My Lord O King I am thine Tell my Lord the King all that thou didst send for to thy seruant I will doe Now Benhadad sends to the King of Israel Thy seruant Benhadad saith I pray thee let me liue Hee that was erewhile a Lord and King is now a seruant and he that was a seruant to the king of Syria is now his Lord he that would blow away all Israel in dust is now glad to beg for his own life at the doore of a despised enemy no courage is so haughty which the God of hosts cannot easily bring vnder what are mē or deuils in those almighty hāds The greater the deiection was the stronger was the motiue of commiseration That haltar pleaded for life and that plea for but a life stirred the bowels for fauour How readily did Ahab see in Benhadads sudden misery the image of the instability of all humane things and relents at the view of so deepe and passionate a submission Had not Benhadad said Thy seruant Ahab had neuer said My brother seldome euer was there losse in humility How much lesse can we feare disparagement in the annihilating of our selues before that infinite Maiestie The drowning man snatches at euery twig It is no maruell if the messengers of Benhadad catch hastilie at that last of grace and hold it fast Thy brother Benhadad Fauours are wont to draw on each other Kindnesses breed on themselues neither need wee any other perswasion to beneficence then from our owne acts Ahab cals for the King of Syria sets him in his owne Charet treats with him of an easie yet firme league giues him both his life and his Kingdome Neither is the Crowne of Syria sooner lost then recouered Onely hee that came a free Prince returnes tributarie Onely his traine is clipt too short for his wings an hundred twentie seuen thousand Syrians are abated of his Guard homeward Blasphemy hath escaped too well Ahab hath at once peace with Benhadad warre with God God proclaimes it by his Herald one of the sonnes of the Prophets not yet in his owne forme but disguised both in fashion and complaint It was a strange suit of a Prophet Smite me I pray thee Many a Prophet was smitten and would not neuer any but this wished to bee smitten The rest of his fellowes were glad to say Saue mee this onely sayes Smite me His honest neighbour out of loue and reuerence forbeares to strike There are too many thinkes hee that smite the Prophets though I refraine What wrong hast thou done that I should repay with blowes Hadst thou sued for a fauour I could not haue denyed thee now thou suest for thine hurt the deniall is a fauour Thus he thought but Charitie cannot excuse disobedience Had the man of God called for blowes vpon his owne head the refusall had beene iust and thanke-worthy but now that he sayes In the Word of the Lord Smite me this kindnesse is deadly Because thou hast not obeyed the voyce of the Lord behold assoone as thou art departed from me a Lyon shall slay thee It is not for vs to examine the charges of the Almighty Be they neuer so harsh or improbable if they bee once knowne for his there is no way but obedience or death Not to smite a Prophet when God commands is no lesse sinne then to smite a Prophet when God forbids It is the diuine precept or prohibition that either makes or aggrauates an euill And if the Israelite bee thus reuenged that smote not a Prophet what shall become of Ahab that smote not Benhadad Euery man is not thus indulgent an easie request will gaine blowes to a Prophet from the next hand yea and a wound in smiting I know not whether it were an harder taske for the Prophet to require a wound then for a well-meaning Israelite to giue it Both must bee done The Prophet hath what hee would what hee must will a sight of his owne blood and now disguised herewith and with ashes vpon his face hee way-layes the King of Israel and sadly complaines of himselfe in a reall parable for dismissing a Syrian prisoner deliuered to his hands vpon no lesse charge then his life and soone receiues sentence of death from his owne mouth Well was that wound bestowed that strucke Ahabs soule through the flesh of the Prophet The disguise is remoued The King sees not a souldier but a Seer and now finds that he hath vnawares passed sentence vpon himselfe There needs no other doome then from the lips of the offender Thus saith the Lord Because thou hast let goe out of thy hand a man whom I appointed to vtter destruction therefore thy life shall go for his life and thy people for his people Had not Ahab knowne the will of God concerning Benhadad that had beene mercy to an enemy which was now cruelty to himselfe to Israel His eares had heard of the blasphemies of that wicked tongue His eyes had seene God goe before him in the example of that reuenge No Prince can strike so deepe into his state as in not striking In priuate fauour there may bee publike vnmercifulnesse AHAB and NABOTH NAboth had a faire Vineyard It had beene better for him to haue had none His vineyard yeelded him the bitter Grapes of death Many a one hath beene sold to death by his lands and goods wealth hath beene a snare as to the soule so to the life Why doe wee call those goods which are many times the bane of the owner Naboths vineyard lay neere to the Court of Iezebel It had beene better for him it had beene planted in the wildernesse Doubtlesse this vicinity made it more commodious to the possessor but more enuious and vnsafe It was now the perpetuall obiect of an euill eye and stirred those desires which could neither be well denyed nor satisfied Eminency is still ioyned with perill obscuritie with peace There can bee no worse annoyance to an inheritance then the greatnesse of an euill neighbourhood Naboths vines stood too neere the smoake of Iezebels chimneys too much within the prospect of Ahabs window Now lately had the King of Israel beene twice victorious ouer the Syrians no sooner is he returned home then hee is ouercome with euill desires The foyle
riuers of Brimstone that feed this flame where there is no intermission of complaints no breathing from paine and after millions of yeeres no possibility of comfort And if the rod wherewith thou chastisest thy children O Lord euen in this life be so smart and galling that they haue beene brought downe to the brim of despaire and in the bitternesse of their soule haue intreated death to release them What shall I thinke of their plagues in whose righteous confusion thou insultest and saiest Aha I will auenge mee of mine enemies Euen that thou shalt not be thus miserable O my soule is some kinde of happinesse but that thou shalt be as happy as the reprobate are miserable how worthy is it of more estimation than thy selfe is capable of CHAP. XXV 8 Of comparisons and similitudes whereby it may be most fitly set forth AFter this opposition the minde shall make comparison of the matter meditated with what may neerest resemble it and shall illustrate it with fittest similitudes which giue no small light to the vnderstanding nor lesse force to the affection Wonder then O my soule as much as thou canst at this glory and in comparison thereof contemne this earth which now thou treadest vpon whose ioyes if they were perfect are but short and if they were long are imperfect One day when thou art aboue looking downe from the height of thy glory and seeing the sonnes of men creeping like so many Ants on this Mole-hill of earth thou shalt thinke Alas how basely I once liued Was yonder silly dungeon the place I so loued and was so loth to leaue Thinke so now before hand and since of heauen thou canst not yet account of thy earth as it is worthy How heartlesse and irkesome are yee O yee best earthly pleasures if ye be matched with the least of those aboue How vile are you O yee sumptuous buildings of Kings euen if all the entrailes of the earth had agreed to enrich you in comparison of this frame not made with hands It is not so high aboue the earth in distance of place as in worth and Maiesty Wee may see the face of Heauen from the heart of the earth but from the neerest part of the earth who can see the least glory of Heauen The three Disciples on Mount Tabor saw but a glimpse of this glory shining vpon the face of their Sauiour and yet being rauished with the sight cried out Master it is good being here and thinking of building of three Tabernacles for Christ Moses Elias could haue beene content themselues to haue lien without shâ—lter so they might alwaies haue enioyed that sight Alas how could earthly Tabernacles haue fitted those heauenly bodies They knew what they saw what they said they knew not Loe these three Disciples were not transfigured yet how deeply they were affected euen with the glory of others How happy shall we be when our selues shall be changed into glorious and shall haue Tabernacles not of our owne making but prepared for vs by God and yet not Tabernacles but eternall Mansions Moses saw God but a while and shined how shall we shine that shall behold his face for euer What greater honour is there than in Soueraignty What greater pleasure than in feasting This life is both a Kingdome and a feast A Kingdome Hee that ouercomes shall rule the Nations and shall sit with me in my Throne O blessed promotion Oh large dominion and royall seast to which Salomons Throne of Yuory was not worthy to become a foot-stoole A feast Blessed are they that are called to the Marriage-supper of the Lambe Feasts haue more than necessity of prouision more than ordinary diet but marriage-feasts yet more than common abundance but the Marriage-feast of the Sonne of God to his blessed Spoâ—fe the Church must so farre exceed in all heauenly munificence and variety as the persons are of the greater state and Maiesty There is new wine pure Manna and all manner of spirituall dainties and with the continuall cheere a sweet and answerable welcome while the Bridegroome louingly cheereth vs vp Eat O friends drinke and make you merry O welbeloued yea there shalt thou be my soule not a guest but how vnworthy soeuer the Bride her selfe whom he hath euerlastingly espoused to himselfe in truth and righteousnesse The contract is passed here below the marriage is consummate aboue and solemnized with a perpetuall feast so that now thou maist safety say My welbeloued is mine and I am his Wherefore hearken O my soule and consider and incline thine eare forget also thine owne people and thy fathers house thy supposed home of this world so shall the King haue pleasure in thy beauty for hee is the Lord and worship thou him CHAP. XXVI THe very Names and Titles of the matter considered 9 The Titles and Names of the thing considered yeeld no small store to our Meditation which being commonly so imposed that they secretly comprehend the nature of the thing which they represent are not vnworthy of our discourse What need I seeke those resemblances when the very name of life implieth sweetnesse to wâ—â—â— on earth euen to them which confesse to liue with some discontentment Surely the light is a pleasant thing and it is good to the eies to see the Sunne yet when Temporall is added to Life I know not how this addâ—tion detracteth something and doth greatly abate the pleasure of Life for those which â—oy to thinke of Life grieue to thinke it but Temporall so vexing is the end of that whose continuance was delightfull But now when there is an addition aboue Time of Eternity it maketh life so much more sweet as it is most lasting and lasting infinitely what can it giue lesse than an infinite contentment Oh dying and false life which wee enioy here and scarce a shadow and counterfeit of that other What is more esteemed than glory which is so precious to men of spirit that it makes them prodigall of their bloud proud of their wounds careblesse of themselues and yet alas how pent how fading is this glory affected with such dangers and death hardly after all Trophees and monuments either knowne to the next Sea or suruiuing him that dieth for it It is true glory to triumph in heauen where is neither enuy nor forgetfulnes What is more deare to vs than our Country which the worthy and faithfull Patriots of all times haue respected aboue their parents their Children their lines counting it only happy to liue in it and to die for it The banisht man pines for the want of it the traueller digesteth all the tediousnesse of his way all the sorrowes of an ill iourney in the onely hope of home forgetting all his forraine miseries when he feeleth his owne smoke Where is our Country but aboue Thence thou camest O my soule thither thou art going in a short but weary pilgrimage O miserable men if we account our selues at home in our pilgrimage if
for it nor our Sauiour haue bidden vs to flee for it nor God promised it to his for a reward yet if in some cases we hate not life we loue not God nor our soules Herein as much as in any thing the peruersenesse of our nature appeares that we wish death or loue life vpon wrong causes wee would liue for pleasure or we would die for paine Iob for his sores Elias for his persecution Ionas for his Gourd would presently die and will needs out-face God that it is better for him to die than to liue wherein we are like to garrison-souldiers that while they liue within safe walls and shew themselues once a day rather for ceremonie and pompe than need or danger like warfare well enough but if once called forth to the field they wish themselues at home 29 Not onely the least but the worst is euer in the bottome what should God doe with the dregges of our age When sinne will admit thee his Client no longer then God shall be beholden to thee for thy seruice Thus is God dealt with in all other offerings The worst and least sheafe must be Gods Tenth The deformedst or simplest of our children must bee Gods Ministers the vncleanliest and most carelesse house must be Gods Temple The idlest and sleepiest houres of the day must be reserued for our praiers The worst part of our age for deuotion We would haue God giue vs still of the best and are ready to murmure at euery little euill he sends vs yet nothing is bad enough for him of whom we receiue all Nature condemnes this inequalitie and tels vs that he which is the Author of good should haue the best and he which giues all should haue his choice 30 When we goe about an euill businesse it is strange how readie the deuill is to set vs forward how carefull that we should want no furtherances So that if a man would be lewdly witty hee shall be sure to be furnished with store of profane iests wherein a loose heart hath double advantage of the conscionable If he would be voluptuous he shall want neither obiects nor opportunities The currant passage of ill enterprises is so farre from giuing cause of encouragement that it should iustly fright a man to looke backe to the Author and to consider that he therefore goes fast because the deuill driues him 31 In the choice of companions for our conuersation it is good dealing with men of good natures for though grace exerciseth her power in bridling nature yet sith wee are still men at the best some swinge she will haue in the most mortified Austeritie sullennesse or strangenesse of disposition and whatsoeuer qualities may make a man vnsociable cleaue faster to our nature than those which are morally euill True Christian loue may be separated from acquaintance and acquaintance from intirenesse These are not qualities to hinder our loue but our familiaritie 32 Ignorance as it makes bold intruding men carelesly into vnknowne dangers so also it makes men oft-times causelesly fearefull Herod feared Christs comming because he mistooke it If that Tyrant had knowne the manner of his spirituall Regiment he had spared both his owne fright and the bloud of other And hence it is that we feare death because we are not acquainted with the vertue of it Nothing but innocencie and knowledge can giue sound confidence to the heart 33 Where are diuers opinions they may be all false there can bee but one true and that one truth oft-times must be fetcht by peece-meale out of diuers branches of contrary opinions For it falls out not seldome that Truth is through ignorance or rash vehemency scattered into sundry parts and like to a little Siluer melted amongst the ruines of a burnt house must be tried out from heaps of much superfluous ashes There is much paines in the search of it much skill in finding it the value of it once found requites the cost of both 34 Affectation of superfluitie is in all things a signe of weaknesse As in words he that vseth circumlocutions to expresse himselfe shewes want of memory and want of proper speech And much talke argues a braine feeble and distempered What good can any earthly thing yeeld vs beside his vse and what is it but vanitie to affect that which doth vs no good and what vse is it in that which is superfluous It is a great skill to know what is enough and great wisdome to care for no more 35 Good things which in absence were desired now offering themselues to our presence are scarce entertained or at least not with our purposed cheerefulnesse Christs comming to vs and our going to him are in our profession well esteemed much wished but when he singleth vs out by a direct message of death or by some fearefull signe giueth likelihood of a present returne we are as much affected with feare as before with desire All changes although to the better are troublesome for the time vntill our setling There is no remedy hereof but inward preuention Our minde must change before our estate be changed 36 Those are greatest enemies to Religion that are not most irreligious Atheists though in themselues they bee the worst yet are seldome found hot Persecuters of others whereas those which in some one fundamentall point bee hereticall are commonly most violent in oppositions One hurts by secret infection the other by open resistance One is carelesse of all truth the other vehement for some vntruth An Atheist is worthy of more hatred an Heretike of more feare both of auoidance 37 Waies if neuer vsed cannot but bee faire if much vsed are made commodiously passable if before oft vsed and now seldome they become deepe and dangerous If the heart be not at all inured to meditation it findeth no fault with it selfe not for that it is innocent but secure if often it findeth comfortable passage for his thoughts if rarely and with intermission tedious and troublesome In things of this nature we onely escape complaint if we vse them either alwaies or neuer 38 Our sensuall hand holds fast whatsoeuer delight it apprehendeth our spirituall hand easily remitteth because appetite is stronger in vs than grace whence it is that we so hardly deliuer our selues of earthly pleasures which wee haue once entertained and with such difficultie draw our selues to a constant course of faith hope and spirituall ioy or to the renued acts of them once intermitted Age is naturally weake and youth vigorous but in vs the old man is strong the new faint and feeble the fault is not in grace but in vs Faith doth not want strength but we want faith 39 It is not good in worldly estates for a man to make himselfe necessary for hereupon he is both more toiled and more suspected but in the sacred Common-wealth of the Church a man cannot be ingaged too deeply by his seruice The ambition of spirituall well doing breeds no danger He that doth best and may
beneficence Vpon thy people largely spread PSALME 4. As the ten Commandements Attend my people THou witnesse of my truth sincere My God vnto my poore request Vouchsafe to lend thy gracious eare Thou hast my soule from thrall releast verse 2 Fauour me still and dâ—igne to heare Mine humble sute O wretched wights verse 3 How long will yee mine honour deare Turne into shame through your despights Still will ye loue what thing is vaine verse 4 And seeke false hopes know then at last That God hath chose and will maintaine His fauorite whom yee disgrac't God will regard my instant mone verse 5 Oh! tremble then and cease offending And on your silent bed alone Talke with your hearts your waies amending verse 6 Offer the truest sacrifice Of broken hearts on God besetting verse 7 Your onely trust The most deuise The waies of worldly treasure getting But thou O Lord lift vp to me The light of that sweet looke of thine verse 8 So shall my soule more gladsome be Than theirs with all their corne and wine verse 9 So I in peace shall lay me downe And on my bed take quiet sleepe Whiles thou O Lord shalt me alone From dangers all securely keepe PSALME 5. In the tune of 124. Psalme Now Israel may say c. BOw downe thine eare Lord to these words of mine And well regard the secret plaints I make verse 2 My King my God to thee I doe betake My sad estate oh doe thine eare incline To these loud cries that to thee powred bin verse 3 At early morne thou shalt my voice attend For at day breake I will my selfe addresse Thee to implore and wait for due redresse verse 4 Thou dost not Lord delight in wickednesse Nor to bad men wilt thy protection lend verse 5 The boasters proud cannot before thee stay Thou hat'st all those that are to sinne deuoted verse 6 The lying lips and who with bloud are spotted Thou doest abhorre and wilt for euer slay verse 7 But I vnto thine house shall take the way And through thy grace abundant shall adore With humble feare within thy holy place verse 8 Oh! lead me Lord within thy righteous trace Euen for their sakes that malice me so sore Make smooth thy paths my dimmer eies before verse 9 Within their mouth no truth is euer found Pure mischiefe is their heart a gaving toome verse 10 Is their wide throat and yet their tongues still sound verse 11 With smoothing words O Lord giue them their doome And let them fall in those their plots profound In their excesse of mischiefe them destroy verse 12 That Rebels are so those that to thee flie Shall all reioyce and sing eternally verse 13 And whom thou dost protect and who loue thee And thy deare name in thee shall euer ioy Since thou with blisse the righteous dost reward And with thy grace as with a shield him guard PSALME 6. As the 50. Psalme The mighty God c. LEt me not Lord be in thy wrath reproued Oh! scourge me not when thy fierce wrath is moued verse 2 Pity me Lord that doe with languor pine Heale me whose bones with paine dissolued bin verse 3 Whose weary soule is vexed aboue measure Oh Lord how long shall I bide thy displeasure verse 4 Turne thee O Lord rescue my soule distrest verse 5 And saue me of thy grace 'Mongst those that rest In silent death can none remember thee And in the graue how shouldst thou praised be verse 6 Weary with sighes All night I caus'd my bed To swim with teares my couch I watered verse 7 Deepe sorrow hath consum'd my dimmed eyne Sunke in with griefe at these lewd foes of mine verse 8 But now hence hence vaine plotters of mine ill The Lord hath heard my lamentations shrill verse 9 God heard my suit and still attends the same verse 10 Blush now my foes and flie with sudden shame PSALME 7. As the 112. Psalme The man is blest that God c. ON thee O Lord my God relies My onely trust from bloudy spight Of all my raging enemies Oh! let thy mercy me acquite verse 2 Lest they like greedy Lyons rend My soule while none shall it defend verse 3 O Lord if I this thing haue wrought If in my hands be found such ill verse 4 If I with mischiefe euer sought To pay good turnes or did not still Doe good vnto my causelesse foe That thirsted for my ouerthrow verse 5 Then let my foe in eager chace Ore-take my soule and proudly tread My life below and with disgrace In dust lay downe mine honour dead verse 6 Rise vp in rage O Lord eft-soone Aduance thine arme against my foâ—ne And wake for me till thou fulfill verse 7 My promis'd right so shall glad throngs Of people flocke vnto thine hill For their sakes then reuenge my wrong's verse 8 And râ—use thy selfe Thy iudgements be O're all the world Lord iudge thou me As truth and honest innocence Thou find'st in me Lord iudge thou me verse 9 Settle the iust with sure defence Let me the wicked's malice see verse 10 Brought to an end For thy iust eye Doth heart and inward reynes descry verse 11 My safety stands in God who shields The sound in heart whose doome each day verse 12 To iust men and contemners yeelds verse 13 Their due Except he change his way His sword is whet to bloud intended His murdering Bow is ready bended verse 14 Weapons of death he hath addrest And arrowes keene to pierce my foe verse 15 Who late bred mischiefe in his brest But when he doth on trauell goe verse 16 Brings forth a lie deepe pits doth delue And fals into his pits himselue verse 17 Backe to his owne head shall rebound His plotted mischiefe and his wrongs verse 18 His crowne shall craze But I shall sound Iehouah's praise with thankfull songs And will his glorious name expresse And tell of all his righteousnesse PSALME 8. As the 113. Psalme Yee children which c. HOw noble is thy mighty Name O Lord o're all the worlds wide frame Whose glory is aduanc't on high Aboue the rowling heauens racke verse 2 How for the gracelesse scorners sake To still th' auenging enemy Hast thou by tender infants tongue The praise of thy great Name made strong While they hang sucking on the brest verse 3 But when I see the heauens bright The moone and glittering starres of night By thine almighty hand addrest verse 4 Oh! what is man poore silly man That thou so mind'st him and dost daine To looke at his vnworthy seed verse 5 Thou hast him set not much beneath Thine Angels bright and with a wreath Of glory hast adorn'd his head verse 6 Thou hast him made high soueraigne verse 7 Of all thy works and stretcht his raigne Vnto the heards and beasts vntame verse 8 To Fowles and to the scaly traine That glideth through the watry Maine verse 9 How noble each-where is thy Name PSALME 9. To the
since the giuer of both lifes hath said He that shall lose his life for my sake shall saue it Loe this alone is lost vvith keeping and gained by losse Say you vvere freed vpon the safest conditions and returning as how welcome should that newes bee more to yours then to your selfe perhaps Death may meete you in the vvay perhaps ouertake you at home neither place nor time can promise immunitie from the common destinie of men Those that may abridge your houres cannot lengthen them and while they last cannot secure them from vexation yea themselues shall follow you into their dust and cannot auoid vvhat they can inflict death shall equally tyrannize by them and ouer them so their fauours are but fruitlesse their malice gainfull For it shall change your Prison into Heauen your Fetters into a Crowne your Iaylors to Angels your miserie into glory Looke vp to your future estate and reioyce in the present Behold the Tree of Life the hidden Manna the Scepter of Power the Morning Starre the white garment the new name the Crowne and Throne of Heauen are addressed for you Ouercome and enioy them oh glorious condition of Martyrs whom conformity in death hath made like their Sauiour in blessednesse whose honour is to attend him for euer whom they haue ioyed to imitate What are these which are araied in long white robes and whence came they These are sayes that heauenly Elder they which came out of great tribulation and washed their long Robes and haue made their long Robes white in the blood of the Lambe Therefore they are in the presence of the Throne of God and serue him day and night in his Temple and he that sitteth on the Throne wil dwell among them and gouerne them and lead them vnto the liuely Fountaines of waters and God shall wipe all teares from their eyes All the elect haue Seales in their fore-heads but Martyrs haue Palmes in their hands All the elect haue white Robes Martyrs both white and long white for their glory long for the largenesse of their glory Once red with their owne blood now white with the blood of the Lambe there is nothing in our blood but weake obedience nothing but merit in the Lambs blood Behold his merit makes our obedience glorious You doe but sprinkle his feet with your blood loe hee washes your long white Robes with his Euery drop of your blood is answered with a streame of his and euery drop of his is worth Riuers of ours Precious in the fight of the Lord is the death of his Saints Precious in preuention precious in acceptation precious in remuneration Oh giue willingly that which you cannot keepe that you may receiue what you cannot leese The way is steepe but now you breathe towards the top Let not the want of some few steps lose you an eternall rest Put to the strength of your owne Faith The prayers of Gods Saints shall further your pace and that gracious hand that sustaines heauen and earth shall vphold and sweetly draw you vp to your glory Goe on to credit the Gospell with your perseuerance and shew the false-hearted clients of that Roman-Court that the Truth yeelds reall and hearty professors such as dare no lesse smart then speake for her Without the wals of your restraint where can you looke beside incouragements of suffering Behold in this how much you are happier then your many predecessors Those haue found friends or wiues or children the most dangerous of all tempters Suggestions of weaknesse when they come masked with loue are more powerfull to hurt But you all your many friends in the valour of their Christian loue wish rather a blessed Martyr then a liuing and prosperous reuolter yea your deare wife worthy of this honour to be the wife of a Martyr prefers your faith to her affection and in a courage beyond her sex contemnes the worst misery of your losse professing shee would redeeme your life with hers but that she would not redeeme it with your yeeldance and while she lookes vpon those many pawnes of your chaste loue your hopefull children wishes rather to see them fatherlesse then their father vnfaithfull The greatest part of your sufferings are hers She beares them with a cheerfull resolution She diuides with you in your sorrowes in your patience she shall not bee diuided in your glory For vs we shall accompany you with our prayers and follow you with our thankfull commemorations vowing to write your name in red letters in the Kalendars of our hearts and to register it in the monuments of perpetuall Records as an example to all postery The memoriall of the iust shall be blessed To all READERS EP. X. Containing Rules of good aduice for our Christian and ciuill cariage I Grant breuity where it is neither obscure nor defectiue is very pleasing euen to the daintiest iudgements No maruell therefore if most men desire much good counsell in a narrow roome as some affect to haue great personages drawne in little tablets or as we see worlds of Countries described in the compasse of small maps Neither do I vnwillingly yeeld to follow them for both the powers of good aduice are the stronger when they are thus vnited and breuity makes counsell more portable for memorie and readier for vse Take these therefore for more which as I would faine practise so am I willing to commend Let vs begin with him who is the first and last Informe your selfe aright concerning God without whom in vaine doe we know all things Be acquainted with that Sauiour of yours which paid so much for you on earth and now sues for you in heauen without whom we haue nothing to doe with God nor he with vs. Adore him in your thoughts trust him with your selfe Renew your sight of him euery day and his of you Ouer-looke these earthly things and when you doe at any time cast your eyes vpon heauen think there dwels my Sauiour there I shall be Call your selfe to often recknings cast vp your debts payments graces wants expences employments yeeld not to thinke your set deuotions troublesome Take not easie denials from your selfe yea giue peremptory denials to your selfe Hee can neuer bee good that flatters himselfe hold nature to her allowance and let your will stand at courtesie happy is that man which hath obtained to be the master of his owne hearts Thinke all Gods outward fauours and prouisions the best for you your owne abilitie and actions the meanest Suffer not your mind to be either a Drudge or a Wanton exercise it euer but ouer-lay it not In all your businesses looke through the world at God whatsoeuer is your leuell let him be your scope Euery day take a view of your last and thinke either it is this or may be Offer not your selfe either to honour or labour let them both seeke you Care you onely to be worthy and you cannot hide you from God So frame your selfe to the time and company that you
complaine could neuer haue beene sustained by men What shall we then thinke if hee were affrighted with terrors perplexed with sorrowes and distracted with both these And lo he was all these for first here was an amazed feare for millions of men to despaire was not so much as for him to feare and yet it was no slight feare he began 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to be astonished with terror Which in the dayes of his flesh offered vp prayers and supplications with strong cries and teares to him that was able to helpe him and was heard in that hee feared Neuer was man so afraid of the torments of Hell as Christ standing in our roome of his Fathers wrath Feare is still sutable to apprehension Neuer man could so perfectly apprehend this cause of feare he felt the chastisements of our peace yea the curse of our sins and therefore might well say with DAVID I suffer thy terrors with a troubled minde yea with IOB The arrowes of God are in mee and the terrors of God fight against me With feare there was a dejecting sorrow 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 My soule is on all sides heauy to the death his strong cryes his many teares 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 are witnesses of this Passion hee had formerly shed teares of pittie and teares of loue but now of anguish hee had before sent forth cries of mercie neuer of complaint till now when the Sonne of God weepes and cries what shall wee say or thinke yet further betwixt both these and his loue what a conflict was there It is not amisse distinguished that he was alwayes in Agone but now in 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in a struggling passion of mixed griefe Behold this field was not without sweat and bloud yea a sweat of bloud Oh what Man or Angell can conceiue the taking of that heart that without all outward violence meerely out of the extremitie of his owne Passion bled through the flesh and skin not some faint deaw but solid drops of blood No thornes no nailes fetcht blood from him with so much paine as his owne thoughts hee saw the fierce wrath of his Father and therefore feared hee saw the heauie burden of our sinnes to be vndertaken and thereupon besides feare iustly grieued hee saw the necessitie of our eternall damnation if he suffered not if hee did suffer of our redemption and therefore his loue incountred both griefe and feare In it selfe hee would not drinke of that cup. In respect of our good and his decree he would and did and while hee thus striueth hee sweats and bleeds There was neuer such a combat neuer such a bloodshed and yet it is not finished I dare not say with some Schoolemen that the sorrow of his Passion was not so great as the sorrow of his compassion yet that was surely exceeding great To see the vngratious carelesnesse of mankinde the slender fruit of his sufferings the sorrowes of his Mother Disciples friends to fore-see from the watch tower of his Crosse the future temptations of his children desolations of his Church all these must needes strike deepe into a tender heart These hee still sees and pitties but without passion then hee suffered in seeing them Can we yet say any more Lo all these sufferings are aggrauated by his fulnesse of knowledge and want of comfort for he did not shut his eyes as one saith when hee drunke this cup he saw how dreggish and knew how bitter it was Sudden euils afflict if not lesse shorter He fore-saw and fore-said euerie particular he should suffer so long as he fore-saw he suffered the expectation of euill is not lesse then the sense to looke long for good is a punishment but for euill is a torment No passion workes vpon an vnknowne obiect as no loue so no feare is of what we know not Hence men feare not Hell because they fore-see it not if wee could see that pit open before wee come at it it would make vs tremble at our sins and our knees to knocke together as Baltazars and perhaps without faith to runne madde at the horror of iudgement He saw the burden of all particular sinnes to be laid vpon him euery dramme of his Fathers wrath was measured out to him ere he toucht this potion this cup was full and hee knew that it must be wring'd not a drop left it must be finished Oh yet if as he foresaw all his sorrowes so he could haue seene some mixture of refreshing But I found none to comfort me no none to pittie me And yet it is a poore comfort that arises from pittie Euen so O Lord thou treadest this wine-presse alone none to accompanie none to assist thee I remember Ruffinus in his Ecclesiasticall storie reports that one Theodorus a Martyr told him that when he was hanging ten houres vpon the rack for religion vnder Iulians persecution his ioynts distended and distorted his body exquisitely tortured with change of Executioners Vt nulla vnquā aetas sunilem meminerit so as neuer age saith he could remember the like he felt no paine at all but continued indeed all the while in the sight of all men singing smiling for there stood a comely young man by him on his Iibbet an Angell rather in forme of a man which with a cleane towell still wip't off his sweat and powred coole water vpon his racked limbs wherewith he was so refreshed that it grieued him to bee let downe Euen the greatest torments are easie when they haue answerable comforts but a wounded and comfortlesse spirit who can beare If yet but the same messenger of God might haue attended his Crosse that appeared in his agony and might haue giuen ease to their Lord as he did to his seruant And yet what can the Angels helpe where God will smite Against the violence of men against the furie of Satan they haue preuailed in the cause of God for men they dare not they cannot comfort where God will afflict When our Sauiour had beene wrestling with Satan in the end of his Lent then they appeared to him and serued but now while about the same time he is wrestling with the wrath of his Father for vs not an Angell dare be seene to looke out of the windowes of heauen to releeue him For men much lesse could they if they would but what did they Miserable comforters are ye all the Souldiers they stript him scorned him with his purple crowne reed spat on him smote him the passengers they reuiled him and insulting vagging their heads and hands at him Hey thou that destoyest the Temple come downe c. The Elders and Scribes alas they haue bought his bloud suborned witnesses incensed Pilot preferred Barrabbas vndertooke the guilt of his death cried out Crucifia Crucifie He thou that sauedst others His Disciples alas they forsooke him one of them forsweares him another runnes away naked rather then he will stay and confesse him His mother and other friends they looke
Mercy to bee eminent amongst his vertues when Parsons himselfe yeelds it And if a vertue so continuing could bee capable of excesse this might seeme so in him For that which was said of Anastasius the Emperor Euagr. l. 3. c. 34. that hee would attempt no exploit though neuer so famous if it might cost the price of Christian blood and that which was said of Mauritius Euagr. l. 6. c. 1. that by his good will hee would not haue so much as a Traitor dye and that of Vespasian Sueton. Vesp Socr. l. 7. c. 22. that hee wept euen for iust executions and lastly that of Theodosius that hee wisht hee could recall those to life againe that had wronged him may in some sense bee iustly verified of our mercifull Soueraigne I pray God the measure of this vertue may neuer hurt himselfe I am sure the want of it shall neuer giue cause of complaint to his aduersaries But among all his Heroicall Graces which commend him as a Man as a Christian as a King Pietie and firmenesse in Religion calls me to it and will not suffer me to deferre the mention of it any longer A priuate man vnsetled in opinion is like a loose tooth in the head troublesome and vse-lesse but a publique person vnstayed is dangerous Resolution for the truth is so much better than knowledge by how much the possessing of a treasure is better than knowing where it is With what zeale did his Maiestie flie vpon the blasphemous nouelties of Vorstius How many solicitations threats promises profers hath hee trampled vnder his feet in former times for but a promise of an indifferent conniuence at the Romish religion Was it not an answer worthy of a King worthy of marble and brasse Watson B. Barl. answer to Parsons pag. 115. è Com. Northamp lib. that hee made vnto their agent for this purpose in the times of the greatest perill of resistance That all the Crownes and Kingdomes in this world should not induce him to change any iot of his profession Hath hee not so ingaged himselfe in this holy quarrell that the world confesses Rome had neuer such a◠Aduersarie and all Christian Princes reioyce to follow him as their worthy leader in all the battels of God and all Christian Churches in their prayers acclamations stile him in a double right Defender of the Faith more by desert than inheritance But because as the Sunne beames so praises are more kindly when they are cast oblique vpon their obiects than when they fall directly let me shew you him rather in the blessings we receiue from him than in the graces which are in him And not to insist vpon his extinguishing of those hellish feudes in Scotland and the reducing of those barbarous borderers to ciuilitie and order two acts worthy of eternitie and which no hand but his could doe Consider how great things the Lord hath done for vs by him in our Peace in our freedome of the Gospell in our Deliuerance Continuance detracts from the value of any fauour Little do we know the price of peace If wee had beene in the coat of our forefathers or our neighbours wee should haue knowne how to esteeme this deare blessing of God Oh my deare brethren wee neuer knew what it was to heare the murdering peeces about our eares to see our Churches and houses flaming ouer our heads to heare the fearefull cracks of their fals mixed with the confused out-cries of men Tum vero gemitus morientū sanguine in alto Armaque corporaque permisti caede virorum Semianimos voluuntur equi Virg. Aen. 11. killing incouraging to kill or resist dying and the shriekings of women and children we neuer saw tender babes snatcht from the breasts of their mothers now bleeding vpon the stones or sprawling vpon the pikes and the distracted mother rauished ere shee may haue leaue to die Wee neuer saw men and horses lie wallowing in their mingled bloud and the ghastly visages of death deformed with wounds The impotent wife hanging with teares on her armed husband as desirous to die with him with whom she may not liue The amazed runnings to and fro of those that would faine escape if they knew how and the furious pace of a bloudy victor The rifling of houses for spoile and euery souldier running with his load and ready to fight with other for our booty The miserable captiue driuen manicled before the insulting enemy Neuer did wee know how cruell an Aduersarie is and how burdensome an helper is in warre Looke round about you All your neighbours haue seene and tasted these calamities All the rest of the world haue beene whirled about in these wofull tumults onely this ILAND hath like the center stood vnmoueable Nam cum tristis hyems alias produxerit vndas Tum Nilum retinent ripae Claud. Epigr. Onely this ISLE hath beene like Nilus which when all other waters ouer-flow keeps within the banks That we are free from these and a thousand other miseries of warre Whither should we ascribe it but next vnder God to his Anointed as a King as a King of Peace For both Anarchie is the mother of diuision as we see in the State of ITALIE wherein when they wanted their King all ranne into ciuill broiles Otho Fris lib. 7. cap. 29. The Venetians with them of Rauenna Verona and Vincentia with the Paduans and Taruisians The Pisans and Florentines with them of Luca and Sienna And besides euery King is not a Peace-maker Ours is made of Peace Socr. lib. 7. c. 22. There haue beene Princes which as the Antiochians said of IVLIAN taking occasion by the Bull which hee stampt in his coyne haue goared the world to death The breasts of some Princes haue beene like a Thunder-cloud whose vapours would neuer leaue working till they haue vented themselues with terror to the world Ours hath nothing in it but a gracious raine to water the inheritance of God Behold He euen He alone like to NOAHS Doue brought an Oliue of peace to the tossed Arke of Christendome Hee like another AVGVSTVS before the second comming of CHRIST hath becalmed the world and shut the iron gates of warre and is the bond of that peace hee hath made And if the Peace-maker both doth blesse and is blessed how should we blesse him and blesse God for him and hold our selues blessed in him Now what were peace without religion but like a Nabals sheepe-shearing like the fatting of an Epicurean hogge the very festiuall reuels of the Deuill But for vs we haue Gloria in excelsis Deo sung before our Pax in terris in a word we haue Peace with the Gospell Discors l. 1. c. 20. Due continuoue successioni di principi virtuosi fanno grandi effetti Plato 8. de Rep. Machiauel himselfe could say in his Discourses that two continued successions of vertuous Princes fanno grandi effetti cannot but doe great matters Wee proue it so
vnrighteousnesse we must redeeme it out of his hands with the highest ransome What is the price That is the maine thing in buying For Buying is no other than pactio pretij Else-where God proclaimes Hoe euery one that thirsteth come buy wine and milke without money and without price Esay 55. This is a Donation in forme of sale But here must be a price in the hand God will giue mercy and not sell it Hee will sell Truth and not giue it For what will he sell it First for Labour The Heathen Poet could say his gods sold learning for sweat The originall word here vsed is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Compara Get it any way either labore or precio yea labore vt precio This great foreman of Gods shop tells vs we cannot haue it vnder Prou. 2.4 Wee must seeke for her as siluer and search for her as for hid Treasures The veine of Truth lies low it must bee digged and delued for to the very center If Truth could be bought with ease and pleasure many a lazie Christian would bid faire for it who now resolue rather vpon want than toile The slothfull worldling will rather take vp a falshood for Truth than beat his braine to discerne Truth from falshood an error of free-cost is better than an high-rated Veritie Labour for Truth is turn'd ouer for the taske of Church-men no life sauours to these flegmaticke Spirits but that of the Lillies Neque laborant neque nent They neither labour nor spin This dull resolution is vnworthy of a Christian yea of a reasonable soule and if we should take vp no other for the body we should be fed with hunger and cloathed with nakednesse the earth should bee our fether-bed and the skie our Canopie wee should abound with want liue sauagely and die miserably It was the iust Canon of the Apostle He that labours not let him not eat Certainly he can neuer eat of the heauenly Manna of Truth that will not step forth to gather it Heare this yee delicate Courtiers that would heare a Sermon if yee could rise out of your beds that would lend God an houre if yee could spare it from your pleasures the God of heauen scornes to haue his precious Truth so basely vnder-valued if yee bid God lesse than labour for Truth I can giue you no comfort but that ye may goe to hell with ease The markets of Truth as of all other commodities varie It is the rule of Casuists Iustitia pretij non consistit in indiuiduo The Iustice of the Price doth not pitch euer vpon a point Sometimes the price of Truth hath risen it would not be bought but for danger sometimes not vnder losse not vnder disgrace not vnder imprisonment not vnder exile sometimes yet dearer not vnder paine yea sometimes it hath not gone for lesse than bloud It did cost Elias danger Michaiah disgrace Ieremie imprisonment the Disciples losse Iohn and Athanasius exile the holy Confessors paine the holy Martyrs death Euen the highest of these is pretium legitimum if God call for it how euer nature may tax it as rigorous yea such as the franke hearts of faithfull Christians haue bidden at the first word for Truth What doe yee weeping and breaking my heart For I am ready not to be bound only but to die for the name of the Lord Iesus saith S. Paul Act. 21. Skin for skin yea all that a man hath will he giue for his life saith Satan but skin and life and all must a man giue for Truth and not thinke it an hard penny-worth Neither count I my life deare vnto me that I may finish my course with ioy saith the chosen vessell to his Ephesians Oh the heroicall spirits of our blessed fore-fathers that stucke not to giue their dearest heart-bloud for but some corollaries of sacred Truth whose burning zeale to Truth consumed them before those fires of Martyrdome and sent vp their pure and glorious soules like Manoahs Angell to heauen in the flame Blessed be God Blessed be his Anointed vnder whose gracious Scepter we haue enioyed daies as much more happy than theirs as their hearts were more feruent than ours We may now buy Truth at a better hand stake but our labour we carrie it with thanks I feare there want not those that would be glad to marre the market It can be onely knowne to heauen what treacheries the malice of hell may be a brewing Had but that Powder once taken nothing had beene abated of the highest price of our Predecessors we had paid for euery dram of Truth as many ounces of bloud as euer it cost the frankest Martyr should the Deuill haue beene suffered to doe his worst we might not haue grudged at this price of Truth Non est delicata in Deum secura confessio qui in me credit debet suum sanguinem fundere saith Ierome Christian profession is no secure or delicate matter he that beleeues must be no niggard of his bloud But why thus deare Not without good reason Monopolies vse to enhance the price Ye can buy Truth at no shop but one In coelo praeparata est Veritas tua Psal 89.2 Thy truth is prepared in heauen And it is a iust Rule of Law Quisque in rebus suis est moderator arbiter Euery man may rate his owne Neither is this only the sole commoditie of God but besides deare to the owner Dilexisti veritatem Thou hast loued Truth saith the Psalmist And it is a true rule in the Cases of Commerce Affectus astimari potest Our loue may be valued in the price Yea O God thy loue to Truth cannot be valued It is thy selfe thou that art Truth it selfe hast said so I am the Way the Truth and the Life We cannot therefore know how much thou louest thy Truth because as thy selfe is infinite so is thy loue to thy selfe What should we hunt for comparisons If all the earth were gold what were it when euen very heauen it selfe is trash to thee in respect of Truth No maruell if thou set it at an high rate It is not more precious to thee than beneficiall to vs. It frees vs Iohn 8.32 It renues vs Iames 1.18 It confirmes vs Prou. 12.19 It sanctifies vs Iohn 17.17 It defends vs Psal 91.4 Shortly it doth all for vs that God doth for God workes by his Almighty word and his Word is Truth Iohn 17. Therefore buy the Truth And if truth be thus precious thus beneficiall how comes it to passe that it is neglected contemned Some passe by it and doe not so much as cheapen it Others cheapen it but bid nothing Others bid something but vnder foot Others bid well but stake it not Others lastly stake downe but reuoke it The first that passe by and cheapen it not are carelesse vnbeleeuers The next that cheapen it and bid nothing are formall Christians The third that bid something but not enough are worldly semi-Christians The fourth that bid well and stake
be brought to nothing and Atomes and dust is neerest to nothing that in stead of going before Israel it might passe thorow them so as the next day they might finde their god in their excrements To the iust shame of Israel when they should see their new god cannot defend himselfe from being either nothing or worse Who can but wonder to see a multitude of so many hundred thousands when Moses came running downe the Hill to turne their eyes from their god to him And on a sudden in stead of worshipping their Idoll to batter it in pieces in the very height of the noueltie In stead of building Altars and kindling fires to it to kindle an hotter fire then that wherewith it was melted to consume it In stead of dancing before it to abhorre and deface it in stead of singing to weepe before it There was neuer a more stiffe-necked people Yet I doe not heare any one man of them say He is but one man We are many how easily may we destroy him rather then hee our god If his brother durst not resist our motion in making it Why will we suffer him to dare resist the keeping of it It is our act and wee will maintaine it Here was none of this but an humble obeysance to the basest and bloodiest reuenge that Moses shall impose God hath set such an impression of Maiestie in the face of lawfull authoritie that wickednesse is confounded in it selfe to behold it If from hence visible powers were not more feared then the inuisible God the world would be ouer-runne with out-rage Sinne hath a guiltinesse in it selfe that when it is seasonably checked it puls in his head and seekes rather an hiding place then a fort The Idoll is not capable of a further reuenge It is not enough vnlesse the Idolaters smart The gold was good if the Israelites had not beene euill So great a sinne cannot be expiated without blood Behold that meeke spirit which in his plea with God would rather perish himselfe then Israel should perish armes the Leuites against their brethren and reioyces to see thousands of the Israelites bleed and blesses their executioners It was the mercy of Moses that made him cruell He had been cruell to all if some had not found him cruell They are mercilesse hands which are not sometimes imbrued in blood There is no lesse charitie then iustice in punishing sinners with death God delights no lesse in a killing mercy then in a pitifull iustice Some tender hearts would be ready to censure the rigour of Moses Might not Israel haue repented and liued Or if they must dye must their brethrens hand be vpon them Or if their throats must be cut by their brethren shall it be done in the very heat of their sinne But they must learne a difference betwixt pity and fondnesse mercy and vniustice Moses had an heart as soft as theirs but more hot as pitifull but wiser He was a good Physician and saw that Israel could not liue vnlesse he bled hee therefore le ts out this corrupt blood to saue the whole body There cannot bee a better sacrifice to God then the blood of Malefactors and this first sacrifice so pleased God in the hands of the Leuites that he would haue none but them sacrifice to him for euer The blood of the Idolatrous Israelites cleared that Tribe from the blood of the innocent Sichemites Contemplations THE SIXTH BOOKE The Vayle of Moses Nadab and Abihu Aaron and Miriam The Searchers of Canaan Corah's Conspiracie BY IOS HALL D. of Diuinitie and Deaue of WORCESTER TO THE RIGHT HONOVRABLE THOMAS LORD VISCOVNT FENTON CAPTAINE OF THE ROYALL GVARD ONE OF HIS MAIESTIES MOST HONOVRABLE PRIVY COVNSELLORS ONE OF THE HAPPY RESCVERS OF THE DEARE LIFE OF OVR GRACIOVS SOVERAIGNE LORD A WORTHY PATTERNE OF ALL TRVE HONOR I. H. DEDICATES THIS PART OF HIS MEDITATIONS AND WISHETH ALL INCREASE OF GRACE AND HAPPINESSE Contemplations THE SIXTH BOOKE Of the Vaile of MOSES IT is a wonder that neither Moses nor any Israelite gathered vp the shiuers of the former Tables Euery sheard of that stone and euery letter of that writing had beene a Relike worth laying vp but he well saw how headlong the people were to Superstition and how vnsafe it were to feed that disposition in them The same zeale that burnt the Calfe to ashes concealed the ruines of this Monument Holy things besides their vse challenge no further respect The breaking of the Tables did as good as blot out all the Writings defaced left no vertue in the stone no reuerence to it If God had not beene friends with Israel he had not renewed his Law As the Israelites were wilfully blind if they did not see Gods anger in the Tables broken so could they not but hold it a good signe of grace that God gaue them his Testimonies There was nothing wherein Israel out-stripped all the rest of the world more then in this priuiledge the pledge of his Couenant the Law written with Gods owne hand Oh what a fauour then is it where God bestowes his Gospell vpon any Nation That was but a killing letter this is the power of God to saluation Neuer is God throughly displeased with any people where that continues For like as those which purposed loue when they fall off call for their tokens back againe So when God begins once perfectly to mislike the first thing he with-drawes is his Gospell Israel recouers this fauour but with an abatement Hew thee two Tables God made the first Tables The matter the forme was his now Moses must hew the next As God created the first man after his owne Image but that once defaced Adam begat Cain after his owne Or as the first Temple razed a second was built yet so far short that the Israelites wept at the sight of it The first workes of God are still the purest those that he secondarily works by vs decline in their perfection It was reason that though God had forgotten Israel they should still find they had sinned They might see the footsteps of displeasure in the differences of the Agent When God had told Moses before I will not goe before Israel but my Angell shall lead them Moses so noted the difference that he rested not till God himselfe vndertooke their conduct So might the Israelites haue noted some remainders of offence whiles in stead of that which his owne hand did formerly make hee saith now Heâ— thee And yet these second Tables are kept reuerently in the Arke when the other lay mouldred in shiuers vpon Sinai like as the repaired repaired Image of God in our Regeneration is preserued perfited and layd vp at last safe in Heauen whereas the first Image of our created innocence is quite defaced so the second Temple had the glory of Christs exhibition though meaner in frame The mercifull respects of God are not tyed to glorious out-sides or the inward worthinesse of things or persons He hath chosen the weake
bidden If we will be vnseasonable in our good actions we may hurt and not benefit our selues Euery liuing thing in Iericho man woman child cattell must die our folly would thinke this mercilesse but there can bee no mercy in iniustice and nothing but iniustice in not fulfilling the charge of God The death of Malefactors the condemnation of wicked men seeme harsh to vs but we must learne of God that there is a punishing mercy Cursed be that mercy that opposes the God of mercy Yet was not Ioshua so intent vpon the slaughter as not to be mindfull of Gods part and Rahabs First he giues charge vnder a curse of reseruing all the treasure for God Then of preseruing the family of Rahab Those two Spyes that receiued life from her now returne it to her and hers They call at the window with the red cord and send vp newes of life to her the same way which they receiued theirs Her house is no part of Iericho neither may fire be set to any building of that City till Rahab and her family be set safe without the host The actions of our faith and charity will be sure to pay vs if late yet surely Now Rahab findes what it is to beleeue God whiles out of an impure idolatrous Citie she is transplanted into the Church of God and made a mother of a royall and holy posteritie Of ACHAN WHen the wals of Iericho were falne Ioshua charged the Israelites but with two precepts Of sparing Rahabs house and of abstaining from that treasure which was anathematized to God and one of them is broken As in the entrance to Paradise but one tree was forbidden and that was eaten of God hath prouided for our weaknesse in the paucity of commands but our innocency stands not so much in hauing few precepts as in keeping those we haue So much more guilty are wee in the breach of one as wee are more fauoured in the number They needed no command to spare no liuing thing in Iericho but to spare the treasure no command was enough Impartialitie of execution is easier to performe then contempt of these worldly things because we are more prone to couet for our selues then to pitie others Had Ioshua bidden saue the men and diuide the treasure his charge had been more plausible then now to kill the men and saue the treasure or if they must kill earthly minds would more gladly shead their enemies blood for a bootie then out of obedience for the glory of their Maker But now it is good reason since God threw downe those wals and not they that both the blood of that wicked Citie should be spilt to him not to their owne reuenge and that the treasure should bee reserued for his vse not for theirs Who but a miscreant can grudge that God should serue himselfe of his owne I cannot blame the rest of Israel if they were vvell pleased with their conditions onely one Achan troubles the peace and his sinne is imputed to Israel the innocence of so many thousand Israelites is not so forceable to excuse his one sinne as his one sinne is to taint all Israel A lewd man is a pernicious creature That hee damnes his owne soule is the least part of his mischiefe he commonly drawes vengeance vpon a thousand either by the desert of his sinne or by the infection Who would not haue hoped that the same God which for ten righteous men would haue spared the fiue wicked Cities should not haue beene content to drowne one sinne in the obedience of so many righteous But so venemous is sinne especially when it lights among Gods people that one dram of it is able to infect the whole masse of Israel Oh righteous people of Israel that had but one Achan How had their late circumcision cut away the vncleane foreskin of their disobedience How had the blood of their Paschal Lambe scoured their soules from couetous desires The world was well mended with them since their stubborne murmurings in the Desart Since the death of Moses and the gouernment of Ioshua I doe not find them in any disorder After that the Law hath brought vs vnder the conduct of the true Iesus our sinnes are more rare and our liues are more conscionable Whiles we are vnder the Law we do not so keep it as when wee are deliuered from it our Christian freedome is more holy then our seruitude Then haue the Sacraments of God their due effect when their receit purgeth vs from our old sinnes and makes our conuersation cleane and spirituall Little did Ioshua know that there was any sacriledge committed by Israel that sinne is not halfe cunning enough that hath not learned secrecie Ioshua was a vigilant Leader yet some sinnes will escape him Onely that eye which is euery where findes vs out in our close wickednesse It is no blame to authoritie that some sinnes are secretly committed The holiest congregation or family may be blemisht with some malefactors it is iust blame that open sinnes are not punished wee shall wrong gouernment if wee shall expect the reach of it should be infinite Hee therefore which if he had knowne the offence would haue sent vp prayers and teares to God now sends Spyes for a further discouery of Ai They turne with newes of the weaknesse of their aduersaries and as contemning their paucity perswades Ioshua that a wing of Israel is enough to ouershadow this city of Ai. The Israelites were so fleshed with their former victory that now they thinke no wals or men can stand before them Good successe lifts vp the heart with too much confidence and whiles it disswades men from doing their best oft-times disappoints them With God the meanes can neuer bee too weake without him neuer strong enough It is not good to contemne an impotent enemy In this second battell the Israelites are beaten It was not the fewnesse of their assailants that ouerthrow them but the sin that lay lurking at home If all the Host of Israel had set vpon this poore village of Ai they had beene all equally discomfited the wedge of Achan did more fight against them then all the swords of the Canaanites The victories of God go not by strength but by innocence Doubtlesse these men of Ai insulted in this foyle of Israel and said Loe these are the men from whose presence the waters of Iordan ran backe now they runne as fast away from ours These are they before whom the wals of Iericho fell downe now they are falne as fast before vs and all their neighbours tooke heart from this victory Wherein I doubt not but besides the punishment of Israels sinne God intended the further obduration of the Canaanites Like as some skilfull player loses on purpose at the beginning of the game to draw on the more abetments The newes of their ouerthrow spred as farre as the fame of their speed and euery City of Canaan could say Why not we as well as Ai But good
Ioshua that succeeded Moses no lesse in the care of Gods glory then in his gouernment is much deiected with this euent Hee rends his clothes fals on his face casts dust vpon his head and as if he had learned of his Master how to expostulate with God sayes What wilt thou doe to thy mighty Name That Ioshua might see God tooke no pleasure to let the Israelites lye dead vpon the earth before their enemies himselfe is taxed for but lying all day vpon his face before the Arke All his expostulations are answered in one word Get thee vp Israel hath sinned I do not heare God say Lye still and mourne for the sin of Israel It is to no purpose to pray against punishment while the sinne continues And though God loues to be sued to yet he holds our requests vnseasonable till there bee care had of satisfaction When we haue risen and redressed sin then may we fall downe for pardon Victory is in the free hand of God to dispose where hee will and no man can maruell that the dice of Warre run euer with hazard on both sides so as God needed not to haue giuen any other reason of this discomfiture of Israel but his owne pleasure yet Ioshua must now know that Israel which before preuailed for their faith is beaten for their sin When we are crossed in iust and holy quarrels we may well thinke there is some secret euill vnrepented of which God would punish in vs which though we see not yet he so hates that he will rather bee wanting to his owne cause then not reuenge it When we goe about any enterprise of God it is good to see that our hearts be cleere from any pollution of sin and when wee are thwarted in our hopes it is our best course to ransack our selues and to search for some sin hid from vs in our bosome but open to the view of God The Oracle of God which told him a great offence was committed yet reueales not the person It had been as easie for him to haue named the man as the crime Neither doth Ioshua request it but refers that discouery to such a meanes as whereby the offender finding himselfe singled out by the lot might bee most conuinced Achan thought he might haue lyen as close in all that throng of Israel as the wedge of Gold lay in his Tent. The same hope of secresie which moued him to sinne moued him to confidence in his sinne but now when hee saw the lot fall vpon his Tribe hee began to start a little when vpon his family he began to change countenance when vpon his houshold to tremble and feare when vpon his person to be vtterly confounded in himselfe Foolish men thinke to runne away with their priuie sinnes and say Tush no eye shall see me but when they thinke themselues safest God puls them out with shame The man that hath escaped iustice and now is lying downe in death would thinke My shame shall neuer be disclosed but before Men and Angels shall he be brought on the scaffold and find confusion as sure as late What needed any other euidence when God had accused Achan Yet Ioshua will haue the sinne out of his mouth in whose heart it was hatched My sonne I beseech thee giue glory to God Whom God had conuinced as a malefactor Ioshua beseeches as a son Some hot spirit would haue said Thou wretched traitor how hast thou pilfred from thy God and shed the blood of so many Israelites and caused the Host of Israel to shew their backes with dishonour to the Heathen now shall we fetch this sin out of thee with tortures and plague thee with a condigne death But like the Disciple of him whose seruant he was he meekely intreats that which he might haue extorted by violence My son I beseech thee Sweetnesse of compellation is a great helpe towards the good entertainment of an admonition roughnesse and rigor many times hardens those hearts which meekenesse would haue melted to repentance whether we sue or conuince or reproue little good is gotten by bitternesse Detestation of the sin may well stand with fauour to the person and these two not distinguished cause great wrong either in our charity or iustice for either we vncharitably hate the creature of God or vniustly affect the euill of men Subiects are as they are called sonnes to the Magistrate All Israel was not onely of the family but as of the loynes of Ioshua such must be the corrections such the prouisions of Gouernorus as for their children as againe the obedience and loue of subiects must be filiall God had glorified himselfe sufficiently in finding out the wickednesse of Achan neither need he honour from men much lesse from sinners They can dishonour him by their iniquities but what recompence can they giue him for their wrongs yet Ioshua sayes My sonne giue glory to God Israel should now see that the tongue of Achan did iustifie God in his lot The confession of our sins doth no lesse honour God then his glory is blemished by their commission Who would not be glad to redeeme the honour of his Redemer with his owne shame The lot of God and the mild words of Ioshua wonne Achan to accuse himselfe ingenuously impartially a storme perhaps would not haue done that which a Sun-shine had done If Achan had come in vncalled and before any question made out of an honest remorse had brought in this sacrilegious booty and cast himselfe and it at the foot of Ioshua doubtlesse Israel had prospered and his sinne had caried away pardon now he hath gotten thus much thanke that he is not a desperate sinner God will once wring from the conscience of wicked men their owne inditements They haue not more carefully hid their sinne then they shall one day freely proclaime their owne shame Achans confession though it were late yet was it free and full For he doth not onely acknowledge the act but the ground of his sinne I saw and coueted and tooke The eye betrayed the heart and that the hand and now all conspire in the offence If wee list not to flatter our selues this hath beene the order of our crimes Euill is vniforme and beginning at the senses takes the inmost fort of the soule and then armes our own outward forces against vs This shall once be the lasciuious mans song I saw and coueted and tooke This the theeues this the Idolaters this the gluttons drunkards All these receiue their death by the eye But oh foolish Achan with what eyes didst thou looke vpon that spoile which thy fellowes saw and contemned Why couldest thou not before as well as now see shame hid vnder that gay Babylonish garment and an heape of stones couered with those shekels of siluer The ouer-prizing and ouer-desiring of these earthly things caries vs into all mischiefe and hides from vs the sight of Gods iudgements whosoeuer desires the glory of metals or of gay clothes or
brethren and now a stone slaies him His head had stolne the crowne of Israel and now his head is smitten And what is Abimelec better that he was a King What difference is there between him and any of his seuenty brethren whom he murthered saue onely in guiltinesse They beare but their owne bloud he the weight of all theirs How pappy a thing is it to liue well that our death as it is certaine so may be comfortable What a vanity is it to insult in the death of them whom we must follow the same way The Tyrant hath his payment and that time which he should haue bestowed in calling for mercy to God and washing his soule with the last teares of contrition he vainely spends in deprecating an idle reproch Kill me that it may not be said He died by a woman A fit conclusion for such a life The expectation of true and endlesse torment doth not so much vexe him as the friuolous report of a dishonour neither is he so much troubled with Abimelec is frying in hell as Abimelec is slaine by a woman So vaine fooles are niggardly of their reputation and prodigall of their soules Doe we not see them runne wilfully into the field into the graue into hell and all lest it should be said They haue but as much feare as wit CONTEMPLATIONS THE TENTH BOOKE CONTAINING Ieptha Samson conceiued Samsons mariage Samsons victory Samsons end Michaes Jdolatry By IOS HALL D. of Diuinity and Deane of VVorcester AT LONDON Printed by IOHN BEALE and NATHANIEL BVTTER Ann. Dom. 1624. TO THE RIGHT HONOVRABLE MY SINGVLAR GOOD LORD SIR HENRY DANVERS KNIGHT BARON OF DANTESEY A WORTHY PATTERNE OF ALL TRVE NOBILITIE ACCOMPLISHED BOTH FOR WARRE AND PEACE A MVNIFICENT FAVOVRER OF ALL LEARNING AND VERTVE I. H. VVith humble apprecation of ALL TRVE HAPPINESSE DEDICATES THIS PART OF HIS POORE LABOVRS CONTEMPLATIONS THE TENTH BOOKE IEPTHA ISrael that had now long gone a whoring from God hath been punished by the regiment of the Concubines sonne and at last seekes protection from the sonne of an harlot It is no small misery to bee obliged vnto the vnworthy The Concubines Sonne made sute to them They make sure to the sonne of the harlot It was no fault of Ieptha that he had an ill mother yet is he branded with the indignity of is bastardie neither would God conceale this blemish of nature which Ieptha could neither auoide nor remedy God to shew his detestation of whoredome reuenges it not onely vpon the actors but vpon their issue Hence he hath shut out the base son from the congregation of Israel to the tenth generation that a transient euill might haue a durable reproch attending it and that after the death of the Adulterer yet his shame might liue But that God who iustly tyes men to his lawes will not abide that we should tye him to our lawes or his owne Hee can both rectifie and ennoble the bloud of Ieptha That no man should be too much discouraged with the errors of his propagation euen the base sonne of man may be the lawfully begotten of God and though he be cast out from the inheritance of his brethren vpon earth may be admitted to the Kingdome of Israel I heare no praise of the lawfull issue of Gilead onely this mis-begotten sonne is commended for his valour and set at the sterne of Israel The common gifts of God respect not the Parentage or bloud but are indifferently scatred where he pleases to let them fall The choice of the Almighty is not guided by our rules As in spirituall so in earthly things it is not in him that willeth If God would haue men glory in these outward priuiledges he would bestow them vpon none but the worthy Now who can be proud of strength or greatnesse when he sees him that is not so honest yet is more valiant and more aduanced Had not Ieptha been base hee had not been thrust out and if he had not been thrust out from his brethren hee had neur been the Captaine of Israel By contrary pases to ours it pleaseth God to come to his owne ends and how vsually doth he look the contrary way to that he moues No man can measure the conclusion of Gods act by his beginning He that fetches good out of euill raises the glory of men out of their ruine Men loue to goe the neerest way and often faile God commonly goes about and in his owne time comes surely home The Gileadites were not so forward to expell Ieptha as glad to recall him No Ammonite threatned them when they parted with such an helper Now whom they cast out in their peace they fetch home in their danger and misery That God who neuer gaue ought in vaine will finde a time to make vse of any gift that he hath bestowed vpon men The valour of Ieptha shall not rust in his secrcey but be imployed to the common preseruation of Israel Necessity will driue vs to seeke vp all our helps euen those whom our wantonnesse hath despised How iustly are the suits of our need vpbraided with the errors of our prosperity The Elders of Gilead now heare of their ancient wrong dare not finde fault with their exprobration Did yee not hate mee and expell mee out of my Fathers house How then come ye now to me in time of tribulation The same expostulation that Ieptha makes with Gilead God also at the same time makes with Israel Yee haue forsaken mee and serued other gods wherefore should I deliuer you any more Goe and cry vnto the gods whom yee haue serued As wee so God also findes it seasonable to tell his children of their faults whiles he is whipping them It is a safe and wise course to make much of those in our peace whom we must make vse of in our extremity else it is but iust that wee should be reiected of those whom we haue reiected Can we looke for any other answer from God then this Did ye not driue me out of your houses our of your hearts in the time of your health end iollity Did yee not plead the strictnesse of my charge and the weight of my yoke Did not your wilfull sinnes expell me from your soules What doe you now crouching and creeping to me in the euil day Surely O God it is but iustice if thou be not found of those which were glad to lose thee it is thy mercy if after many checks and delayes thou wilt be found at last Where an act cannot be reuersed there is no amends but confession and if God himself take vp with this satisfactiō He that confesses shall find mercy how much more should men hold themselues well paid with words of humility deprecation Iepthaes wisdome had not been answerable to his valour if he had not made his match before hand He could not but know how trecherously Israel had dealt with Gideon We cannot make too sure worke when we haue to doe with vnfaithfull
first encounter the Philistim receiues the first foile and shall first let in death into his eare ere it enter into his forehead Thou com'st to me with a sword and a speare and a sheild but I come to thee in the name of the Lord of Hosts the God of the host of Israel whom thou hast railed vpon This day shall the Lord close thee in my hand and I shall smite thee and take thine head from thee Here is another stile not of a boaster but of a Prophet Now shall Goliah know whence to expect his bane euen from the hands of a reuenging God that shall smite him by Dauid and now shall learne too late what it is to meddle with an enemy that goes vnder the inuisible protection of the Almighty No sooner hath Dauid spoken then his foot and hand second his tongue Hee runnes to fight with the Philistim It is a cold courage that stands onely vpon defence As a man that saw no cause of feare and was full of the ambition of victory hee flyes vpon that monster and with a stone out of his bag smites him in the forehead There was no part of Goliah that was capable of that danger but the face and that piece of the face the rest was defenced with a brazen wall which a weake sling would haue tryed to batter in vaine What could Goliah feare to see an aduersary come to him without edge or point And behold that one part hath God found out for the entrance of death He that could haue caused the stone to passe through the shield and brest-plate of Goliah rather directs the stone to that part whose nakednesse gaue aduantage Where there is power or possibility of nature God vses not to worke miracles but chuses the way that lies most open to his purposes The vaste fore-head was a faire marke but how easily might the sling haue missed it if there had not beene another hand in this cast besides Dauids Hee that guided Dauid into this field and raised his courage to this combat guides the stone to his end and lodges it in that seat of impudence There now lyes the great Defier of Israel groueling and grinning in death and is not suffered to deale one blow for his life and bites the vnwelcome earth for indignation that he dies by the hand of a Shepheard Earth and Hell share him betwixt them such is the end of insolence and presumption O God what is flesh and blood to thee which canst make a little peeble-stone stronger then a Gyant and when thou wilt by the weakest meanes canst strew thine enemies in the dust Where now are the two shields of Goliah that they did not beare off this stroke of death or wherefore serues that Weauers beame but to strike the earth in falling or that sword but to behead his Master What needed Dauid load himselfe with an vnnecessary weapon one sword can serue both Goliah and him If Goliah had a man to beare his shield Dauid had Goliah to beare his sword wherewith that proud blasphemous head is seuered from his shoulders Nothing more honours God then the turning of wicked mens forces against themselues There is none of his enemies but caries with them their owne destruction Thus didst thou O Sonne of Dauid foyle Satan with his owne weapon that whereby he meant destruction to thee and vs vanquished him through thy mighty power and raised thee to that glorious triumph and super-exaltation wherein thou art wherein we shall bee with thee IONATHANS Loue and SAVLS Enuy. BEsides the discomsiture of the Philistims Dauids victory had a double issue Ionathans Loue and Sauls Enuy which God so mixed that the one was a remedy of the other A good sonne makes amends for a way-ward father How precious was that stone that killed such an enemy as Goliah and purchased such a friend as Ionathan All Sauls Courtiers lookt vpon Dauid none so affected him none did match him but Ionathan That true correspondence that was both in their faith and valour hath knit their hearts If Dauid did set vpon a Beare a Lyon a Gyant Ionathan had set vpon a whole Host and preuailed The same Spirit animated both the same Faith incited both the same Hand prospered both All Israel was not worth this paire of friends so zealously confident so happily victorious Similitude of dispositions and estates tyes the fastest knots of affection A wise soule hath piercing eyes and hath quickly discerned the likenesse of it selfe in another as we doe no sooner looke into the Glasse or Water but face answers to face and where it sees a perfect resemblance of it selfe cannot choose but loue it with the same affection that it reflects vpon it selfe No man saw Dauid that day which had so much cause to dis-affect him none in all Israel should be a loser by Dauids successe but Ionathan Saul was sure enough setled for his time onely his Successor should forgoe all that which Dauid should gaine so as none but Dauid stands in Ionathans light and yet all this cannot abate one ior or dram of his loue Where God vniteth hearts carnall respects are too weake to disseuer them since that which breakes off affection must needs be stronger then that which conioyneth it Ionathan doth not desire to smother his loue by concealment but professes it in his cariage actions He puts off the Robe that was vpon him and all his garments euen to his Sword and Bow and Girdle giues them vnto his new friend It was perhaps not without a mystery that Sauls cloths fitted not Dauid but Ionathans fitted him and these he is as glad to weare as he was to be disburthened of the other that there might be a perfect resemblance their bodies are suted as well as their hearts Now the beholders can say there goes Ionathans other selfe If there bee another body vnder those clothes there is the same soule Now Dauid hath cast off his russet coate and his scrip and is a Shepheard no more he is suddenly become both a Courtier and a Captaine and a Companion to the Prince yet himselfe is not changed with his habit with his condition yea rather as if his wisedome had reserued it selfe for his exaltation he so manageth a sudden Greatnesse as that he winneth all hearts Honour shewes the man and if there be any blemishes of imperfection they will bee seene in the man that is inexpectedly lifted aboue his fellowes He is out of the danger of folly whom a speedy aduancement leaueth wise Ionathan loued Dauid the Souldiers honoured him the Court fauoured him the people applauded him onely Saul stomackt him and therefore hated him because he was so happy in all besides himselfe It had beene a shame for all Israel if they had not magnified their Champion Sauls owne heart could not but tell him that they did owe the glory of that day and the safety of himselfe and Israel vnto the sling of Dauid who in
how much they were victors then finding the dead corps of Saul and his sonnes they begin their triumphs The head of King Saul is cut off in lieu of Goliahs and now all their Idoll temples ring of their successe Foolish Philistims if they had not beene more beholden to Sauls sins than their gods they had neuer carried away the honour of those Trophees In stead of magnifying the iustice of the true God who punished Saul with deserued death they magnifie the power of the false Superstition is extremely iniurious to God It is no better than Theft to ascribe vnto the second causes that honor which is due vnto the first but to giue Gods glory to those things which neither act nor are it is the highest degree of spirituall robbery Saul was none of the best Kings yet so impatient are his subiects of the indignity offred to his dead corps that they will rather leaue their owne bones amongst the Philistims than the carcasse of Saul Such a close relation there is betwixt a Prince and Subiect that the dishonour of either is inseparable from both How willing should wee bee to hazard our bodies or substance for the vindication either of the person or name of a good King whiles hee liues to the benefit of our protection It is an vniust ingratitude in those men which can endure the disgrace of them vnder whose shelter they liue but how vnnaturall is the villany of those Miscreants that can bee content to bee actors in the capitall wrongs offered to soueraigne authoritie It were a wonder if after the death of a Prince there should want some Picke-thanke to insinuate himselfe into his Successor An Amalekite young man rides post to Ziklag to finde out Dauid whom euen common rumour â—ad notified for the annointed Heire to the Kingdome of Israel to bee the first Messenger of that newes which he thought could be no other than acceptable the death of Saul and that the tidings might be so much more meritorious hee addes to the report what hee thinkes might carrie the greatest retribution In hope of reward or honour the man is content to bely himselfe to Dauid It was not the Speare but the Sword of Saul that was the instrument of his death neither could this stranger finde Saul but dying since the Armour bearer of Saul saw him dead ere hee offered that violence to himselfe The hand of this Amalekite therefore was not guilty his tongue was Had not this Messenger measured Dauids foote by his owne Last hee had forborne this peece of the newes and not hoped to aduantage himselfe by this falshood Now he thinkes The tidings of a Kingdome cannot but please None but Saul and Ionathan stood in Dauids way Hee cannot chuse but like to heare of their remouall Especially since Saul did so tyrannously persecute his innocence If I shall onely report the fact done by another I shall goe away but with the recompence of a â—â—ckie Post whereas if I take vpon mee the action I am the man to whome Dauid is beholden for the Kingdome hee cannot but honour and require mee as the Authour of his deliuerance and happinesse Worldly mindes thinke no man can be of any other than their owne dyet and because they finde the respects of selfe-loue and priuate profit so strongly preuailing with themselues they cannot conceiue how these should be capable of a repulse from others How much was this Amalekite mocked of his hopes whiles he imagined that Dauid would now triumph and feast in the assured expectation of the Kingdome and Possession of the Crowne of Israel he findes him renting his clothes and wringing his handes and weeping and mourning as if all his comfort had bin dead with Saul and Ionathan and yet perhaps hee thought This sorrow of Dauid is but fashionable such as greate heires make shew of in the fatall day they haue longed for These teares will soone be dry the sight of a Crowne will soone breed a succession of other passions But this errour is soone corrected For when Dauid had entertayned this Bearer with a sadfast all the day hee cals him forth in the euening to execution How wast thou not afraid saith he to put forth thy hand to destroy the Annoynted of the Lord Doubtlesse the Amalekite made many faire pleas for himselfe out of the grounds of his owne report Alas Saul was before falne vpon his owne Speare It was but mercie to kill him that was halfe dead that hee might die the shorter Besides his entreaty and importunate prayers mooued mee to hasten him through those painefull gates of death had I striken him as an enemy I had deserued the blow I had giuen now I lent him the hand of a friend why am I punished for obeying the voyce of a King and for perfiting what himselfe begun and could not finish And if neither his owne wound nor mine had dispatched him the Philistims were at his heeles ready to doe this same act with insultation which I did in fauour and if my hand had not preuented them where had beene the Crowne of Israel which I now haue here presented to thee I could haue deliuered that to King Achish and haue beene rewarded with honour let me not dye for an act well meant to thee how euer construed by thee But no pretence can make his owne tale not deadly Thy bloud be vpon thine owne head for thine owne mouth hath testified aganst thee saying I haue slaine the Lords Annoynted It is a iust supposition that euery man is so great a Fauourer of himselfe that hee will not mis-report his owne actions nor say the worst of himselfe In matter of confession men may without iniury be taken at their words If hee did it his fact was capitall If hee did it not his lye It is pitty any other recompence should befall those false Flatterers that can be content to father a sinne to get thankes Euery drop of royall bloud is sacred For a man to say that hee hath shed it is mortall Of how farre different spirits from this of Dauid are those men which suborne the death of Princes and celebrate and canonize the Mutherers Into their secret let not my soule come my glory be thou not ioyned to their Assembly ABNER and IOAB HOw mercifull and seasonable are the prouisions of God Zildag was now nothing but ruines and ashes Dauid might returne to the soile where it stood to the roofes and wals he could not No sooner is he disappointed of that harbour than God prouides him Cities of Hebron Saul shall die to giue him elbow-roome Now doth Dauid finde the comfort that his extremity sought in the Lord his God Now are his clouds for a time passed ouer and the Sunne breakes gloriously forth Dauid shall reigne after his sufferings So shall we if we endure to the end finde a Crowne of Righteousnesse which the Lord the righteous Iudge shall giue vs at that day But though Dauid well knew
than the delicate Bed of her whom he thought as honest as he knew faire The Arke saith hee and Israel and Iudah dwell in Tents and my Lord Ioab and the Seruants of my Lord abide in the open Fields shall I then goe into my house to eat and drinke and lye with my Wife by thy life and by the life of thy soule I will not doe this thing Who can but bee astonished at this change to see a Souldier austere and a Prophet wanton And how doth that Souldiers austeritie shame the Prophets wantonnesse Oh zealous and mortified Soule worthy of a more faithfull Wife of a more iust Master how didst thou ouer-looke all base sensuality and hatedst to bee happy alone Warre and Lust had wont to bee reputed friends thy brest is not more full of courage than chastity and is so farre from wandring after forbidden pleasures that it refuseth lawfull There is a time to laugh and a time to mourne a time to embrace and a time to bee farre from embracing euen the best actions are not alwayes seasonable much lesse the indifferent Hee that euer takes libertie to doe what hee may shall offend no lesse than hee that sometimes takes libertie to doe what hee may not If any thing the Arke of GOD is fittest to leade our times according as that is eyther distressed or prospereth should wee frame our mirth or mourning To dwell in seeled Houses whiles the Temple lyes waste is the ground of Gods iust quarrell How shall wee sing a Song of the Lord in a strange Land If I forget thee O Ierusalem let my right hand forget her cunning If I doe not remember thee let my tongue cleaue to the roofe of my mouth yea if I preferre not Hierusalem to my chiefe ioy As euery man is a limme of the Communitie so must hee bee affected with the estate of the vniuersall bodie whether healthfull or languishing It did not more aggrauate Dauids sinne that whiles the Arke and Israel was in hazard and distresse hee could finde time to loose the reines to wanton desires and actions than it magnifies the religious zeale of Vriah that hee abandons comfort till he see the Arke and Israel victorious Common dangers or calamities must like the rapt motion carrie our hearts contrarie to the wayes of our priuate occasions He that cannot bee moued with words shall bee tried with Wine Vriah had equally protested against feasting at home and societie with his wife To the one the authoritie of a King forceth him abroad in hope that the excesse thereof shall force him to the other It is like that holy Captaine intended onely to yeeld so much obedience as might consist with his course of austeritie But Wine is a mocker when it goes plausibly in no man can imagine how it will rage and tyrannize hee that receiues that Traytour within his gates shall too late complaine of surprizall Like vnto that ill spirit it insinuates sweetly but in the end it bytes like a Serpent and hurts like a Cockatrice Euen good Vriah is made drunke the holiest soule may be ouer-taken It is hard gaine-saying where a King beginnes an health to a subiect Where oh where will this wickednesse end Dauid will now procure the sinne of another to hide his owne Vriahs drunkennesse is more Dauids offence than his It is weakly yeelded to of the one which was wilfully intended of the other The one was as the Sinner the other as the Tempter Had not Dauid knowne that Wine was an inducement to Lust hee had spared those superfluous Cups Experience had taught him that the eye debauched with Wine will looke vpon strange women The Drunkard may bee any thing saue good Yet in this the ayme failed Grace is stronger than Wine Whiles that with-holdes in vaine shall the fury of the Grape attempt to carry Vriah to his owne Bed Sober Dauid is now worse than drunken Vriah Had not the King of Israel beene more intoxicate with sinne than Vriah with drinke hee had not in a sober intemperance climbed vp into that Bed which the drunken temperance of Vriah refused If Dauid had bin but himselfe how had he loued how had he honoured this honest and religious zeale in his so faithfull Seruant whom now he cruelly seekes to reward with death That fact which Wine cannot hide the Sword shall Vriah shall beare his owne Mittimus vnto Ioab Put yee Vriah in the fore-front of the strength of the Battle and recule backe frō him that he may be smitten and dye What is becomne of thee O thou good spirit that hadst woont to guide thy chosen Seruant in his former wayes Is not this the man whom we lately saw so heart smitten for but cutting off the lap of the Garment of a Wicked Master that is now thus lauish of the bloud of a gracious and well-deseruing Seruant Could it be likely that so worthy a Captaine could fall alone Could Dauid haue expiated this sinne with his owne bloud it had beene but well spent but to couer his sinne with the innocent bloud of others was a crime aboue astonishment Oh the deepe deceitfulnesse of sinne If the Deuill should haue comne to Dauid in the most louely forme of Bathsheba her selfe and at the first should haue directly and in termes solicited him to murder his best Seruant I doubt not but hee would haue spat scorne in that face on which hee should otherwise haue doted now by many cunning windings Satan rises vp to that tentation and preuailes that shall bee done for a colour of guiltinesse whereof the foule would haue hated to bee immediately guiltie Euen those that finde a iust horror in leaping downe from some high Tower yet may bee perswaded to descend by stayres to the bottome Hee knowes not where he shall stay that hath willingly flipt into a knowne wickednesse How many doth an eminent offender draw with him into euill It could not bee but that diuers of the Attendants both of Dauid and Bathsheba must bee conscious to that adulterie Great mens sinnes are seldome secret And now Ioab must be fetcht in as accessary to the murder How must this example needs harden Ioab against the conscience of Abners bloud Whiles he cannot but thinke Dauid cannot auenge that in mee which he acteth himselfe Honour is pretended to poore Vriah death is meant This man was one of the Worthies of Dauid their courage sought glorie in the difficultest exploits That reputation had neuer beene purchased without attempts of equall danger Had not the Leader and Followers of Vriah beene more treacherours than his Enimies were strong hee had come off with Victory Now hee was not the first or last that perished by his friends Dauid hath forgotten that himselfe was in like sort betrayed in his Masters intention vpon the dowrie of the Philistims-fore-skinnes I feare to aske Who euer noted so foule a plot in Dauids reiected Predecessour Vriah must be the Messenger of his owne death Ioab must be
to that name and bloud the going downe into Egypt had not so much difficulty as the staying there Their absence from their countrey was little better than a bannishment but what was this other than to serue a prentiship in the house of bondage to be any where saue at home was irkesome but to be in Egypt so many yeares amongst idolatrous Pagans must needs be painefull to religious hearts The Command of their God and the Presence of Christ makes amends for all How long should they haue thought it to see the Temple of God if they had not had the God of the Temple with them How long to present their sacrifices at the Altar of God if they had not had him with them which made all sacrifices accepted and which did accept the sacrifice of their hearts Herod was subtle in mocking the wise-men whiles he promised to worship him whom hee meant to kill now God makes the wise men to mocke him in disappointing his expectation It is iust with God to punish those which would beguile others with illusion Great spirits are so much more impatient of disgrace How did Herod now rage and fret and vainely wish to haue met with those false spies and tells with what torments he would reuenge their trechery and curses himselfe for trusting strangers in so important a businesse The Tyrants suspition would not let him rest long Ere many daies hee sends to inquire of them whom hee sent to inquire of Christ The notice of their secret departure increaseth his ielousie and now his anger runnes madde and his feare proues desperate All the infants of Bethleem shall bleed for this one And that hee may make sure worke hee cuts out to himselfe large measures both of time and place It was but very lately that the Starre appeared that the wise-men re-appeared not They asked for him that was borne they did not name when hee was borne Herod for more securitie ouer-reaches their time and fetches into the slaughter all the children of two yeears age The Priests and Scribes had told him the towne of Bethleem must bee the place of the Messia's natiuity He fetches in all the children of the coasts adioyning yea his owne shall for the time be a Bethleemite A tyrannous guiltinesse neuer thinkes it selfe safe but euer seekes to assure it selfe in the excesse of cruelty Doubtlesse hee which so priuily inquired for Christ did as secretly brew this massacre The mothers were set with their children on their laps feeding them with the brest or talking to them in the familiar language of their loue when suddenly the Executioner rushes in and snatches them from their armes and at once pulling forth his Commission and his knife without regard to shrikes or teares murthers the innocent babe and leaues the passionate mother in a meane betweene madnesse and death What cursing of Herod what wringing of hands what condoling what exclaiming was now in the streets of Bethleem O bloudy Herod that couldst sacrifice so many harmelesse liues to thine ambition What could those infants haue done If it were thy person whereof thou wert afraid what likelihood was it thou couldst liue till those sucklings might endanger thee This newes might affect thy successors it could not concerne thee if the heate of an impotent and furious enuy had not made thee thirsty of bloud It is not long that thou shalt enioy this cruelty After a few hatefull yeeres thy soule shall feele the weight of so many innocents of so many iust curses He for whose sake thou killedst so many shall strike thee with death and then what wouldest thou haue giuen to haue bin as one of those infants whom thou murtheredst In the meane time when thine executioners returned and told thee of their vnpartiall dispatch thou smiledst to thinke how thou had defeated thy riuall and beguiled the starre and deluded the prophesies whiles God in heauen and his Son on earth laugh thee to scorne and make thy rage an occasion of further glory to him whom thou meantest to suppresse He that could take away the liues of others cannot protract his owne Herod is now sent home The coast is cleare for the returne of that holy family Now God cals them from their exile Christ and his Mother had not stayed so long out of the confines of the reputed visible Church but to teach vs continuance vnder the Crosse Sometimes God sees it good for vs not to sip of the cup of affliction but to make a dict-drinke of it for constant and common vse If he allow vs no other liquor for many yeeres we must take it off cheerefully and know that it is but the measure of our betters Ioseph and Mary stirre not without a command their departure stay remoouall is ordered by the voice of God If Egypt had beene more tedious vnto them they durst not moue their foot till they were bidden It is good in our owne businesse to follow reason or custome but in Gods businesse if we haue any other guide but himselfe we presume and cannot expect a blessing O the wonderfull dispensation of God in concealing of himselfe from men Christ was now some fiue yeeres old he beares himselfe as an infant and knowing all things neither takes nor giues notice of ought concerning his remoouall and disposing but appoints that to be done by his Angell which the Angell could not haue done but by him Since hee would take our nature he would be a perfect childe suppressing the manifestation and exercise of that God-head whereto that infancy-nature was conioyned Euen so O Sauiour the humility of thine infancy was answerable to that of thy birth The more thou hidest and abasest thy selfe for vs the more should we magnifie thee the more should we deiect our selues for thee Vnto Thee with the Father and the holy Ghost be all honour and glory now and for euer Amen FJNJS Contemplations VPON THE HISTORIE OF THE NEW TESTAMENT The second Booke Containing Christ among the Doctors Christ Baptized Christ Tempted Simon Called The Mariage in Cana. The good Centurion By IOS HALL SIC ELEVABITVR FILIVS HOMINIS Io 3. ANCHORA FIDEI Printed for THOMAS PAVIER MILES FLESHER and John Haviland 1624. TO THE HONORABLE GENERALL SIR EDVVARD CECILL KNIGHT all honor and happinesse Most Honored Sir THe store of a good Scribe is according to our Sauiour both old and new J would if J durst be ambitious of this onely honor hauing therefore drawne forth these not-friuolous thoughts out of the old Testament I fetch these following from the new God is the same in both as the body differs not with the age of the sute with the change of robes The olde and new wine of holy Truth came both out of one vineyard yet here may wee safely say to the Word of his Father as was said to the Bridegroome of Cana Thou hast kept the best wine till the last The authority of both is equally sacred the vse admits no lesse
draw blood of that backe which is yet blew from the hand of the Almighty If Shimei had not presumed vpon Dauids deiection he durst not haue beene thus bold now he that perhaps durst not haue lookt at one of those Worthies single defies them all at once and doth both cast and speak stones against Dauid and all his army The malice of base spirits sometimes caries them further then the courage of the valiant In all the time of Dauids prosperity we heard no newes of Shimei his silence and colourable obedience made him passe for a good subiect yet all that while was his heart vnsound and trayterous Peace and good successe hides many a false heart like as a Snow-drift couers an heap of dung which once melting away descries the rottennesse that lay within Honour and welfare are but flattering glasses of mens affections aduersity will not deceiue vs but will make a true report as of our owne powers so of the disposition of others He that smiled on Dauid in his throne curseth him in his flight if there be any quarrels any exceptions to be taken against a man let him look to haue them laid in his dish when he fares the hardest This practice haue wicked men learnt of their master to take the vtmost aduantages of our afflictions Hee that suffers had need to bee double armed both against paine and censure Euery word of Shimei was a slaunder He that tooke Sauls speare from his head and repented to haue but cut the lap of his garment is reproched as a man of blood The man after Gods owne heart is branded for a man of Belial Hee that was sent for out of the fields to be anointed is taxed for an vsurper If Dauids hands were stained with blood yet not of Sauls House It was his seruant not his master that bled by him yet is the blood of the Lords anointed cast in Dauids teeth by the spight of a false tongue Did we not see Dauid after all the proofes of his humble loyalty shedding the blood of that Amalakite who did but say he shed Sauls Did wee not heare him lament passionately for the death of so ill a master chiding the mountaines of Gilboa on which he fell and angerly wishing that no dew might fall where that blood was poured out and charged the daughters of Israel to weepe ouer Saul who had clothed them in scarlet Did we not heare and see him inquiring for any remainder of the House of Saul that he might shew him the kindnesse of God Did wee not see him honouring lame Mephibosheth with a princely seat at his owne table Did we not see him reuenging the blood of his riuall Ishbosheth vpon the heads of Rechab and Baanah What could any liuing man haue done more to wipe off these bloody aspersions Yet is not a Shimei ashamed to charge innocent Dauid with all the blood of the House of Saul How is it likely this clamorous wretch had secretly traduced the name of Dauid all the time of his gouernment that dares thus accuse him to his face before all the mighty men of Israel who were witnesses of the contrary The greater the person is the more open doe his actions lie to mis-interpretation and censure Euery tongue speakes partially according to the interest he hath in the cause or the patient It is not possible that eminent persons should be free from imputations Innocence can no more protect them then power If the patience of Dauid can digest this indignity his traine cannot their fingers could not but itch to returne iron for stones If Shimei raile on Dauid Abishai ralies on Shimei Shimei is of Sauls Family Abishai of Dauids each speakes for his owne Abishai most iustly bends his tongue against Shimei as Shimei against Dauid most vniustly Had Shimei beene any other then a dog he had neuer so rudely barked at an harmlesse passenger neither could he deserue lesse then the losse of that head which had vttered such blasphemies against Gods anointed The zeale of Abishai doth but plead for iustice and is checked What haue I to doe with you ye sonnes of Zeruiah Dauid said not so much to his reuiler as to his abettor Hee well saw that a reuenge was iust but not seasonable he found the present a fit time to suffer wrongs not to right them he therefore giues way rather meekly to his owne humiliation then to the punishment of another There are seasons wherein lawfull motions are not fit to bee cherished Anger doth not become a mourner One passion at once is enough for the soule Vnaduised zeale may be more preiudiciall then a cold remisnesse What if the Lord for the correction of his seruant haue said vnto Shimei Curse Dauid yet is Shimeies curse no lesse worthy of Abishaies sword the sinne of Shimeies curse was his owne the smart of the curse was Gods God wils that as Dauids chastisement which hee hates as Shimeies wickednesse That lewd tongue moued from God it moued lewdly from Satan Wicked men are neuer the freer from guilt or punishment for that hand which the holy God hath in their offensiue actions Yet Dauid can say Let him alone and let him curse for the Lord hath bidden him as meaning to giue a reason of his owne patience rather then Shimeies impunity the issue shewed how well Dauid could distinguish betwixt the act of God and of a traytor how hee could both kisse the rod and burne it There can be none so strong motiue of our meek submission to euils as the acknowledgement of their originall Hee that can see the hand of God striking him by the hand or tongue of an enemy shall more awe the first mouer of his harm then maligne the instrument Euen whiles Dauid laments the rebellion of his sonne he gaines by it and makes that the argument of his patience which was the exercise of it Behold my son which came forth of my bowels seeketh my life how much more now may this Beniamite doe it The wickednesse of an Absalom may rob his father of comfort but shall helpe to adde to his fathers goodness It is the aduantage of great crosses that they swallow vp the lesse One mans sin cannot be excused by anothers the lesser by the greater If Absalom be a traytor Shimei may not curse and rebell But the passion conceiued from the indignitie of a stranger may be abated by the harder measure of our owne If we can therefore suffer because we haue suffered we haue profited by our affliction A weake heart faints with euery addition of succeeding trouble the strong recollects it selfe and is growne so skilfull that it beares off one mischiefe with another It is not either the vnnaturall insurrection of Absalom nor the vniust curses of Shimei that can put Dauid quite out of heart It may be that the Lord will looke on mine affliction and will requite good for his cursing this day So well was Dauid acquainted with the proceedings of
lust If now Dauid should haue returned to his owne bed hee had seconded the incest How much more worthy of separation are they who haue stained the mariage-bed with their wilfull sinne Amasa was one of the witnesses and abettors of Absaloms filthinesse yet is he out of policie receiued to fauour and imployment whiles the concubine suffer Great men yeeld many times to those things out of reasons of state which if they were priuate persons could not bee easily put ouer It is no small wisdome to engage a new reconciled friend that he may be confirmed by his owne act Therefore is Amasa commanded to leauie the forces of Iudah Ioab after many great merits and atchieuements lies rusting in neglect he that was so intire with Dauid as to bee of his counsell for Vriahs blood and so firme to Dauid as to lead all his battels against the house of Saul the Ammonites the Aramites Absalom is now cashiered must yeeld his place to a stranger late an enemy Who knows not that this sonne of Zeruiah had shed the blood of war in peace But if the blood of Absalom had not bin louder then the blood of Abner I feare this change had not been Now Ioab smarteth for a loyall disobedience How slippery are the stations of earthly honors and subiect to continuall â—â—ueability Happy are they who are in fauour with him in whom there is no shadow of change Where men are commonly most ambitious to please with their first imployments Amasa slackens his pace The least delay in matters of rebellion is perilous may be inrecouerable The sons of Zeruiah are not sullen Abishai is sent Ioab goes vnsent to the pursuit of Sheba Amasa was in their way whom no quarrell but their enâ—y had made of a brother an enemy Had the heart of Amasa beene priuy to any cause of grudge he had suspected the Kisse of Ioab now his innocent eyes looke to the lips not to the hand of his secret enemy The lips were smooth Art thou in health my brother the hand was bloody which smote him vnder the fift ribbe That vnhappy hand knew well this way vnto death which with one wound hath let out the Soules of two great Captaines Abaer and Amasa both they were smitten by Ioab both vnder the fift ribbe both vnder a pretence of friendship There is no enmity so dangerous as that which comes masked with loue Open hostility cals vs to our guard but there is no fence against a trusted trecherie We need not bee bidden to auoyde an enemy but who would run away from a friend Thus spiritually deales the world with our soules it kisses vs and stabs vs at once If it did not embrace vs with one hand it could not murther vs with the other Onely God deliuer vs from the danger of 〈◊〉 trust and we shall be safe Ioab is gone and leaues Amasa wallowing in blood That spectacle cannot but stay all passengers The death of great persons drawes euer many eyes Each man sayes Is not this my Lord Amasa Wherefore doe we goe to fight whiles our Generall lyes in the dust What a sad presage is this of our owne miscariage The wit of Ioabs followers hath therefore soone both remoued Amasa out of the way and couered him not regarding so much the losse as the eye-sore of Israel Thus wicked Politicks care not so much for the commission of villany as for the notice Smothered euils are as not done If oppressions if murders if treasons may be hid from view the obdured heart of the offender complaines not of remorse Bloody Ioab with what face with what heart canst thou pursue a Traitor to thy King whiles thy selfe art so foule a Traitor to thy friend to thy cozen-german and in so vnseasonable a slaughter to thy Soueraigne whose cause thou professest to reuenge If Amasa were now in an act of loyalty iustly on Gods part payd for the arerages of his late rebellion yet that it should bee done by thy hand then and thus it was flagitiously cruell Yet behold Ioab runs away securely with the fact haâ—â—â—ing to plague that in another whereof himselfe was no lesse guilty So vast are the gorges of some consciences that they can swallow the greatest crimes and find no straine in the passage It is possible for a man to be faithfull to some one person and perfidious to all others I do not find Ioab other then firme and loyall to Dauid in the midst of all his priuate falshoods whose iust quarrell he pursues against Sheba through all the Tribes of Israel None of all the strong Forts of reuolted Israel can hide the Rebell from the zeale of his reuenge The Citty of Abel lends harbor to that conspirator whom all Israel would and cannot protect Ioab casts vp a Mount against it and hauing inuironed it with a siege begins to worke vpon the wall and now after long chase is in hand to dig out that Vermin which hath earthed himselfe in this borough of Bethmaachah Had not the City been strong and populous Sheba had not cast himselfe for succor within those wals yet of all the inhabitants I see not any one man moue for the preseruation of their whole body Onely a woman vndertakes to treat with Ioab for their safety Those men whose spirits were great enough to maintaine a Traitor against a mighty King scorne not to giue way to the wisdome of a matron There is no reason that sexe should disparage where the vertue and merit is no lesse then masculine Surely the soule acknowledgeth no sex neither is varied according to the outward frame How oft haue we knowne female hearts in the brests of Men and contrarily manly powers in the weaker vessels It is iniurious to measure the act by the person and not rather to esteeme the person for the act She with no lesse prudence then courage challengeth Ioab for the violence of his assault and layes to him that law which he could not bee an Israelite and disauow the Law of the God of peace whose charge it was that when they should come neere to a City to fight against it they should offer it peace and if this tender must be made to forainers how much more to brethren So as they must inquire of Abel ere they batter'd it War is the extreme act of vindicatiue iustice neither doth God euer approue it for any other then a desperate remedy and if it haue any other end then peace it turnes into publike murder It is therefore an inhumane cruelty to shed blood where we haue not profered faire conditions of peace the refusall whereof is iustly punished with the sword of reuenge Ioab was a man of blood yet when the wise woman of Abel charged him with going about to destroy a mother in Israel and swallowing vp the inheritance of the Lord with what vehemency doth hee deprecate that challenge God forbid God forbid it me that I should deuoure or destroy it Although that city with
call for the blood of the Gibeonites though drudges of Israel and a remnant of Amorites Why this There was a periury attending vpon this slaughter It was an ancient Oath wherein the Princes of the congregation had bound themselues vpon Ioshua's league to the Gibeonites that they would suffer them to liue an oath extorted by fraud but solemne by no lesse â—â—me then the Lord God of Israel Saul will now thus late either not acknowledge it or not keepe it out of his zeale therefore to the children of Israel and Iudah he roots â—ut some of the Gibeonites whether in a zeale of reuenge of their first imposture or in a zeale of inlarging the possessions of Israel or in a zeale of executing Gods charge vpon the brood of Canaanites he that spared Agag whom he should haue smitten smites the Gibeonites whom he should haue spared Zeale and good intention is no excuse much lesse a warrant for euill God holds it an high indignitie that his name should be sworne by and violated Length of time cannot dispense with our oathes with our vowes The vowes and oathes of others may binde vs how much more our owne There was a famine in Israel a naturall man would haue ascribed it vnto the drought and that drought perhaps to some constellations Dauid knowes to looke higher and sees a diuine hand scourging Israel for some great offence and ouer-ruling those second causes to his most iust executions Euen the most quick-sighted worldling is pore-blind to 〈◊〉 all obiects and the weakest eyes of the regenerate pierce the heauens and espy God in all earthly occurrences So well was Dauid acquainted with Gods proceedings that he knew the remouall of the iudgement must begin at the satisfaction of the wronged At once therefore doth he pray vnto God and treat with the Gibeonites What shall I doe for you and wherewith shall I make the atonement that I may blesse the inheritance of the Lord In vaine should Dauid though a Prophet blesse Israel at the Gibeonites did not 〈…〉 lesse them Iniuries done vs on earth giue vs power in heauen The oppressor is in no mans mercy but his whom he hath trampled vpon Little did the Gibeonites thinke that God had so taken to heart their wrongs that for their sakes all Israel should suffer Euen when we thinke not of it is the righteous Iudge auenging our vnrighteous vexations Our hard measures cannot bee hid from him his returnes are hid from vs It is sufficient for vs that God can bee no more neglectiue then ignorant of our sufferings It is now in the power of these despised Hiuites to make their owne termes with Israel Neither Siluer nor Gold will sauour with them towards their satisfaction Nothing can expiate the blood of their fathers but the blood of seuen sonnes of their deceased persecutor Here was no other then a iust retaliation Saul had punished in them the offence of their predecessors they will now reuenge Sauls sinne in his children The measure we mete vnto others is with much equity re-measured vnto our selues Euery death would not content them of Sauls sonnes but a cursed and ignominious hanging on the Tree Neither would that death content them vnlesse their owne hands might bee the executioners Neither would any place serue for the execution but Gibeah the Court of Saul neither would they doe any of this for the wreaking of their own fury but for the appeasing of Gods wrath We will hang them vp vnto the Lord in Gibeah of Saul Dauid might not refuse the condition Hee must deliuer they must execute Hee chooses out seuen of the sonnes and grand-children of Saul That house had raised long an vniust persecution against Dauid now God payes it vpon anothers score Dauids loue and oath to Ionathan preserues lame Mephibosheth How much more shall the Father of all mercies doe good vnto the children of the faithfull for the couenant made with their Parents The fiue sonnes of Adriel the Meholathite Dauids ancient riuall in his first loue which were borne to him by Merab Sauls Daughter and brought vp by her barren sister Michol the wife of Dauid are yeelded vp to death Merab was after a promise of mariage to Dauid vniustly giuen away by Saul to Adriel Michol seemes to abet the match in breeding the children now in one act nor of Dauids seeking the wrong is thus late auenged vpon Saul Adriel Merab Michol the children It is a dangerous matter to offer iniury to any of Gods faithfull ones If their meeknesse haue easily remitted it their God will not passe it ouer without a seuere retribution These fiue together with two sonnes of Rizpah Sauls Concubine are hanged vp at once before the Lord yea and before the eyes of the World No place but an Hill wil serue for this execution The acts of iustice as they are intended for example so they should be done in that eminent fashion that may make them both most instructiue and most terrifying Vnwarrantable courses of priuate reuenge seeke to hide their heads in secresie The beautifull face of iustice both affects the light and becomes it It was the generall charge of Gods Law that no corps should remaine all night vpon the gibbet The Almighty hath power to dispense with his owne command so doubtlesse he did in this extraordinary case these carkasses did not defile but expiate Sorrowfull Rizpah spreads her a Tent of Sackcloth vpon the Rocke for a sad attendance vpon those sonnes of her wombe Death might bereaue her of them not them of her loue This spectacle was not more grieuous to her then pleasing to God and happy to Israel Now the clouds drop â—â—messe and the earth runs forth into plenty The Gibeonites are satisfied God reconciled Israel relieued How blessed a thing it is for any Nation that iustice is vnpartially executed euen vpon the mighty A few drops of blood haue procured large showres from Heauen A few carkasses are a rich compost to the earth The drought and dearth remoue away with the breath of those pledges of the offender Iudgements cannot tyrannize where iustice raignes as contrarily there can be no peace where blood cryes vnheard vnregarded The numbring of the people ISrael was growne wanton and mutinous God puls them downe first by the sword then by famine now by pestilence Oh the wondrous yet iust wayes of the Almightie Because Israel hath sinned therefore Dauid shall sinne that Israel may be punished Because God is angry with Israel therefore Dauid shall anger him more and strike himselfe in Israel and Israel through himselfe The spirit of God elsewhere ascribes this motion to Satan which here it attributes to God Both had their hand in the worke God by permission Satan by suggestion God as a Iudge Satan as an enemy God as in a iust punishment for sinne Satan as in an act of sinne God in a wise ordination of it to good Satan in a malicious intent of confusion Thus at once
our pride and false confidence in earthly things then with a fleshly criâ—â— though hainously seconded It was an hard and wofull choise of three yeares famine added to three fore-past or of three moneths flight from the sword of an enemie or three dayes pestilence The Almighty 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 wils that which was fore appointed in heauen We doe well beleeue thee O Dauid that thou wert in a wonderfull strait this very liberty 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 misery in all there is misery in any thou and thy people can die but once and once they must dye 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 bee no euill of punishment wherein God haue 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 fall 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 dayes pestilence then by so many yeares famine The wealthiest might auoid the dearth the swiftest might runne away from the sword no man could promise himselfe safety from that pestilence In likelihood Gods Angell would rather strike the most guilty Howeuer therefore Dauid might well looke to be inwrapped in the common destruction yet he rather chooseth to fall into that mercy which hee 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 alwayes auert temporall iudgements Gods Angell is abroad and within that short compasse of time sweepes away seuenty 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 we commonly smart These thousands of Israel were not so innocent that they should onely perish for Dauids sinne Their sinnes were the motiues both of this sinne and punishment besides the respect of Dauids offence they die for themselues It was no ordinarie 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 hee who doubtlesse had spent those three dismall dayes in the saddest contrition humbly casts himselfe downe at the feet of the auenger and layes himselfe ready for the fatall stroke of iustice It was more terrour that God intended in the visible shape of his Angell and deepeâ— humiliation and what he meant he 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 pray thee be against me and against my fathers house The better any man is the more sensible he is of his owne wretchednesse Many of those Sheepe were Wolues to Dauid What had they done They had done that which was the occasion of Dauids sinne and the cause of their owne punishment But that gracious penitent knew his owne sinne he knew not theirs and therefore can say I haue sinned What haue they done It is safe accusing where wee may be boldest and are best acquainted our selues Oh the admirable charitie of Dauid that would haue ingrossed the plague to himselfe and his house from the rest of Israel and sues to interpose himselfe betwixt his people and the vengeance He that had put himselfe vpon the pawes of the Beare and Lyon for the rescue of his Sheepe will now cast himselfe vpon the sword of the Angell for the preseruation of Israel There was hope in those conflicts in this yeeldance there could be nothing but death Thus didst thou O sonne of Dauid the true and great Shepheard of thy Church offer thy selfe to death for them who had their hands in thy blood who both procured thy death and deserued their owne Here he offered himselfe that had sinned for those whom he professed to haue not done euill thou that didst no sinne vouchsauest to offer thy selfe for vs that were all sinne Hee offered and escaped thou offeredst and diedst and by thy death we liue and are freed from euerlasting destruction But O Father of all mercies how little pleasure doest thou take in the blood of sinners it was thine owne pitie that inhibited the Destroyer Ere Dauid could see the Angell thou hadst restrained him It is sufficient hold now thy hand If thy compassion did not both with-hold and abridge thy iudgements what place were there for vs out of hell How easie and iust had it beene for God to haue made the shutting vp of that third euening red with blood his goodnes repents of the slaughter and cals for that Sacrifice wherewith he will be appeased An Altar must be built in the threshing floore of Araunah the Iebusite Lo in that very Hill where the Angell held the sword of Abraham from killing his Sonne doth God now hold the Sword of the Angel from killing his people Vpon this very ground shall the Temple after stand heere shall be the holy Altar which shall send vp the acceptable oblations of Gods people in succeeding generations O God what was the threshing-floore of a Iebusite to thee aboue all other soyles What vertue what merit was in this earth As in places so in persons it is not to bee heeded what they are but what thou wilt That is worthiest which thou pleasest to accept Rich and bountifull Araunah is ready to meet Dauid in so holy a motion and munificently offers his Sion for the place his Oxen for the Sacrifice his Carts Ploughs and other Vtensils of his Husbandry for the wood Two franke hearts are well met Dauid would buy Araunah would giue The Iebusite would not sell Dauid will not take Since it was for
It was fourescore yeeres agoe since the sentence of iudgement was denounced against the house of Eli now doth it come to execution This iust quarrell against Abiathar the last of that line shall make good the threatned iudgement The wickednesse of Elies house was neither purged by sacrifice nor obliterated by time If God pay slowly yet he payes sure Delay of most certaine punishment is neither any hindrance to his iustice nor any comfort to our miseries The Execution of IOAB and SHIMEI ABiathar shall liue though he serue not It is in the power of Princes to remit at least those punishments which attend the breach of humane Lawes good reason they should haue power to dispence with the wrongs done to their owne persons The newes of Adonijahs death and Abiathars remouall cannot but affright Ioab who now runnes to Gibeon and takes sanctuary in the Tabernacle of God all his hope of defence is in the hornes of the Altar Fond Ioab hadst thou formerly sought for counsell from the Tabernacle thou hadst not now needed to seeke to it for refuge if thy deuotions had not beene wanting to that Altar thou hadst not needed it for a shelter It is the fashion of our foolish presumption to looke for protection where wee haue not cared to yeeld obedience Euen a Ioab clings fast to Gods Altar in his extremity which in his ruffe and welfare he regarded not The worst men would be glad to make vse of Gods ordinances for their aduantage Necessity will driue the most profane and lawlesse man to God But what doe these bloody hands touching the holy Altar of God Miserable Ioab what helpe canst thou expect from that sacred pile Those hornes that were besprinkled with the blood of beasts abhorre to be touched by the blood of men that Altar was for the expiation of sin by blood not for the protection of the sin of blood If Adonijah fled thither and escaped it is murder that pursues thee more then conspiracie God hath no sanctuary for a wilfull Homicide Yet such respect doth Benaiah giue to that holy place that his sword is vnwilling to touch him that touches the Altar Those hornes shall put off death for the time and giue protraction of the execution though not preseruation of life How sweet is life euen to those who haue been prodigall of the blood of others that Ioab shifts thus to hold it but some few houres Benaiah returnes with Ioabs answer in stead of his head Nay but I will dy here as not daring to vnsheath his sword against a man sheltered in Gods tabernacle without a new commission Yong Salomon is so wel acquainted with the Law of God in such a case that he sticks not at the sentence he knew that God had enacted If a man come presumptuously vpon his neighbour to slay him with guile thou shalt take him from mine Altar that he may die He knew Ioabs murders had not been more presumptuous then guilefull and therefore he sends Benaiah to take away the offender both from God and men from the Altar and the world No subiect had merited more then Ioab When proclamation was made in Israel that who euer should smite the Iebusites first he should be the Chiefe and Captaine Ioab was the man When Dauid built some part of Ierusalem Ioab built the rest so as Ierusalem owes it selfe to Ioab both for recouery and reparation No man held so close to Dauid no man was more intent to the weale of Israel none so successefull in victories yet now is he cald to reckon for his old sinnes and must repay blood to Amasa and Abner It is not in the power of all our deserts to buy off one sinne either with God or man where life is so deeply forfaited it admits of no redemption The honest simplicity of those times knew not of any infamy in the execution of iustice Benaiah who was the great Marshall vnder Salomon thinkes not his fingers defiled with that fatall stroke It is a foolish nicenesse to put more shame in the doing of iustice then in the violating of it In one act Salomon hath approued himselfe both a good Magistrate and a good sonne fulfilling at once the will of a father and the charge of God concluding vpon this iust execution that vpon Dauid and vpon his seed and vpon his house and vpon his Throne there shall bee peace for euer from the Lord and inferring that without this there could haue beene no peace Blood is a restlesse suitor and will not leaue clamoring for iudgement till the mouth bee stopped with reuenge In this case fauour to the offender is cruelty to the fauourer Now hath Ioab paid all his arerages by the sword of Benaiah there is no suit against his corps that hath the honor of a buriall fit for a Peere of Israel for the neere cozen to the King Death puts an end to all quarrells Salomon strikes off the skore when God is satisfied The reuenge that suruiues death and will not be shut vp in the Coffin is barbarous and vnbeseeming true Israelites Onely Shimei remaines vpon the file his course is next yet so as that it shall be in his owne liberty to hasten his end Vpon Dauids remission Shimei dwels securely in Bahurim a town of the Tribe of Beniamin Doubtlesse when he saw so round iustice done vpon Adonijah and Ioab his guilty heart could not think Salomons message portended ought but his execution and now he cannot but be well pleased with so easie conditions of dwelling at Ierusalem and not passing ouer the brooke Kidron What more delightful place could he choose to liue in thē that city which was the glory of the whole earth What more pleasing bounds could he wish then the sweet bankes of Kidron Ierusalem could be no prison to him whiles it was a Paradise to his betters and if he had a desire to take fresh aire hee had the space of sixe furlongs to walke from the city to the brooke Hee could not complaine to bee so delectably confined And besides thrice euery yeere he might be sure to see all his friends without stirring his foot Wise Salomon whiles hee cared to seeme not too seuere an exactor of that which his father had remitted prudently laies insensible twigs for so foule an offender Besides the old grudge no doubt Salomon saw cause to suspect the fidelity of Shimei as a man who was euer knowne to be hollow to the house of Dauid The obscurity of a Country life would easily afford him more safe opportunities of secret mischiefe Many eies shall watch him in the citie he cannot looke out vnseene hee cannot whisper vnheard Vpon no other termes shall hee inioy his life which the least straying shall forfait Shimei feeles no paine in this restraint How many Nobles of Israel doe that for pleasure which he doth vpon command Three yeers hath he liued within compasse limited both by Salomons charge and his owne oath It was still in
to send me a gracious release of that strict charge Why should I thinke that Gods reuelations are not as free to others as to me and if this Prophet haue receiued a countermand from an Angell of God how shall I not disobey God if I doe not follow him Vpon this ground he returnes with this deceitfull host when the meat was now in his mouth receiues the true message of death from the same lips that brought him the false message of his inuitation Thus saith the Lord for as much as thou hast disobeyed the mouth of the Lord hast not kept the commandement of the Lord thy God but camest back and hast eaten bread and drunke water in the place forbidden thee thy carkasse shal not come to the Sepulcher of thy fathers Oh wofull Prophet when hee lookes on his host he sees his executioner whiles he is feeding of his body he heares of his carkasse at the table he heares of his denied Sepulcher and all this for eating and drinking where he was forbidden by God though bidden as from God The violation of the least charge of a God is mortall No pretences can warrant the transgression of a diuine command A word from God is pleaded on both sides The one was receiued immediately from God the other related mediately by man One the Prophet was sure of the other was questionable A sure word of God may not bee left for an vncertaine An expresse charge of the Almighty admitteth not of any checke His will is but one as himselfe is and therefore it is out of the danger of contradiction Me thinks I see the man of God change countenance at this sharpe sauce of his pleasing morsels his face before-hand is died with the palenesse of death me thinkes I heare him vrging many vnkind expostulations with his iniurious host who yet dismisses him better prouided for the ease of his iourny then he found him Perhaps this officiousnesse was our of desire to make some amends for his late seducement It is a poore recompence when he hath betrayed his life and wronged the soule to cast some courtesies vpon the body This old Bethelite that had taken paines to come and fetch the man of God into sin will not now goe backe with him to accompany his departure Doubtlesse hee was afraid to be in wrapped in the iudgement which hee saw hanged ouer that obnoxious head Thus the mischieuous guides of wickednesse leaue a man when they haue led him to his bane as familiar Deuils forsake their Witches when they haue brought them once into fetters The man of God returnes alone carefull no doubt and pensiue for his offence when a Lion out of the wood meets him assaults him kils him Oh the iust and seuere iudgements of the Almighty who hath brought this fierce beast out of his wild ranges into the high way to be the executioner of his offending seruant Doubtlesse this Prophet was a man of great holinesse of singular fidelity else he durst not haue been Gods Herald to carie a message of defiance to Ieroboam King of Israel in the midst of all his royall magnificence yet now for varying from but a circumstance of Gods command though vpon the suggestion of a diuine warrant is giuen for a prey to the Lion Our interest in God is so farre from excusing our sinne that it aggrauates it Of all others the sinne of a Prophet shall not passe vnreuenged The very wilde beasts are led by a prouidence Their wise and powerfull Creator knowes how to serue himselfe of them The Lions guard one Prophet kill another according to the commission receiued from their Maker What sinner can hope to escape vnpunished when euery creature of God is ready to be an auenger of euill The beasts of the field were made to serue vs we to serue our Creator When we forsake our homage to bim that made vs it is no maruell if the beasts forget their duty to vs and deale with vs not as Masters but as rebels When an holy man abuyes so dearely such a sleight frailty of a credulous mistaking what shall become of our hainous and presumptuous sinnes I cannot thinke but this Prophet died in the fauour of God though by the teeth of the Lion His life was forfeited for example his foule was safe Yea his very carkasse was left though torne yet faire after those deadly graspes as if God had said I will onely take thy breath from thee as the penalty of thy disobedience a Lion shall doe that which an apoplexie or feuer might doe I owe thee no further reuenge then may be satisfied with thy blood Violent euents doe not alwaies argue the anger of God Euen death it selfe is to his seruants a fatherly castigation But oh the vnsearchable wayes of the Almighty The man of God sinnes and dies speedily the lying Prophet that seduced him suruiues Yea wicked Ieroboam enioyes his Idolatry and treads vpon the graue of his reprouer There is neither fauour in the delay of stripes nor displeasure in the haste Rather whom God loues he chastises as sharply so speedily whiles the rest prosper to condemnation Euen the rod of a louing father may draw blood How much happier is it for vs that wee die now to liue for euer then that we liue a while to die euer Had this Lion set vpon the Prophet for hunger why did hee not deuoure as well as kill him Why did he not rather kill the beast then the man since we know the nature of the Lion such that he is not wont to assaile man saue in the extreme want of other prey Certainly the same power that imployed those fangs restrained them that the world might see it was not appetite that prouoked the beast to this violence but the ouer-ruling command of God Euen so O Lord thy powerfull hand is ouer that roaring Lion that goes about continually seeking whom hee may deuoure thine hand with-holds him that though he may shed the blood of thine elect yet he cannot hurt their soules and whiles he doth those things which thou permittest and orderest to thy iust ends yet he cannot doe lesser things which he desireth and thou permittest not The fierce beast stands by the carkasse as to auow his owne act and to tell who sent him so to preserue that body which he hath slaine Oh wonderfull worke of God the Executioner is turned Guardian and as the Officer of the highest commands all other creatures to stand aloofe from his chaâ—ge and commands the fearfull Asse that brought this burthen thither not to stirre thence but stand ready prest to recarie it to the Sepulcher and now when he hath sufficiently witnessed to all passengers that this act was not done vpon his own hunger but vpon the quarrell of his Maker he deliuers vp his charge to that old Prophet who was no lesse guilty of this blood then himselfe This old Seducer hath so much truth as both to giue a