Selected quad for the lemma: death_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
death_n	call_v	soul_n	zion_n	17	3	8.4035	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A68126	The vvorks of Ioseph Hall Doctor in Diuinitie, and Deane of Worcester With a table newly added to the whole worke.; Works. Vol. 1	Hall, Joseph, 1574-1656.; Lo., Ro.	1625 (1625)	STC 12635B; ESTC S120194	1,732,349	1,450

How many vaine men hast thou seene that haue gone into the field to seeke death in hope to finde an honour as foolish as themselues How many poore creatures hast thou mulcted with death for thine owne pleasure And canst thou hope that that God will make a by-way and a Posterne for thee alone that thou maiest passe to the next world not by the gates of death not by the bottome of the graue What then doest thou feare O my soule There are but two stages of death The Adiunct the bed and the graue This latter if it haue senslesnesse yet it hath rest The former if it haue paine yet it hath speedinesse and when it lights vpon a faithfull heart meets with many and strong antidotes of comfort The euill that is euer in motion is not fearefull That which both time and eternitie finde standing where it was is worthy of terrour Well may those tremble at death which finde more distresse within than without whose consciences are more sicke and neerer to death than their bodies It was thy Fathers wrath that did so terrifie thy soule O my Sauiour that it put thy body into a bloudy sweat The mention and thought of thy death ended in a Psalme but this began in an agonie Then didst thou sweat out my feares The power of that agonie doth more comfort all thine than the Angels could comfort thee That very voice deserued an eternall separation of horrour from death where thou saidst My God my God why hast thou forsaken me Thou hadst not complained of being left if thou wouldest haue any of thine left destitute of comfort in their parting I know not whom I can feare while I know whom I haue beleeued how can I be discouraged with the sight of my losse when I see so cleere an aduantage The Contrary What discomfort is this to leaue a fraile body to bee ioyned vnto a glorious head To forsake vaine pleasures false honours bootlesse hopes vnsatisfying wealth stormie contentments sinfull men perillous tentations a sea of troubles a gallie of seruitude an euill world and a consuming life for Freedome Rest Happinesse Eternitie And if thou wert sentenced O my soule to liue a thousand yeeres in this body with these infirmities how wouldest thou be wearie not of being only but of complaining Whiles ere the first hundred I should bee a childe ere the second a beast a stone ere the third and therefore should be so farre from finding pleasure in my continuance that I should not haue sense enough left to feele my selfe miserable And when I am once gone what difference is there betwixt the agedst of the first Patriarchs and mee and the childe that did but liue to be borne saue onely in what was and that which was is not And if this body had no weaknesse to make my life tedious yet what a torment is it that while I liue I must sinne Alas my soule euery one of thy knowne sinnes is not a disease but a death What an enemie art thou to thy selfe if thou canst not bee content that one bodily death should excuse thee from many spirituall to cast off thy body that thou maiest be stripped of the ragges yea the fetters of thy sinne and cloathed with the Robes of glorie Yet these termes are too hard Thou shalt not bee cast off O my body rather thou shalt be put to making this change is no lesse happy for thee than for thy partner This very skinne of thine which is now tawnie and wrinkled shall once shine this earth shall bee heauen this dust shall bee glorious These eyes that are now wearie of being witnesses of thy sinnes and miseries shall then neuer be wearie of seeing the beautie of thy Sauiour and thine owne in his These eares that haue beene now tormented with the impious tongues of men shall first heare the voice of the Sonne of God and then the voices of Saints and Angels in their songs of Alleluia And this tongue that now complaines of miseries and feares shall then beare a part in that diuine harmonie The comparisons In the meane time thou shalt but sleepe in this bed of earth hee that hath tried the worst of death hath called it no worse very Heathens haue termed them cousins and it is no vnusuall thing for cousins of bloud to carrie both the same names and features Hast thou wont O my body when the day hath wearied thee to lie downe vnwillingly to thy rest Behold in this sleepe there is more quietnesse more pleasure of visions more certaintie of waking more cheerefulnesse in rising why then art thou loth to thinke of laying off thy ragges and reposing thy selfe Why art thou like a childe vnwilling to goe to bed Hast thou euer seene any bird which when the cage hath beene opened would rather sit still and sing within her grates than flie forth vnto her freedome in the woods Hast thou euer seene any prisoner in loue with his bolts and fetters Did the Chiefe of the Apostles when the Angell of God shined in his Iayle and strooke him on the side and loosed his two chaines and bade him Arise quickly and opened both the woodden and Iron gate say What so soone yet a little sleepe What madnesse had it beene rather to slumber betwixt his two Keepers than to follow the Angell of God into libertie Hast thou euer seene any Mariner that hath saluted the sea with songs and the Hauen with teares What shall I say to this diffidence O my soule that thou art vnwilling to thinke of rest after thy toile of freedome after thy durance of the Hauen after an vnquiet and tempestuous passage How many are there that seeke death and cannot finde it meerely out of the irksomenesse of life Hath it found thee and offered thee better conditions not of immunitie from euils but of possession of more good than thou canst thinke and wouldest thou now flie from happinesse to be rid of it What Is it a name that troubles thee what if men would call sleepe death The Names wouldst thou be afraid to close thine eies what hurt is it then if he that sent the first sleepe vpon man whilest hee made him an helper send this last and soundest sleepe vpon mee whiles he prepares my soule for a glorious Spouse to himselfe It is but a parting which we call death as two friends when they haue lead each other on the way shake hands till they returne from their iourney If either could miscarry there were cause of sorrow now they are more sure of a meeting than of a parture what folly is it not to be content to redeeme the vnspeakable gaine of so deare a friend with a little intermission of enioying him He will returne laden with the riches of heauen and will fetch his old partner to the participation of this glorious wealth Goe then my Soule to this sure and gainefull traffique and leaue my other halfe in an harbour as safe

tune of that knowne song beginning Preserue vs Lord. THee and thy wondrous deeds O God Wi●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

did his Rocke and bring downe riuers of teares to wash away your bloodshed Doe not so much feare your iudgement as abhorre your sinne yea your selfe for it And vvith strong cries lift vp your guilty hands to that God whom you offended and say Deliuer me from blood-guiltinesse O Lord. Let me tel you As vvithout repentance there is no hope so with it there is no condemnation True penitence is strong and can grapple with the greatest sinne yea with all the powers of hell What if your hands be red vvith blood Behold the blood of your Sauiour shall wash away yours If you can bathe your selfe in that your Scarlet soule shall bee as white as Snow This course alone shall make your Crosse the way to the Paradise of God This plaister can heale all the fores of the soule if neuer so desperate Onely take heed that your heart be deepe enough pierced ere you lay it on else vnder a seeming skin of dissimulation your soule shall fester to death Yet ioy vs with your true sorrow vvhom you haue grieued with your offence and at once comfort your friends and saue your soule To Mr. IOHN MOLE of a long time now prisoner vnder the Inquisition at Rome EPIST. IX Exciting him to his wonted constancy and encouraging him to Martyrdome WHat passage can these lines hope to find into that your strait and curious thraldome Yet who would not aduenture the losse of this paines for him which is ready to lose himselfe for Christ what doe we not owe to you which haue thus giuen your selfe for the common faith Blessed bee the name of that God who hath singled you out for his Champion and made you inuincible how famous are your bonds how glorious your constancy Oh that out of your close obscurity you could but see the honour of your suffering the affections of Gods Saints and in some an holy enuie at your distressed happinesse Those wals cannot hide you No man is attended with so many eyes from earth and heauen The Church your Mother beholds you not with more compassion then ioy Neither can it be sayd how shee at once pities your misery and reioyces in your patience The blessed Angels looke vpon you with gratulation and applause The aduersaries with an angry sorrow to see themselues ouercome by their captiue their obstinate cruelty ouer-matched with humble resolution and faithfull perseuerance Your Sauiour sees you from aboue not as a meere spectator but as a patient with you in you for you yea as an agent in your indurance and victory giuing new courage with the one hand and holding out a Crowne with the other Whom would not these sights incourage who now can pity your solitarines The hearts of all good men are with you Neither can that place be but full of Angels which is the continuall obiect of so many prayers yea the God of heauen was neuer so neere you as now you are remoued from men Let me speake a bold but true word It is as possible for him to be absent from his heauen as from the prisons of his Saints The glorified spirits aboue sing to him the persecuted soules below suffer for him and cry to him he is magnified in both present with both the faith of the one is as pleasing to him as the triumph of the other Nothing obligeth vs men so much as smarting for vs words of defence are worthy of thankes but paine is esteemed aboue recompence How do we kisse the wounds which are taken for our sakes professe that we would hate our selues if we did not loue those that dare bleed for vs How much more shall the God of mercies bee sensible of your sorrowes and crowne your patience To whom you may truly sing that ditty of the Prophet Surely for thy sake am I flaine continually and am counted as a sheepe for the slaughter What need I to stir vp your constancy which hath already amazed and wearied your persecutors No suspition shall driue me hereto but rather the thirst of your praise He that exhorts to persist in well-doing while he perswades commendeth Whither should I rather send you then to the fight of your owne Christian fortitude which neither prayers nor threats haue beene able to shake Here stands on the one hand liberty promotion pleasure life and which easily exceeds all these the deare respect of wife and children whom your only resolution shall make widow and orphanes these with smiles and vowes and teares seeme to importune you On the other hand bondage solitude horror death and the most lingring of all miseries tuine of posterity these with frownes and menaces labour to affright you Betwixt both you haue stood vnmoued fixing your eyes either right forward vpon the cause of your suffering or vpwards vpon the crowne of your reward It is an happy thing when our own actions may be either examples or arguments of good These blessed proceedings call you on to your perfection The reward of good beginnings prosecuted is doubled neglected is lost How vaine are those temptations which would make you a loser of all this praise this recompence Goe on therefore happily keepe your eyes where they are and your heart cannot be but where it is and where it ought Looke still for what you suffer and for whom For the truth for Christ what can be so precious as truth Not life it selfe All earthly things are not so vile to life as life to truth Life is momentarie Truth eternall Life is ours the Truth Gods Oh happy purchase to giue our life for the truth What can we suffer too much for Christ He hath giuen our life to vs hee hath giuen his owne life for vs. What great thing is it if he require what he hath giuen vs if ours for his Yea rather if he call for vvhat he hath lent vs yet not to bereaue but to change it giuing vs gold for clay glory for our corruption Behold that Sauiour of yours weeping and bleeding and dying for you alas our soules are too strait for his sorrowes wee can be made but paine for him He vvas made sinne for vs vvee sustaine for him but the impotent anger of men he strugled vvith the infinite vvrath of his Father for vs. Oh vvho can endure enough for him that hath passed thorow death and hell for his soule Thinke this and you shall resolue vvith Dauid I will bee yet more vile for the Lord. The worst of the despight of men is but Death and that if they inflict not a disease vvill or if not that Age. Here is no imposition of that vvhich vvould not be but an hastning of that which vvill be an hastning to your gaine For behold their violence shall turne your necessitie into vertue and profit Nature hath made you mortall none but an enemie can make you a Martyr you must die though they vvill not you cannot die for Christ but by them How could they else deuise to make you happie

we haue it we must haue it from the blessed ordinances of God his Word and Sacraments which this place can afford vs. In vaine shall yee seeke for this deare Christians in a licentious Tauerne in a rich Counting-house in Chambers of dalliance in full Tables in Pompous Courts no not in thrones of earthly Maiesty Alas many of these are the make-bates betwixt Heauen and vs most of them can marre none of them can make our peace It is onely the despised Ministery of the Gospell the Word of reconciliation as it is called 2 Cor. 5.19 which sounds in Gods House that can doe it As yee loue your soules therefore as you would finde peace at the last and would looke with a comfortable assurance in the face of death and iudgement as yee would see a gracious Mercy-seate in the dreadfull Tribunall of God at the day of our last appearance frequent the House of God attend reuerently and conscionably vpon the sacred Institutions of God yeeld your selues ouer to be wrought vpon by the powerfull Gospell of Iesus Christ Oh be not you wanting vnto God he will not bee wanting vnto you but will make good this promise of his vnfaileable grace In this place will I giue peace It is a great word that is heere spoken Dabo pacem and therefore it is vndertaken by an omnipotent Agent I will giue peace If all the Angels of Heauen should haue said so wee should soone haue replied as Korah and his company did to Moses and Aaron Yee tooke too much vpon you Numbers 16.3 This worke is not for any finite power the stile of peace is the peace of God the stile of God the Mediator betwixt God and man is The Prince of Peace He is the true Salomon the other was but typicall It is hee onely that when the Disciples were tossed with contrary winds and threatning billowes could command the windes and waues to a calme It is hee onely that when his Church is tossed with the winds and waues of raging and impetuous enmitie can giue outward peace It is he onely that when the distressed soule is tossed with the winds and waues of strong temptation of weake diffidence can giue inward peace Iustly therefore doth he challenge this act as his owne I will giue peace We vse to say It is best treating of peace with a Sword in our hand Those who haue the aduantage of the warre may command peace vnderlings must stoope to such conditions as the victor will yeeld To shew vs therefore how easily he can giue peace God stiles himselfe the God of Hosts a title wherein he takes no small delight referring not to the being of the creature but to their marshaling not to their naturall estate but their militarie neither would God be lookt at in it as a Creator but as a Generall In but two of the Prophets Esay and Ieremy no lesse than an hundred and thirty times hath hee this stile giuen him Euery thing as it hath an existence from the Maker so an order from the Gouernour and that order is no other than warlike wherein it doth militare Deo serue vnder the colours of the Almighty All creatures are both mustred and trained and placed in Garrison and brought forth into the field in the seruice of their Creator they are all exercitus pugnatorum If yee looke into Heauen there is a company of heauenly Souldiers Luke 2. Neither was there onely the construction of Idolaters vniuersa militia coeli to which they burnt incense but of Moses himselfe Thus the Heauen and the Earth were finished and all the Host of them Gen. 2.1 If yee looke to the Earth not men only whom reason hath fitted for such designes but euen the brute yea the basest and indociblest of the brute creatures are ranged into arrayes euen the very Locusts though they haue no leader yet Egrediuntur per turmas They goe foorth by bands Prou. 30.27 And if ye looke into Egypt where for the time was Sedes belli you shall finde a band of Frogs that were appointed to march into the very bed-chamber the bed the ouens the dishes of Pharaoh you shall finde an host of Lice of Flies of Caterpillers sent against those Egyptian Tyrants Else-where ye shall finde troupes of Palmerwormes of Locusts of Cankerwormes of Caterpillers to set vpon Israel Ioel 1.4 Shortly where he meanes to preserue the fiery Charets and Horsemen of Heauen shall compasse Dothan Where hee meanes to destroy the most despicable of his creatures shall be armed to the ruine of the proudest Doth Goliah stalke forth to the defiance of the God of Israel A Pibble out of the brooke shall strew him on the ground Doth an Herod heare his flatterers gladly say Nec vox hominem sonat Stay but a while God sets his vermine vpon him all the Kings guard cannot master those Lice Hee hath Hornets for the Hiuites and Canaanites Exod 23. Mice for the Philistims 1. Sam. 6. Rats for the couetous Prelate A Flie for Pope Adrian A world of creatures for either defensiue or offensiue seruices Quare fremuerunt gentes Why doe the Heathen rage and the people imagine a vaine thing The Kings of the Earth set themselues and the Rulers take counsell together against the Lord and against his Annointed Presumptuous dust and ashes that dare rise vp against the God of hosts If a silly Ant out of a Mole-hill should march forth and proffer to wrestle a fall with a Gyant there were some proportion in this challenge there is none of a finite power to an infinite Should all the powers of Hell band themselues with those on earth Quis restitit What power haue they of being Who hath resisted his will of motion but from him whom they oppose How easily can he blow vpon their enterprises How easily can he command these to the dust those to their Chaines Bee confounded therefore O vaine men whose breath is in your nostrils and that not your owne neither when ye thinke of the power and Maiesty of the God of Hosts And why are we dismaid with the rumors or feares of the strongest oppositions Gebal and Ammon and Amelec the Philistims with them that dwell at Tyre Ashur also is ioyned to the incestuous children of Lot 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 O thou of little faith why fearest thou The Lord of hosts is with vs the God of Iacob is our refuge Psa 46. Come all ye Bands of wickednesse and conspire against the Scepter of the Kingdome that is the Gospell of Iesus Christ He hath his Armageddon He hath a feast for the fowles of the aire and the beasts of the field whom he hath inuited to the flesh of Captaines and the flesh of Kings Reuel 19.8 I will not be afraid of ten thousands of people that haue set themselues against me round about Dominus suscepit The Lord hath sustained me and he is the Lord of Hosts Yea why are we apalled when we see the measures

I need not be so mopish as not to beleeue rather the language of the hand than of the tongue He that saies well and doth well is without exception commendable but if one of these must be seuered from the other I like him well that doth well and saith nothing 52 That which they say of the Pelican that when the Shepherds in desire to catch her lay fire not farre from her nest which she finding and fearing the danger of her young seekes to blow out with her wings so long till she burne her selfe and makes her selfe a prey in an vnwise pitty to her young I see morally verified in experience of those which indiscreetly medling with the flame of dissention kindled in the Church rather increase than quench it rather fire their owne wings than helpe others I had rather bewaile the fire afarre off than stirre in the coles of it I would not grudge my ashes to it if those might abate the burning but since I see this is daily increased with partaking I will behold it with sorrow and meddle no otherwise than by praiers to God and intreaties to men seeking my owne safety and the peace of the Church in the freedome of my thought and silence of my tongue 53 That which is said of Lucillaes faction that anger bred it pride fostered it and couetousnesse confirm'd it is true of all Schismes though with some inuersion For the most are bred through pride whiles men vpon an high conceit of themselues scorne to goe in the common road and affect singularitie in opinion are confirmed through anger whiles they stomacke and grudge any contradiction and are nourished through couetousnesse whiles they seeke abilitie to beare out their part In some others againe couetousnesse obtaines the first place anger the second pride the last Herein therefore I haue beene alwaies wont to commend and admire the humilitie of those great and profound wits whom depth of knowledge hath not lead to by-paths in iudgement but walking in the beaten path of the Church haue bent all their forces to the establishment of receiued truths accounting it greater glorie to confirme an ancient veritie than to deuise a new opinion though neuer so profitable vnknowne to their predecessors I will not reiect a truth for meere noueltie Old truths may come newly to light neither is God tied to times for the gift of his illumination but I will suspect a nouell opinion of vntruth and not entertaine it vnlesse it may be deduced from ancient grounds 54 The eare and the eie are the minds receiuers but the tongue is onely busied in expending the treasure receiued If therefore the reuenues of the minde bee vttered as fast or faster than they are receiued it cannot bee but that the minde must needs bee held bare and can neuer lay vp for purchase But if the receiuers take in still with no vtterance the minde may soone grow a burthen to it selfe and vnprofitable to others I will not lay vp too much and vtter nothing lest I be couetous nor spend much and store vp little lest I be prodigall and poore 55 It is a vaine-glorious flatterie for a man to praise himselfe An enuious wrong to detract from others I will therefore speake no ill of others no good of my selfe 56 That which is the miserie of Trauellers to finde many Oasts and few friends is the estate of Christians in their pilgrimage to a better life Good friends may not therefore be easily forgone neither must they bee vsed as suits of apparell which when wee haue worne threed-bare wee cast off and call for new Nothing but death or villanie shall diuorce mee from an old friend but still I will follow him so farre as is either possible or honest and then I will leaue him with sorrow 57 True friendship necessarily requires Patience For there is no man in whom I shall not mislike somewhat and who shall not as iustly mislike somewhat in mee My friends faults therefore if little I will swallow and digest if great I will smother them howeuer I will winke at them to others but louingly notifie them to himselfe 58 Iniuries hurt not more in the receiuing than in the remembrance A small iniurie shall goe as it comes a great iniurie may dine or sup with me but none at all shall lodge with me Why should I vex my selfe because another hath vexed me 59 It is good dealing with that ouer which we haue the most power If my state will not be framed to my minde I will labour to frame my minde to my estate 60 It is a great miserie to be either alwaies or neuer alone societie of men hath not so much gaine as distraction In greatest companie I will bee alone to my selfe in greatest priuacie in companie with God 61 Griefe for things past that cannot be remedied and care for things to come that cannot be preuented may easily hurt can neuer benefit me I will therefore commit my selfe to God in both and enioy the present 62 Let my estate bee neuer so meane I will euer keepe my selfe rather beneath than either leuell or aboue it A man may rise when he will with honour but cannot fall without shame 63 Nothing doth so befoole a man as extreme passion This doth both make them fooles which otherwise are not and shew them to bee fooles that are so Violent passions if I cannot tame them that they may yeeld to my ease I will at least smother them by concealement that they may not appeare to my shame 64 The minde of man though infinite in desire yet is finite in capacitie Since I cannot hope to know all things I will labour first to know what I needs must for their vse next what I best may for their conuenience 65 Though time be precious to me as all irreuocable good things deserue to be and of all other things I would not be lauish of it yet I will account no time lost that is either lent to or bestowed vpon my friend 66 The practises of the best men are more subiect to errour than their speculations I will honour good examples but I will liue by good precepts 67 As charitie requires forgetfulnesse of euill deeds so patience requites forgetfulnesse of euill accidents I will remember euils past to humble me not to vex me 68 It is both a miserie and a shame for a man to bee a Bankrupt in loue which hee may easily pay and be neuer the more impouerished I will be in no mans debt for good will but will at least returne euery man his owne measure if not with vsurie It is much better to bee a Creditor than a Debtor in any thing but especially of this yet of this I will so bee content to bee a Debtor that I will alwaies bee paying it where I owe it and yet neuer will haue so paid it that I shall not owe it more 69 The Spanish Prouerbe is too true Dead men and absent finde no friends

All mouthes are boldly opened with a conceit of impunitie My eare shall bee no graue to burie my friends good name But as I will bee my present friends selfe So will I bee my absent friends deputie to say for him what he would and cannot speake for himselfe 70 The losse of my friend as it shall moderately grieue mee so it shall another way much benefit mee in recompence of his want for it shall make mee thinke more often and seriously of earth and of heauen Of earth for his body which is reposed in it Of Heauen for his soule which possesseth it before mee Of earth to put me in minde of my like frailtie and mortality Of Heauen to make me desire and after a sort emulate his happinesse and glory 71 Varietie of obiects is wont to cause distraction when againe a little one laid close to the eye if but of a peny breadth wholly takes vp the sight which could else see the whole halfe Heauen at once I will haue the eies of my minde euer fore-stalled and filled with those two obiects the shortnesse of my life eternity after death 72 I see that he is more happy that hath nothing to lose than he that loseth that which he hath I will therefore neither hope for riches nor feare pouerty 73 I care not so much in any thing for multitude as for choice Bookes and friends I will not haue many I had rather seriously conuerse with a few than wander amongst many 74 The wicked man is a very coward and is afraid of euery thing Of God because he is his enemy of Satan because he is his tormentor of Gods creatures because they ioyning with their Maker fight against him of himselfe because he beares about him his owne accuser and executioner The godly man contrarily is afraid of nothing Not of God because he knowes him his best friend and therefore will not hurt him not of Satan because he cannot hurt him not of afflictions because he knowes they proceed from a louing God and end to his owne good not of the creatures since the very stones of the field are in league with him not of himselfe since his conscience is at peace A wicked man may be secure because he knowes not what he hath to feare or desperate through extremitie of feare but truly couragious he cannot be Faithlesnesse cannot chuse but be false-hearted I will euer by my courage take triall of my faith By how much more I feare by so much lesse I beleeue 75 The godly man liues hardly and like the Ant toiles here during the Summer of his peace holding himselfe short of his pleasures as looking to prouide for an hard Winter Which when it comes he is able to weare it out comfortably whereas the wicked man doth prodigally lash out all his ioyes in the time of his prosperitie and like the Grashopper singing merrily all Summer is starued in Winter I will so enioy the present that I will lay vp more for hereafter 76 I haue wondred oft and blushed for shame to reade in meere Philosophers which had no other Mistresse but Nature such strange resolution in the contempt of both fortunes as they call them such notable precepts for a constant setlednesse and tranquillitie of minde and to compare it with my owne disposition and practice whom I haue found too much drouping and deiected vnder small crosses and easily againe caried away with little prosperitie To see such courage and strength to contemne death in those which thought they wholly perished in death and to finde such faint-heartednesse in my selfe at the first conceit of death who yet am thorowly perswaded of the future happinesse of my soule I haue the benefit of nature as well as they besides infinite other helps that they wanted Oh the dulnesse and blindnesse of vs vnworthy Christians that suffer Heathens by the dim candle-light of Nature to goe further than we by the cleere Sun of the Gospell that an indifferent man could not tell by our practice whether were the Pagan Let me neuer for shame account my selfe a Christian vnlesse my Art of Christianitie haue imitated and gone beyond nature so farre that I can finde the best Heathen as farre below me in true resolution as the vulgar sort were below them Else I may shame Religion it can neither honest nor helpe me 77 If I would be irreligious and vnconscionable I would make no doubt to be rich For if a man will defraud dissemble forsweare bribe oppresse serue the time make vse of all men for his owne turne make no scruple of any wicked action for his aduantage I cannot see how hee can escape wealth and preferment But for an vpright man to rise is difficult while his conscience straightly curbes him in from euery vniust action and will not allow him to aduance himselfe by indirect meanes So riches come seldome easily to a good man seldome hardly to the consciencelesse Happy is that man that can be rich with truth or poore with contentment I will not enuy the grauell in the vniust mans throat Of riches let mee neuer haue more than an honest man can beare away 78 God is the God of order not of confusion As therefore in naturall things he vseth to proceed from one extreme to another by degrees through the meane so doth hee in spirituall The Sun riseth not at once to his highest from the darknesse of midnight but first sends forth some feeble glimmering of light in the dawning then lookes out with weake and watrish beames and so by degrees ascends to the midst of heauen So in the seasons of the yeere we are not one day scorched with a Summer heat and on the next frozen with a sudden extremitie of cold But Winter comes on softly first by cold dewes then hoare frosts vntill at last it descend to the hardest weather of all such are Gods spirituall proceedings He neuer brings any man from the estate of sin to the estate of glory but through the estate of grace And as for grace he seldome brings a man from grosse wickednesse to any eminence of perfection I will be charitably iealous of those men which from notorious lewdnesse leape at once into a sudden forwardnesse of profession Holinesse doth not like Ionas gourd grow vp in a night I like it better to goe on soft and sure than for an hastie fit to runne my selfe out of winde and after stand still and breathe me 79 It hath beene said of old To doe well and heare ill is princely Which as it is most true by reason of the enuy which followes vpon iustice so is the contrary no lesse iustified by many experiments To doe ill and to heare well is the fashion of many great men To doe ill because they are borne out with the assurance of impunitie To heare well because of abundance of Parasites which as Rauens to a carkasse gather about great men Neither is there any so great misery in

I call it the way or the gate of life Sure I am that by it onely w● passe into that blessednesse whereof we haue so thought that we haue found it cannot be thought of enough The Description What then is this death but the taking downe of these sticks whereof this earthly Tent is composed The separation of two great and old friends till they meet againe The Gaole-deliuerie of a long prisoner Our iourney into that other world for which wee and this thorow-fare were made Our paiment of our first debt to Nature the sleepe of the body and the awaking of the soule The Diuision But lest thou shouldest seeme to flatter him whose name and face hath euer seemed terrible to others remember that there are more deaths than one If the first death bee not so fearefull as hee is made his horrour lying more in the conceit of the beholder than in his owne aspect surely the second is not made so fearefull as hee is No liuing eye can behold the terrours thereof it is as impossible to see them as to feele them and liue Nothing but a name is common to both The first hath men casualties diseases for his executioners the second Deuils The power of the first is in the graue the second in hell The worst of the first is senslesnesse the easiest of the second is a perpetuall sense of all the paine that can make a man exquisitely miserable The Causes Thou shalt haue no businesse O my soule with the second death Thy first Resurrection hath secured thee Thanke him that hath redeemed thee for thy safetie And how can I thanke thee enough O my Sauiour which hast so mercifully bought off my torment with thy owne and hast drunke off that bitter potion of thy Fathers wrath whereof the very taste had beene our death Yea such is thy mercie O thou Redeemer of men that thou hast not onely subdued the second death but reconciled the first so as thy children taste not at all of the second and finde the first so sweetned to them by thee that they complaine of bitternesse It was not thou O God that madest death our hands are they that were guiltie of this euill Thou sawest all thy worke that it was good we brought forth sinne and sinne brought forth death To the discharge of thy Iustice and Mercie we acknowledge this miserable conception and needs must that childe be vgly that hath such parents Certainly if Being and Good be as they are of an equall extent then the dissolution of our Being must needs in it selfe be euill How ful of darkenesse and horrour then is the priuation of this vitall light especially since thy wisdome intended it to the reuenge of sinne which is no lesse than the violation of an infinite Iustice it was thy iust pleasure to plague vs with this brood of our owne begetting Behold that death which was not till then in the world is now in euery thing one great Conqueror findes it in a Slate another findes it in a Flie one findes it in the kernel of a Grape another in the pricke of a thorne one in the taste of an herbe another in the smell of a flower one in a bit of meat another in a mouthfull of aire one in the very sight of a danger another in the conceit of what might haue beene Nothing in all our life is too little to hide death vnder it There need no cords nor kniues nor swords nor Peeces we haue made our selues as many waies to death as there are helps of liuing But if we were the authors of our death it was thou that didst alter it our disobedience made it and thy mercie made it not to be euill It had beene all one to thee to haue taken away the very Being of death from thine owne but thou thoughtest it best to take away the sting of it onely as good Physicians when they would apply their Leeches scowre them with Salt and Nettles and when their corrupt bloud is voided imploy them to the health of the patient It is more glory to thee that thou hast remoued enmitie from this Esau that now he meets vs with kisses in stead of frownes and if wee receiue a blow from this rough hand yet that very stripe is healing Oh how much more powerfull is thy death than our sinne O my Sauiour how hast thou perfumed and softened this bed of my graue by dying How can it grieue mee to tread in thy steps to glory Our sinne made death our last enemie The Effects thy goodnesse hath made it the first friend that we meet with in our passage to another world For as shee that receiues vs from the knees of our mother in our first entrance to the light washeth cleanseth dresseth vs and presents vs to the brest of our nurse or the armes of our mother challenges some interest in vs when we come to our growth so death which in our passage to that other life is the first that receiues and presents our naked soules to the hands of those Angels which carry it vp to her glorie cannot but thinke this office friendly and meritorious What if this guide leade my carcase through corruption and rottennesse when my soule in the very instant of her separation knowes it selfe happy What if my friends mourne about my bed and coffin when my soule sees the smiling face and louing embracements of him that was dead and is aliue What care I who shuts these earthen eyes when death opens the eye of my soule to see as I am seene What if my name be forgotten of men when I liue aboue with the God of Spirits If death would be still an enemie The Subiect it is the worst part of mee that he hath any thing to doe withall the best is aboue his reach and gaines more than the other can leese The worst peece of the horrour of death is the graue and set aside infidelitie what so great miserie is this That part which is corrupted feeles it not that which is free from corruption feeles an abundant recompence and foresees a ioyfull reparation What is here but a iust restitution We carry heauen and earth wrapt vp in our bosomes each part returnes homeward And if the exceeding glory of heauen cannot countetuaile the dolesomnesse of the graue what doe I beleeuing But if the beautie of that celestiall Sanctuarie doe more than equalize the horrour of the bottomlesse pit how can I shrinke at earth like my selfe when I know my glorie And if examples can moue thee any whit looke behinde thee O my soule and see which of the Worthies of that ancient latter world which of the Patriarchs Kings Prophets Apostles haue not trod in these red steps Where are those millions of generations which haue hitherto peopled the earth How many passing-bels hast thou heard for they knowne friends How many sicke beds hast thou visited How many eies hast thou seene closed

And if wee could but as heartily haue prayed for him before as we haue heartily wept for him since perhaps we had not had this cause of mourning From sorrow let vs descend to paines which is no small cause of crying and teares as I feare some of vs must the word howsoeuer it is here translated is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 labour I must confesse labour and paine are neere one another whence we say that he which labours takes paines and contrarily that a woman is in labour or trauell when shee is in the paine of child-birth teares cannot be wip't away whiles toile remaines That the Israelites may leaue crying they must bee deliuered from the brick-kilnes of Aegypt Indeed God had in our creation allotted vs labour without paine but when once sinne came into the soule paine seized vpon the bones and the minde was possessed with a wearinesse and irksome loathing of what it must do and euer since sorrow and labour haue beene inseparable attendants vpon the life of man Insomuch as God when he would describe to vs the happy estate of the dead does it in those termes They shall rest from their labours Looke into the field there you shall see toiling at the plough and sithe Looke into the waters there you see tugging at the oares and cabels Looke into the City there you see plodding in the streets sweating in the shops Looke into the studies there you see fixing of eyes tossing of bookes scratching the head palenesse infirmity Looke into the Court there you see tedious attendance emulatory officiousnesse All things are full of labour and labour is full of sorrow If we doe nothing idlenesse is wearisome if any thing worke is wearisome in one or both of these the best of life is consumed Who now can bee in loue with a life that hath nothing in it but crying and teares in the entrance death in the conclusion labour and paine in the continuance and sorrow in all these What Gally-slaue but we would be in loue with our chaine what prisoner would delight in his dungeon How hath our infidelity besotted vs if we doe not long after that happy estate of our immortality wherein all our teares shall be wip't away and we at once freed from labour sorrow and death Now as it is vaine to hope for this till then so then not to hope for it is paganish and brutish He that hath tasked vs with these penances hath vndertaken to release vs. God shall wipe away all teares While we stay here he keepes all our teares in a bottle Psal 56. so precious is the water that is distilled from penitent eies and because he will be sure not to faile he notes how many drops there be in his register It was a pretious ointment wherewith the woman in the Pharises house it is thought Mary Magdalene anointed the feet of Christ Luke 7.37 but her teares wherewith shee washt them were more worth than her spil●nard But that which is here precious is there vnseasonable then hee shall wipe away those which here hee would saue As death so passions are the companions of infirmity whereupon some that haue beene too nice haue called those which were incident into Christ Propassions not considering that he which was capable of death might be as well of passions These troublesome affections of griefe feare and such like doe not fall into glorified soules It is true that they haue loue desire ioy in their greatest perfection yea they could not haue perfection without them but like as God loues and hates and reioyces truly but in a manner of his owne abstracted from all infirmity and passion so doe his glorified Saints in imitation of him There therefore as we cannot die so wee cannot grieue we cannot be afflicted Here one saies My belly my belly with the Prophet another mine head mine head with the Shunamites sonne another my sonne my sonne as Dauid another my father my father with Elisha One cries out of his sinnes with Dauid another of his hunger with Esau another of an ill wife with Iob another of trecherous friends 2 Kings 4. with the Psalmist One of a sore in body with Ezechias another of a troubled soule with our Sauiour in the garden euery one hath some complaint or other to make his cheekes wet and his heart heauy Stay but a while and there shall be none of these There shall be no crying no complaining in the streets of the new Ierusalem No axe no hammer shall be heard within this heauenly Temple Why are we not content to weepe here a while on condition that we may weepe no more Why are we not ambitious of this blessed ease Certainly we doe not smart enough with our euils that we are not desirous of rest These teares are not yet dry yet they are ready to be ouertaken by others for our particular afflictions Miseries as the Psalmist compares them are like waues which breake one vpon another and tosse vs with a perpetuall vexation and we vaine men shall we not wish to be in our hauen Are we sicke and grieue to thinke of remedie Are we still dying and are wee loth to thinke of life Oh this miserable vnbeleefe that tho we see a glorious heauen aboue vs yet we are vnwilling to go to it we see a wearisome world about vs and yet are loth to thinke of leauing it This gracious master of ours whose dissolution is ours while he was here amongst vs his princely crowne could not keepe his head from paine his golden rod could not driue away his feuers now is hee freed from all his aches agues stitches convulsions cold sweats now he triumphs in glory amongst the Angels and Saints now he walkes in white robes and attends on the glorious bridegroome of the Church and doe we thinke he would be content now for all the kingdomes of the world to be as he was We that professe it was our ioy and honour to follow him whither soeuer he had gone In his disports in his warres in his trauels why are we not now ambitious of following him to his better crowne yea of raigning together with him for heauen admits of this equality in that glory wherein he raignes with his Sauiour ours Why doe we not now heartily with him that was rauished into the third heauan say Cupio dissolui esse cum Christo not barely to be dissolued a malecontent may doe so but therefore to be dissolued that we may be with Christ possessed of his euerlasting glory where we shall not onely not weepe but reioyce and sing Halleluiahs for euer not onely not die but enioy a blessed and heauenly life Euen so Lord Iesus come quickly Now if any man shall aske the Disciples question Master when shall these things be the celestiall voyce tels him it must bee vpon a change For the first things are passed It shall be in part so soone as euer our first things our life

not sustaine vs while we are Away with these weake diffidences and if wee bee Christians trust God with his owne Psal 37.34 Wait thou on the Lord and keepe his wayes and he shall exalt thee He will make all things new And shall all things be made new and our hearts bee old Shall nothing but our soules be out of the fashion Surely beloued none but new hearts are for the new heauens Except we be borne anew we enter not into life All other things shall in the very instant receiue their renouation onely our hearts must bee made new before hand or else they shall neuer be renewed to their glory S. Peter when he had told vs of looking for new heauens and new earth infers this vse vpon it Wherefore beloued seeing yee looke for such things 2 Pet. 3.14 be diligent that ye may be found of him in peace without spot and blamelesse Behold the new heauens require pure and spotlesse inhabitants As euer therefore we looke to haue our part in this blessed renouation let vs cast off all our euill and corrupt affections put off the old man with his works and now with the new yeere put on the new labour for a new heart begin a new life That which S. Iohn sayes here that God will say and doe in our entrance to glorification Behold I make all things new 2 Cor. 5.17 out of Esa 43. Saint Paul saith he hath done it already in our regeneration Old things are passed away all things are become new What meanes this but that our regeneration must make way for our glorification and that our glory must but perfect our regeneration and God supposes this is done when there are meanes to doe it Why doe we then still in spight of the Gospell retaine our old corruptions and thinke to goe to the wedding feast in our old clothes if some of vs do not rather as the vulgar reads that Iudg. 10 6. Addere nona veteribus adde new sinnes to our old new oathes new fashions of pride new complements of drunkennesse new deuices of filthinesse new tricks of Machiauelisme these are our nouelties which fetch downe from God new iudgements vpon vs to the tingling of the eares of all hearers and for which Topheth was prepared of old If God haue no better newes for vs we shall neuer enioy the new heauen with him For Gods sake therefore and for our soules sake let vs be wiser and renew our couenant with God and seeing this is a day of gifts let my New-yeeres-gift to you be this holy aduice from God which may make you happy for euer Let your New-yeeres-gift to God be your hearts the best part of your selues the center of your selues to which all our actions are circumferences and if they bee such a present as we haue reason to feare God will not accept because they are sinfull yet if they be humbled if penitent we know he will receiue them Psal 51. A contrite and a broken heart O God thou wilt not despise And if we cannot giue him our hearts yet giue him our desires and he will take our vnworthy hearts from vs I will take the stony hearts out of their bodies Ezec. 11.19 and he will graciously returne an happy New-yeeres-gift to vs Ezec. 11.14 I will put a new spirit within their bowels and will giue them an heart of flesh He will create a cleane heart and renew a right spirit within vs so as he will make a new heauen for vs he will make vs new for this heauen hee will make his Tabernacle in vs that hee may make ours with him Behold the Tabernacle of God is with men c. The superstitious Listrians cryed out amazed that Gods were come downe to them in the likenesse of men but we Christians know that it is no rare thing for God to come and dwell with men Yea are the Temples of the liuing God 2 Cor. 6.16 and I will dwell among them and walke there The faithfull heart of man is the Tabernacle of God But because though God bee euer with vs wee are not alwaies so with him yea whiles wee are at home in the bodie we are absent from the Lord as S. Paul complaines therefore will God vouchsafe vs a neerer cohabitation that shall not be capable of any interposition of any absence Behold the Tabernacle of God is with men But besides this Tabernacle of flesh time was when God dwelt in a materiall visible house with men Hee had his Tabernacle first which was a mouing Temple and then his Temple 2 Chron. 7.16 which was a fixed Tabernacle both of them had one measure both one name But as one said vpon that Eze. 42. Mensus est similitudinem domus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that both the Tabernacle and Temple were similitudes of Gods house rather than the house it selfe so say I that they were intended for notable resemblances both of the holy Church of God vpon earth and of the glorious Sanctuarie of heauen This is the true 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of God 1 Pet. 2.5 which word signifieth both a Temple Ezra 4.1 and a Palace Dan. 1.4 because he dwels where he is worshipped and he is magnificent in both It is the materiall Tabernacle which is alluded to the immateriall which is promised A Tabernacle that goes a thousand times more beyond the glittering Temple of Salomon than Salomons Temple went beyond the Tabernacle of Moses Neither let it trouble any man that the name of a Tabernacle implies flitting and vncertaintie For as the Temple howsoeuer it were called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a house of Ages yet lasted not either the first I meane or second vnto 500. yeeres so this house though God call it a Tabernacle 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Luke 16.9 yet he makes it an euerlasting habitation for he tels vs that both age and death are gone before it come downe to men But why rather doth the Tabernacle of God descend to men than men ascend to it Whether this be in respect of Iohns vision to whom the new Ierusalem seemed to descend from heauen descendit as one saith innotescendo and therefore it is resembled by all the riches of this inferiour world gold precious stones pearle or whether heauen is therefore said to descend to vs because it meets vs in the aire 1 Thess 4.16 when Christ Iesus attended with innumerable Angels shall descend to fetch his elect or whether this phrase be vsed for a greater expression of loue and mercy since it is more for Prince to come to vs than for vs to goe to his Court. Certainly God meanes only in this to set forth that perpetuall and reciprocall conuersation which hee will haue with men They shall dwell with God God shall dwell with them Our glory begins euer in grace God doth dwell with all those in grace with whom hee will dwell in glory Euery Christian carries in his

it is vncapable either of sinne or pardon To lie vnburied or to be buried vnseemly is so much a punishment that the Heathens obiected it though vpon the hauocke and fury of Warre to the Christians as an argument of Gods neglect All that Authoritie can doe to the dead Rebell is to put his carcasse to shame and deny him the honour of seemely sepulture Thus doth the Church to those that will die in wilfull contempt Those Grecian virgins that feared not death Aug. de Ciu. l. 2. Athenienses decreuerunt ne siquis se interfecisset sepeliretur in agro attico c. were yet refrained with the feare of shame ●●ter death it was a reall not imaginary curse of Iezabel The dogs shall eat Iezabel Now the absolution as you call it by an vnproper but malicious name is nothing else but a liberty giuen by the Church vpon repentance signified of the fault of the late offender of all those externall Rites of decent Funerall Death it selfe is capable of inequality and vnseemelinesse Suppose a iust Excommunication What reason is it that he which in his life and death would be as a Pagan should be as a Christia● in his buriall What is any or all this to Purgatory The next intimation of our Purgatory is our Christian buriall in the place in the manner The place holy ground the Church Churchyard c. The manner Ringing Singing Praying ouer the corps Thus therefore you argue We bury the body in the Church or Churchyard c. therefore we hold a Purgatory of the Soule a proofe not lesse strange than the opinion We doe neither scorne the carcasses of our friends as the old Troglodites nor with the old Aegyptians respect them more than when they were enformed with a liuing soule but we keepe a meane course betwixt both vsing them as the remainders of dead men Sleeping-places Coemiteria Euseb l. 7. c. 12. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Splendidissimae sepulturae tradidit Eus l. 7. c. 15 Curatio funeris conditio sepulturae p●●npa exequiarum magis sunt viu●rum solatia quam subsidia mortuorum Aug. de ciuit l. 1. c. 12. Si enim paterna vestis annulus tanto charaest posteris nullo modo ipsa spernenda sunt corpora Aug. de Ciu. l. 1. c. 13. Orig. cont Cels l. 8. Rationalem animam honorare didicimus c. yet as dead Christians and as those which we hope one day to see glorious We haue learned to call no place holy in it selfe since the Temple but some more holy in their vse than others The old 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of the Christians wherein their bodies slept in peace were not lesse esteemed of them than they are scorned of you Galienus thought he did them a great fauour and so they tooke it when he gaue them the liberty not only of their Churches but of their former burying places In the same booke Eusebius commends Astirius a noble Senator for his care and cost of Marinus his buriall Of all these rites of Funerall and choice of place we professe to hold with Augustine that they are onely the comforts of the liuing not helpes of the dead yet as Origen also teacheth vs wee haue learned to honour a reasonable much more a Christian soule and to commit the instrument or case of it honourably to the graue All this might haue taught our Answerer that we make account of an heauen of a resurrection not of a Purgatory But we ring hallowed bells for the Soule Doe not those bells hang in hallowed Steeples too and doe wee not ring them with hallowed ropes what fancie is this If Papists were so fond of old their folly and their belles for the most part are both out of date wee call them soule-belles for that they signifie the departure of the soule not for that they help the passage of the soule This is meere Boyes-play But we pray ouer or for the dead Doe we not sing to him also Pardon me I must need● tell you here is much spite and little wit To pray for the conf●●mation of the glory of all Gods elect What is it but Thy kingdome come How vainly doe you seeke a knot in a rush while you cauill at so holy a Petition Goe and learne how much better it is to call them our Brothers which are not in an harmelesse ouer-weening and ouer-hoping of charity than to call them no brothers which are in a proud censorious vncharitablenes you cannot be content to tell an vntruth but you must face it out Let any Reader iudge how farre our practice in this dissented from our doctrine would to God in nothing more Yes saith this good friend in the most other things our words professe our deeds denie at once you make vs hypocrites and your selues Pharises Let all the world know that the English Church at Amsterdam professeth nothing which it practiseth not we may not be so holy or so happy Generality is a notable shelter of vntruth Many mo you say Popish deuices yet name none No you cannot Aduanced aboue all that is called God surely this is a paradoxe of slanders you meant at once to shame vs with falshood and to appose vs with Riddles we say to the Highest Whom haue we in Heauen but thee and for earth your selfe haue granted we giue too much to Princes which are earthen Gods may come vnder Pauls 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Either name our Deitie or craue mercie for your wrong certainly though you haue not remorse yet you shall haue shame SEP You are far from doing to the Romish Idols as was done to the Aegyptian Idols MITH●● and SERAPIS whose Priests were expelled their Ministerie and Monuments expose●●● vtter scorne and desolation their Temples demolished and raced to the very foundation SECTION XLV The Churches still retained in England Socrat. Hist Ec. l. 5. c. 16.17 Bed hist Eccl. l. 1. Cit. Gregor Ep. Aug. suo c. 30. Edil●●rto regi c. 32. Contra sibi c. Sed Haereticorum templa ve●●ata à Constantin● Eused l. 3. c. 63. THE Maiestie of Romish Petti-gods I truely told you was long agone with Mithra and Serapis exposed to the laughter of the vulgar you straine the comparison too farre yet we follow you Their Priests were expelled for as your Doctor yeeldeth other Actors came vpon the same stage others in religion else it had beene no change Their Ministerie and Monuments exposed to vtter scorn● Their Masses their oblations their adorations their invocations their anoylings their exorcizings their s●rift their absolutions their Images Rood-lofts and whatsoeuer else of this kinde But the Temples of those olde Heathens were demolished and raz●d Here is the quarrell ours stand still in their proud Maiestie Can you see no difference betwixt our Churches and their Temples Aug. de Ciuit. l. 8 c. 27. Ho●ker 5. b. c. 13. Id. Aug. coner Maximin Arrian Nonne si templum c. Optat. Mileuitā l.

with these that it could not stay the time of the common deliuerie Needs must they be notorious falshoods that are thus singled out from the rest Let them appeare in their owne shapes vgly doubtlesse and prodigious The first is Ex Decad. Ep. 3. Epist 5. Reckoned out of Pappus his Enumeration My peace of Rome makes vp 103. That most shamelesse assertion that Bellarmine vnder his owne hand acknowledges 237. Contrarieties of Doctrine amongst his Catholikes Could the man but haue patience he should finde aboue three hundred What sayes my Detector to this He hath not seene the seuerals yet like a braue man at Armes he professes to kill his enemie ere he can appeare and tels vs those 237 Contrarieties are nothing but 237 lyes in one assertion That there are in them so many vntruths I easily grant for in Contradictions one part must needs be false And Truth is but single They are vntruths then lyes are too broad a word but their owne My assertion shall onely iustifie that they are told let him take care for the rest Obiect But they are not in points belonging to Faith and Religion only in matters vndecided and disputable The sequell shall try that shift Why doe wee forestall our Reader Sol. Who knowes not that there cannot be so many points fundamentall Let him take them as they are I aggrauate nothing It is but onely in such light chaffe as this In the number and extent of Bookes Canonicall wherein Driedo Erasmus Genebrard Caietan Sixtus Senensis are acknowledged to oppose the rest In the Popes infallibilitie of iudgement wherein Gerson Almayne Pope Adrian Eckius Hosius Pichius Waldensis are at quarrell In the reach and originall of spirituall iurisdiction wherein Abulensis Turrecremata Fran. à Victoria Alphonsus de Castro c. proclaime to differ what should I instance in more It is but in the Popes power in Temporalities in the inerrablenesse of Councels whether particular confirmed by the Pope or Generall in the authoritie of Councels aboue Popes in the force of Vowes in the worship due to Images and the like These and such other are the slight Trifles since all cannot be weightie impertinent to faith wherein the Romish Doctors varie Neither doth my assertion of their discord gall him more then of our Vnity O the forehead of Heretikes I said that we in our Church differ onely in Ceremonies they in substance Let him giue leaue to the contra-diuision of these two and I will take leaue to maintaine the indiuision of the Church of England in the dogmaticall points of Faith This boldnesse together with my eminent ignorance makes him admire the scarcitie of learned men in our Countrey that could finde no better Doctors to send to Dort-Conference then Master HALL To your griefe Sir it was a Synode and that noble and celebrious Neither was it out of want that your silly Aduersarie was sent thither This happy Iland which hath no blemish but that it yeelds such Vipers as your selfe abounds as you too well know with store of incomparable Diuines such as may set your Rome to schoole So as the Messenger of Pyrrhus long since called your Italy a Countrey of Kings 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and Egypt was wont to be called the Countrey of Physicians so may this blessed Iland of ours iustly merit the title of The Region of DIVINES For me I can bee content to bee base enough in mine owne eyes but if my disparagement shall redound to my betters I dare tell him it is my comfort that I was sent thither by a iudgement no lesse infallible then of Paul the Fift Let himselfe or any of his Eaues-dropping companions to whom that place stood open say wherein I shamed those that sent me It was my iust griefe that the necessitie of my health Necessitate propellente proditie est ea tacere quae quis flu●●●e perfecerit Chrysost in ill vtinam toter assetis c. yea of my life called me off immaturely but since either death or departure must be yeelded to others shall iudge whether I went away more laden with infirmitie then how-euer vnworthy with approbation But that second lye of mine is so loud that all my Brethren of Dort must heare it and they which were lately the Witnesses of my sinceritie gracing mee with the deare Testimonie of their approofe are now made the Iudges of my impudencie What monster of falshood will come forth In my censure of Trauell glancing at the Iesuiticall bragge of their Indian Miracles whereat their very friends make sport I charge Cardinall Bellarmine for an auoucher of these Cozenages who dares auerre that his fellow Xauier not onely healed the Deafe Dumbe and Blinde but raised the Dead to which I adde whiles his Brother Acosta after many yeares spent in those parts can pull him by the sleeue and tell him in his eare so loud that all the World may heare Prodigia nulla producimus This is my Indictment Let me come to my Tryall Cast me if ye can ye reuerend heads I craue no fauour Where lyes this so lewd lye and malicious abuse That Bellarmine sayes thus of the Iesuite Xauier is not denyed That Acosta sayes thus of himselfe and his fellow Iesuites is granted The first lye yet is Acosta was neuer in the East-Indies at all nor Xauier in the West and how then could Acosta spend many yeares in those parts A perilous Plea Who euer I beseech you mentioned either East or West I spake of the Indies in common Bell de notis Eccles l. 4. c. 14. so did his Bellarmine from whom I cited this Claruit etiam in Indiis omni genere miraculorum c. Here is not one of the Indies mentioned but both or either If both liued in the Indies though not in one Towne in one Country in one Indie wherein haue I offended whiles speaking of the Indies in generall I said that Xauier and Acosta liued there Yet this is one lye he saith and that so long a one as that it reacheth as farre as it is from the East to the West from the Artick to the Antarctick Pole wherein I doubt not but your reuerences wil easily marke the skill of this learned Cosmographer Some parts of those instanced Indies differ not so farre not to speake of the small strait of Anian the mentioned Region of Mexico is not aboue fourescore degrees from Iapan Either your construction must fauour him or else this must goe into the Booke of ouer-sights The second lye is that Acosta pulled Bellarmine by the sleeue in this assertion as if hee denyed those Easterne Miracles which he elsewhere confesseth Indeed this sawcinesse were dangerous The red Hat you say is fellow to a Crowne But shall I confesse where I erred My dull head could not conceiue that God should be the God of the Mountains and not of the Valleys Of the East Indies not of the West and yet be the Iesuites God in both

the eares of God then a speechlesse repining of the soule Heat is more intended with keeping in but Aarons silence was no lesse inward He knew how little he should get by brawling with God If he breathed our discontentment he saw God could speake fire to him againe And therefore he quietly submits to the will of God and held his peace because the Lord had done it There is no greater proofe of grace then to smart patiently and humbly and contentedly to rest the heart in the iustice and wisedome of Gods proceeding and to bee so farre from chiding that we dispute not Nature is froward and though shee well knowes we meddle not with our match when we striue with our Maker yet she pricks vs forward to this idle quarrell and bids vs with Iobs wife Curse and dye If God either chide or smite as seruants are charged to their Masters wee may not answer againe when Gods hand is on our backe our hand must be our mouth else as mothers doe their children God shall whip vs so much the more for crying It is hard for a stander by in this case to distinguish betwixt hard-heartednesse and piety There Aaron sees his sonnes lye he may neither put his hand to them to bury them nor shead a teare for their death Neuer parent can haue iuster cause of mourning then to see his sonnes dead in their sinne if prepared and penitent yet who can but sorrow for their end but to part with children to the danger of a second death is worthy of more then teares Yet Aaron must learne so farre to deny nature that he must more magnifie the iustice of God then lament the iudgement Those whom God hath called to his immediate seruice must know that hee will not allow them the common passions and cares of others Nothing is more naturall then sorrow for the death of our owne if euer griefe be seasonable it becomes a funerall And if Nadab and Abihu had dyed in their beds this fauour had been allowed them the sorrow of their Father and Brethren for when God forbids solemne mourning to his Priests ouer the dead hee excepts the cases of this neernesse of blood Now all Israel may mourne for these two only the Father and Brethren may not God is iealous lest their sorrow should seeme to countenance the sinne which he had punished euen the fearfullest acts of God must be applauded by the heauiest hearts of the faithfull That which the Father and Brother may not doe the Cousins are commanded dead carkasses are not for the presence of God His iustice was shewne sufficiently in killing them They are now fit for the graue not the Sanctuary Neither are they caried out naked but in their coats It was an vnusuall sight for Israel to see a linnen Ephod vpon the Beere The iudgement was so much more remarkable because they had the badge of their calling vpon their backs Nothing is either more pleasing vnto God or more commodious to men then that when he hath executed iudgement it should bee seene and wondred at for therefore he strikes some that he may warne all Of AARON and MIRIAM THe Israelites are stayed seuen dayes in the station of Hazzeroth for the punishment of Miriam The sinnes of the gouernors are a iust stop to the people all of them smart in one all must stay the leasure of Miriams recouerie Whosoeuer seekes the Land of Promise shall finde many lets Amalek Og Schon and the Kings of Canaan meet with Israel these resisted but hindred not their passage their sinnes onely stay them from remouing Afflictions are not crosses to vs in the way to heauen in comparison to our sinnes What is this I see Is not this Aaron that was brother in nature and by office ioynt Commissioner with Moses Is not this Aaron that made his Brother an Intercessor for him to God in the case of his Idolatry Is not this Aaron that climbed vp the Hill of Sinai with Moses Is not this Aaron whom the mouth and hand of Moses consecrated an high Priest vnto God Is not this Miriam the elder Sister of Moses Is not this Miriam that led the Triumph of the Women and sung gloriously to the Lord It not this Miriam which layd her Brother Moses in the Reeds and fetcht her Mother to be his Nurse Both Prophets of God both the flesh and blood of Moses And doth this Aaron repine at the honor of him which gaue himselfe that honour and saued his life Doth this Miriam repine at the prosperity of him whose life she saued Who would not haue thought this should haue beene their glory to haue seene the glory of their owne Brother What could haue beene a greater comfort to Miriam then to thinke How happily doth he now sit at the Sterne of Israel whom I saued from perishing in a Boat of Bul-rushes It is to mee that Israel owes this Commander But now enuy hath so blinded their eyes that they can neither see this priuiledge of nature nor the honour of Gods choyce Miriam and Aaron are in mutiny against Moses Who is so holy that sinnes not What sinne is so vnnaturall that the best can auoyde without God But what weaknesse soeuer may plead for Miriam who can but grieue to see Aaron at the end of so many sinnes Of late I saw him caruing the molten Image and consecrating an Altar to a false god now I see him seconding an vnkind mutiny against his Brother Both sinnes find him accessary neither principall It was not in the power of the legall Priesthood to performe or promise innocency to her Ministers It was necessary wee should haue another high Priest which could not bee tainted That King of righteousnesse was of another order He being without sinne hath fully satisfied for the sinnes of men Whom can it now offend to see the blemishes of the Euangelicall Priesthood when Gods first high Priest is thus miscaried Who can looke for loue and prosperity at once when holy and meeke Moses finds enmity in his owne flesh and blood Rather then we shall want A mans enemies shall be those of his owne house Authority cannot fayle of opposition if it be neuer so mildly swayed that common make-bate will rather raise it out of our owne bosome To doe well and heare ill is Princely The Midianitish wife of Moses cost him deare Before she hazarded his life now the fauour of his people Vnequall matches are seldome prosperous Although now this scandall was onely taken Enuy was not wise enough to choose a ground of the quarrell Whether some secret and emulatory brawles passed between Zipporah and Miriam as many times these sparkes of priuate brawles grow into a perillous and common flame or whether now that Iethro and his family was ioyned with Israel there were surmises of transporting the Gouernment to strangers or whether this vnfit choice of Moses is now raised vp to disparage Gods gifts in him Euen in fight the exceptions were

in pieces Hee that will iudge and can confound is fetcht into the quarrell without cause But if to striue with a mighty man bee vnwise and vnsafe what shall it be to striue with the mighty God As an angry child casts away that which is giuen him because he hath not that hee would so doe these foolish Israelites their bread is light and their water vnsatisfying because their way displeased them Was euer people fed with such bread or water Twice hath the very Rocke yeelded them water and euery day the heauen affords them bread Did any one soule amongst them miscarie either for hunger or thirst But no bread will downe with them saue that which the earth yeelds no water ●ut from the naturall Wels or Riuers Vnlesse nature may be allowed to bee her owne caruer she is neuer contented Manna had no fault but that it was too good and too frequent the pulse of Egypt had been fitter for these course mouths This heauenly bread was vnspeakably delicious it tasted like wafers of hony and yet euen this Angels food is contemned He that is full despiseth an hony-combe How sweet and delicate is the Gospel Not onely the Fathers of the Old Testament but the Angels desired to looke into the glorious mysteries of it and yet we are cloyed This supernaturall food is too light the bread-corne of our humane reason and profound discourse would better content vs. Moses will not reuenge this wrong God will yet will he not deale with them himselfe but he sends the fiery Serpents to answer for him How fitly They had caried themselues like serpents to their gouernors how oft had they stung Moses and Aaron neere to death If the Serpent bite when he is not charmed no better is a slanderer Now these venemous Adders reuenge it which are therefore called fiery because their poison scalded to death God hath an hand in the annoyance and hurt of the basest creature how much lesse can the sting of an ill tongue or the malice of an ill spirit strike vs without him Whiles they were in Goshen the Frogs Lice Caterpillers spared them and plagued the Egyptians now they are rebellious in the Desart the serpents finde them out and sting them to death Hee that brought the Quailes thither to feed them fetches these Serpents thither to punish them While we are at warres with God we can looke for no peace with his creatures Euery thing reioyces to execute the vengeance of his Maker The stones of the field will not bee in league with vs while we are not in league with God These men when the Spies had told them newes of the Gyants of Canaan a little before had wisht Would God wee were dead in this Wildernesse Now God hath heard their prayers what with the Plague what with the Serpents many thousands of them dyed The ill wishes of our impatience are many times heard As those good things are not granted vs which we pray for without care so those euils which wee pray for and would not haue are oft granted The eares of God are not only open to the prayers of faith but to the imprecations of infidelitie It is dangerous wishing euill to our selues or ours It is iust with God to take vs at our word and to effect that which our lips speake against our heart Before God hath euer consulted with Moses and threatned ere he punisht now he strikes and sayes nothing The anger is so much more by how much lesse notified When God is not heard before he is felt as in the hewing of wood the blow is not heard till the axe be seene to haue strooke it is a fearfull signe of displeasure It is with God as with vs men that still reuenges are euer most dangerous Till now all vvas well enough with Israel and yet they grudged Those that will complaine without a cause shall haue cause to complaine for something Discontented humours seldome scape vnpunished but receiue that most iustly whereat they repined vniustly Now the people are glad to seeke to Moses vnbidden Euer heretofore they haue been wont to be sued to and intreated for without their owne intreaty now their miserie makes them importunate There need no sollicitor where there is sense of smart It were pity men should want affliction since it sends them to their prayers and confessions All the perswasions of Moses could not doe that which the Serpents haue done for him O God thou seest how necessary it is wee should be stung sometimes else we should runne wilde and neuer come to a sound humiliation wee should neuer seeke thee if thy hand did not finde vs out They had spoken against God and Moses and now they humbly speake to Moses that he would pray to God for them He that so oft prayed for them vnbidden cannot but much more doe it requested and now obtaines the meanes of their cure It was equally in the power of God to remoue the Serpents and to heale their stinging to haue cured the Israelites by his word and by his signe But he finds it best for his people to exercise their faith that the Serpents may bite and their bitings may inuenome and that this venome may indanger the Israelites and that they thus affected ●●y seeke to him for remedy and seeking may finde it from such meanes as should haue no power but in signification that while their bodies were cured by the signe their soules might be confirmed by the matter signified A Serpent of brasse could no more heale then sting them What remedy could their eyes giue to their legges Or what could a Serpent of cold brasse preuaile against a liuing and fierie Serpent In this troublesome Desart wee are all stung by that fiery and old Serpent O Sauiour it is to thee we must looke and be cured It is thou that wert their Paschal Lambe their Manna their Rock their Serpent To all purposes dost thou vary thy selfe to thy Church that we may finde thee euery-where Thou art for our nourishment refreshing cure as hereafter so euen now all in all This Serpent which was appointed for cure to Israel at last stings them to death by Idolatrous abuse What poyson there is in Idolatry that makes euen Antidotes deadly As Moses therefore raised this Serpent so Ezekias pulled it downe God commanded the raising of it God approued the demolishing of it Superstitious vse can marre the very institutions of God how much more the most wise and well-grounded deuices of men Of BALAAM MOab and Midian had beene all this while standers by and lookers on If they had not seen the patterne of their own ruine in these neighbors it had neuer troubled them to see the Kings of the Amorites and Bashan to fall before Israel Had not the Israelites camped in the Plaines of Moab their victories had beene no eye-sore to Balac Wicked men neuer care to obserue Gods iudgments till themselues be touched The fire of a neighbors house would

leaues to the sword of humane authority that hee might winne awe to his owne ordinances As the sinnes of great men are exemplary so are their punishments Nothing procures so much credit to gouernment as strict and impartiall executions of great and noble offenders Those whom their sinnes haue embased deserue no fauour in the punishment As God knowes no honour no royalty in matter of sinne no more may his Deputies Contrarily conniuence at the outrages of the mighty cuts the sinewes of any State neither doth any thing make good lawes more contemptible then the making difference of offenders that small sacriledges should bee punished when great ones ride in triumph If good ordinations turne once to Spiders webs which are broken thorow by the bigger Flyes no hand will feare to sweepe them downe God was angry Moses and all good Israelites grieued the heads hanged vp the people plagued yet behold one of the Princes of Israel feares not to braue God and his Ministers in that sinne which he sees so grieuously reuenged in others I can neuer wonder enough at the impudence of this Israelite Here is fornication an odious crime and that of an Israelite whose name challenges holinesse yea of a Prince of Israel whose practice is a rule to inferiours and that with a woman of Midian with whom euen a chaste contract had beene vnlawfull and that with contempt of all gouernment and that in the face of Moses and all Israel and that in a time of mourning and iudgement for that same offence Those that haue once passed the bounds of modesty soone grow shamelesse in their sinnes Whiles sinne hides it selfe in corners there is yet hope for where there is shame there is a possibility of grace but when once it dare looke vpon the Sunne and sends challenges to authority the case is desperate and ripe for iudgement This great Simeonite thought he might sinne by priuiledge He goes as if he said Who dares controll me His nobility hath raised him aboue the reach of correction Commonly the sinnes of the mighty are not without presumption and therefore their vengeance is no lesse then their security and their punishment is so much greater as their conceit of impunity is greater All Israel saw this bold lewdnesse of Zimri but their hearts and eyes were so full of griefe that they had not roome enough for indignation Phineas lookt on with the rest but with other affections When he saw this defiance bidden to God and this insultation vpon the sorrow of his people that whiles they were wringing their hands a proud miscreant durst out-face their humiliation with his wicked dalliance his hart boiles with a desire of an holy reuenge and now that hand which was vsed to a Censer and sacrificing knife takes vp his Iauelin and with one stroke ioynes these two bodies in their death which were ioyned in their sin and in the very flagrance of their lust makes a new way for their soules to their owne place O noble and heroicall courage of Phineas which as it was rewarded of God so is worthy to be admired of men He doth not stand casting of scruple Who am I to doe this The son of the high Priest My place is all for peace and mercy It is for mee to sacrifice and pray for the sinne of the people not to sacrifice any of the people for their sinne My duty cals me to appease the anger of God what I may not to reuenge the sins of men to pray for their conuersion not to worke the confusion of any sinner and who are these Is not the one a great Prince in Israel the other a Princesse of Midian Can the death of two so famous persons go vnreuenged Or if it be safe and fit why doth my vncle Moses rather shead his owne teares then their blood I will mourne with the rest let them reuenge whom it concerneth But the zeale of God hath barred out all weake deliberations and he holds it now both his duty and his glory to be an executioner of so shamelesse a paire of offenders God loues this heat of zeale in all the cariages of his seruants And if it transport vs too far hee pardoneth the errors of our feruency rather then the indifferences of lukewarmnesse As these two were more beasts then any that euer he sacrificed so the shedding of their blood was the acceptablest sacrifice that euer hee offered vnto God for both all Israel is freed from the plague and all his posteritie haue the Priesthood entayled to them so long as the Iewes were a people Next to our prayes there is no better sacrifice then the blood of malefactors not as it is theirs but as it is shed by authority Gouernors are faulty of those sinns they punish not There can be no better sigh● in any State then to see a malefactor at the Gallowes It is not enough for vs to stand gazing vpon the wickednesse of the times yea although with teares vnlesse we endeuor to redresse it especially publike persons cary not their Iauelin in their hand for nought Euery one is ready to aske Phineas for his commission and those that are willing to salue vp the act plead extraordinary instinct from God who no doubt would not haue accepted that which himselfe wrought not But what need I run so far for this warrant when I heare God say to Moses Hang vp all the heads of Israel and Moses say to the Vnder-Rulers Euery one slay his men that are ioyned to Baal-Peor Euery Israelite is now made a Magistrate for this execution and why not Phineas amongst the rest Doth his Priesthood exempt him from the blood of sinners How then doth Samuel hew Agag in pieces Euen those may make a carkasse which may not touch it And if Leui got the Priesthood by shedding the blood of Idolaters why may it not stand with that Priesthood to spill the blood of a fornicator and Idolater Ordinary iustice will beare out Phineas in this act It is not for euery man to challenge this office this which double proclamation allowed to Phineas All that priuate persons can doe is either to lift vp their hands to heauen for redresse of sinne or to lift vp their hands against the sinne not against the person Who made thee a Iudge is a lawfull question if i●●eer with a person vnwarranted Now the sinne is punished the plague ceaseth The reuenge of God sets out euer after the sinne but if the reuenge of men which commonly comes later can ouertake it God giues ouer the chase How oft hath the infliction of a lesse punishment auoided a greater There are none so good friends to the State as couragious and impartiall ministers of iustice These are the reconcilers of God and the people more then the prayers of them that fit still and doe nothing Of the death of MOSES AFter many painfull and perillous enterprises now is Moses drawing to his rest He hath brought his Israelites frō

Egypt thorow the Sea and wildernesse within the sight of their promised Land and now himselfe must take possession of that Land whereof Canaan was but a type When we haue done that we came for it is time for vs to be gone This earth is made only for action not for fruition the seruices of Gods children should be ill rewarded if they must stay here alwaies Let no man thinke much that those are fetcht away which are faithful to God They should not change if it were not to their preferment It is our folly that wee would haue good men liue for euer and account it an ha●d measure that they were Hee that lends them to the world owes them a better turne then this earth can pay them It were iniurious to wish that goodnesse should hinder any man from glory So is the death of Gods Saints precious that it is certaine Moses must goe vp to mount Nebo and die The time the place and euery circumstance of his dissolution is determined That one dyes in the field another in his bed another in the water one in a forraine Nation another in his owne is fore-decreed in heauen And though we heare it not vocally yet God hath called euery man by his name and saith Die thou there One man seemes to dye casually another by an inexpected violence both fall by a destiny and all is set downe to vs by an eternall decree He that brought vs into the world will cary vs out according to his owne purposes Moses must ascend vp to the hill to dye He receiued his charge for Israel vpon the hill of Sinai And now hee deliuers vp his charge on the hill of Nebo His brother Aaron dyed on one hill hee on another As Christ was transfigured on an hill so was this excellent type of his neither doubt I but that these hills were types to them of that heauen whither they were aspiring It is the goodnesse of our God that hee will nor haue his children dye any where but where they may see the Land of Promise before them neither can they depart without much comfort to haue seene it Contrarily a wicked man that lookes downe and sees hell before him how can hee choose but find more horrour in the end of death then in the way How familiarly doth Moses heare of his end It is no more betwixt God and Moses but goe vp and dye If he had inuited him to a meale it could not haue beene in a more sociable compellation No otherwise then he said to his other Prophet Vp and eate It is neither harsh nor newes to Gods children to heare or thinke of their departure To them death hath lost his horror through acquaintance Those faces which at first sight seemed ill-fauoured by oft viewing grow out of dislike They haue so oft thought and resolued of the necessity and of the issue of their dissolution that they cannot hold it either strange or vnwelcome He that hath had such entire conuersation with God cannot feare to goe to him Those that know him not or know that he will not know them no maruell if they tremble This is no small fauour that God warnes Moses of his end he that had so oft made Moses of his counsel what he meant to do with Israel would not now do ought with himselfe without his knowledge Expectation of any maine euent is a great aduantage to a wise heart If the fiery chariot had fetcht away Elias vnlookt for wee should haue doubted of the fauour of his transportation It is a token of iudgement to come as a theefe in the night God forewarnes one by sicknesse another by age another by his secret instincts to prepare for their end If our hearts bee not now in readinesse we are worthy to be surprized But what is this I heare Displeasure mixed with loue and that to so faithfull a seruant as Moses He must but see the Land of Promise he shall not tread vpon it because he once long agoe sinned in distrusting Death though it were to him an entrance into glory yet shall be also a chastisement of his infidelity How many noble proofes had Moses giuen of his courage and strength of faith How many gracious seruices had he done to his Master Yet for one act of distrust he must bee gathered to his Fathers All our obediences cannot beare out one sinne against God How vainly shall we hope to make amends to God for our former trespasses by our better behauiour when Moses hath this one sinne laid in his dish after so many and worthy testimonies of his fidelitie When we haue forgotten our sinnes yet God remembers them and although not in anger yet he cals for our arrerages Alas what shall become of them with whom God hath ten thousand greater quarrels that amongst many millions of sinnes haue scattered some few acts of formall seruices If Moses must die the first death for one fault how shall they escape the second for sinning alwayes Euen where God loues he will not winke at sinne and if he doe not punish yet he will chastise How much lesse can it stand with that eternall Iustice to let wilfull sinners escape iudgement It might haue beene iust with God to haue reserued the cause to himselfe and in a generalitie to haue told Moses that his sinne must shorten his iourney but it is more of mercy then iustice that his children shall know why they smart That God may at once both iustifie himselfe and humble them for their particular offences Those to whom he meanes vengeance haue not the sight of their sinnes till they be past repentance Complaine not that God vpbraides thee with thy old sinnes whosoeuer thou art but know it is an argument of loue whereas concealement is a fearefull signe of a secret dislike from God But what was that noted sinne which deserues this late exprobation and shall cary so sharpe a chastisement Israel murmured for water God bids Moses take the rod in his hand and speak to the rock to giue water Moses in stead of speaking and striking the rocke with his voice strikes it with the rod Here was his sinne An ouer-reaching of his commission a fearefulnesse and distrust of the effect The rod he knew was approued for miracles he knew not how powerfull his voyce might be therefore hee did not speake but strike and he strooke twice for failing And now after these many yeares hee is striken for it of God It is a dangerous thing in diuine matters to goe beyond our warrant Those sinnes which seeme triuiall to men are haynous in the account of God Any thing that fauours of infidelity displeases him more then some other crimes of morality Yet the mouing of the Rod was but a diuerse thing from the mouing of the tongue it was not contrary He did not forbid the one but he commanded the other This was but acrosse the streame not against it where shall they appeare whose whole

honor cannot be innocent Well might Ioshua haue proceeded to the execution of him whom God and his owne mouth accused but as one that thought no euidence could be too strong in a case that was capitall he sends to see whether there was as much truth in the confession as there was falshood in the stealth Magistrates and Iudges must pace slowly and sure in the punishment of offenders Presumptions are not ground enough for the sentence of death no not in some cases the confessions of the guilty It is no warrant for the Law to wrong a man that he hath before wronged himselfe There is lesse ill in sparing an offender then in punishing the innocent Who would not haue expected since the confession of Achan was ingenuous and his pillage still found entire that his life should haue beene pardoned But here was Confesse and die he had beene too long sicke of this disease to be recouered Had his confession beene speedy and free it had saued him How dangerous it is to suffer sin to lye fretting into the soule which if it were washt off betimes with our repentance could not kill vs. In mortall offences the course of humane iustice is not stayd by our penitence It is well for our soules that we haue repented but the lawes of men take not notice of our sorrow I know not whether the death or the teares of a malefactor be a better sight The censures of the Church are wip't off with weeping not the penalties of lawes Neither is Achan alone called forth to death but all his family all his substance The actor alone doth not smart with sacriledge all that concernes him is enwrapped in the iudgement Those that defile their hands with holy goods are enemies to their owne flesh and blood Gods first reuenges are so much the more fearefull because they must be exemplary Of the Gibeonites THe newes of Israels victory had flowne ouer all the Mountaines Valleys of Canaan and yet those Heathenish Kings and people are mustered together against them They might haue seene themselues in Iericho and Ai and haue well perceiued it was not an arme of flesh that they must resist yet they gather their forces and say Tush we shall speed better It is madnesse in a man not to be warned but to run vpon the point of those iudgments wherewith he sees others miscary and not to beleeue till he cannot recouer Our assent is purchased too late when we haue ouerstayed preuention and trust to that experience which wee cannot liue to redeeme Onely the Hiuites are wiser then their fellowes and will rather yeeld liue Their intelligence was not diuerse from the rest all had equally heard of the miraculous conduct and successe of Israel but their resolution was diuerse As Rahab saued her Family in the midst of Iericho so these foure cities preserued themselues in the midst of Canaan and both of them by beleeuing what God would doe The efficacy of Gods maruellous workes is not in the acts themselues but in our apprehension some are ouer come with those motiues which others haue contemned for weake Had these Gibeonites ioyned with the forces of all their neighbours they had perished in their common slaughter If they had not gone away by themselues death had met them It may haue more pleasure it cannot haue so much safety to follow the multitude If examples may lead vs the greatest part shuts out God vpon earth and is excluded from God else where Some few poore ●iuites yeeld to the Church of God and escape the condemnation of the world It is very like their neighbors flouted at this base submission of the Gibeonites and out of their termes of honour scorned to beg life of an enemy whiles they were out of the compasse of mercy but when the bodies of these proud Iebusites and Perizzites lay strewed vpon the earth and the Gibeonites suruiued whether was more worthy of scorne and insultation If the Gibeonites had stayed till Israel had besieged their Cities their yeeldance had been fruitlesse now they make an early peace and are preserued There is no wisdome in staying till a iudgement come home to vs the only way to auoid it is to meet it halfe way There is the same remedy of warre and of danger To prouoke an enemy in his owne borders is the best stay of inuasion and to sollicit God betimes in a manifest danger is the best antidote for death I commend their wisdome in seeking peace I doe not commend their falshood in the manner of seeking it who can looke for any better of Pagans But as the faith of Rahab is so rewarded that her lye is not punished so the fraud of these Gibeonites is not an equal match of their beliefe since the name of the Lord God of Israel brought them to this suit of peace Nothing is found fitter to deceiue Gods people then a counterfeit copy of age Here are old sacks old bottles old shooes old garments old bread The Israelites that had worne one suit forty yeares seemed new clad in comparison of them It is no new policie that Satan would beguile vs with a vaine colour of antiquity clothing falshood in rags Errors are neuer the elder for their patching Corruption can doe the same that time would doe we may make age as well as suffer it These Gibeonites did teare their bottles and shooes and clothes and made them naught that they might seeme old so doe the false patrons of new errors If we be caught with this Gibeonitish stratagem it is a signe we haue not consulted with God The sentence of death was gone out against all the inhabitants of Canaan These Hiuites acknowledge the truth and iudgements of God and yet seeke to escape by a league with Israel The generall denunciations of the vengeance of God enwrap all sinners Yet may we not despaire of mercy If the secret counsell of the Almightie had not designed these men to life Ioshua could not haue beene deceiued with their league In the generality there is no hope Let vs come in old rags of our vilenesse to the true Ioshua and make our truce with him we may liue yea we shall liue Some of the Israelites suspect the fraud and notwithstanding all their old garments and prouisions can say It may be thou dwellest amongst vs. If Ioshua had continued this doubt the Gibeonites had torne their bottles in vaine In cases and persons vnknowne it is safe not to be too credulous Charity it selfe will allow suspition where wee haue seene no cause to trust If these Hiuites had not put on new faces with their old clothes they had surely changed countenance when they heard this argument of the Israelites It may bee thou dwellest amongst vs how then can I make a league with thee They had perhaps hoped their submission would not haue been refused wheresoeuer they had dwelt but lest their neighbourhood might be a preiudice they come disguised

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

posterity of Beniamin d●generated that their Gibeah should be no lesse wicked then populous The first signe of a setled godlesnesse is that a Leuite is suffered to lye without doores If God had been in any of their houses his seruant had not been excluded Where no respect is giuen to Gods messengers there can be no Religion Gibeah was a second Sodome euen there also is another Lot which is therefore so much more hospitall to strangers because himselfe was a stranger The Oast as well as the Leuite is of Mount Ephraim Each man knowes best to commiserate that euill in others which himselfe hath passed thorow All that professe the Name of Christ are Countrymen and yet strangers here below How cheerefully should we entertaine each other when we meet in the Gibeah of this in hospitall world This good old man of Gibeah came home late from his worke in the fields The Sunne was set ere he gaue ouer And now seeing this man a stranger an Israelite a Leuite an Ephramite and that in his way to the house of God to take vp his lodging in the street hee proffers him the kindnesse of his house-roome Industrious spirits are the fittest receptacles of all good motions whereas those which giue themselues to idle and loose courses doe not care so much as for themselues I heare of but one man at his worke in all Gibeah the rest were quaffing and reuelling That one man ends his worke in a charitable entertainement the other end their play in a brutish beastlinesse and violence These villanies had learned both the actions and the language of the Sodomites One vncleane diuell was the prompter to both and this honest Ephramite had learnt of righteous Lot both to intreat and to proffer As a perplexed Mariner that in a storme must cast away something although precious so this good Oast rather will prostitute his daughter a virgin together with the concubine then this prodigious villany should be offered to a man much more to a man of God The detestation of a fouler sinne drew him to ouer-reach in the motion of a lesser which if it had been accepted how could he haue escaped the partnership of their vncleannesse and the guilt of his daughters rauishment No man can wash his hands of that sinne to which his will hath yeelded Bodily violence may be inoffensiue in the patient voluntary inclination to euill though out of feare can neuer be excusable yet behold this wickednesse is too little to satisfie these monsters Who would haue looked for so extreame abomination from the loynes of Iacob the wombe of Rachel the sonnes of Beniamin Could the very Iebusites their neighbors be euer accused of such vnnaturall outrage I am ashamed to say it Euen the worst Pagans were Saints to Israel What auailes it that they haue the Ark of God in Shilo while they haue Sodom in their streets that the law of God is in their fringes whiles the diuell is in their hearts Nothing but hell it selfe can yeeld a worse creature then a depraued Israelite the very meanes of his reformation are the fuel of his wickednesse Yet Lot sped so much better in Sodom then his Ephraimite did in Gibeah by how much more holy guests he entertained There the guests were Angels heere a sinfull man There the guests saued the oast here the oast could not saue the guest from burtish violence Those Sodomites were stricken with outward blindnes and defeated These Beniamites are onely blinded with lust and preuaile The Leuite comes forth perhaps his coat saued his person from this villany who now thinks himselfe wel that he may haue leaue to redeeme his own dishonour with his concubines If he had not loued her dearely he had neuer sought her so farre after so foule a sinne Yet now his hate of that vnnaturall wickednes ouercame his loue to her Shee is exposed to the furious lust of barbarous Ruffians and which he misdoubted not abuseth to death Oh the iust and euen course which the Almighty Iudge of the world holds in all his retribulations This woman had shamed the bed of a Leuit by her former wantonnesse she had thus far gone smoothly away with her sinne her father harboured her her husband forgaue her her owne heart found no cause to complaine because shee smarted not now when the world had forgotten her offence God cals her to reckoning and punishes her with her owne sinne She had voluntarily exposed her selfe to lust now is exposed forceably Adultery was her sin adultery was her death What smiles soeuer wickednesse casts vpon the heart whiles it sollicites it will owe vs a displeasure and proue it selfe a faithfull Debter The Leuite looked to finde her humbled with this violence not murdered and now indignation moues him to adde horrour to the fact Had not his heart been raysed vp with an excesse of desire to make the crime as odious as it was sinful his action could not be excusē Those hands that might not touch a carkais now carue the corps of his own dead wife into morsels and send these tokens to all the Tribes of Israel that when they should see these gobbets of the body murdered the more they might detest the murderers Himselfe puts on cruelty to the dead that he might draw them to a iust reuenge of her death Actions nororiously villanous may iustly countenance an extraordinary meanes of prosecution Euery Israelite hath a part in a Leuites wrong No Tribe hath not his share in the carcasse and the reuenge The desolation of BENIMIN THese morsels could not chuse but cut the hearts of Israel with horror and compassion horror of the act and compassion of the sufferer and now their zeale drawes them together either for satisfaction or reuenge Who would not haue looked that the hands of Beniamin should haue been first vpon Gibeah and that they should haue readily sent the heads of the offenders for a second seruice after the gobbets of the concubine But now in stead of punishing the sinne they patronize the actors and will rather die in resisting iustice then liue and prosper in furthering it Surely Israel had one Tribe too many all Beniamin is turned into Gibeah the sons not of Beniamin but of Belial The abetting of euill is worse then the commission This may be vpon infirmity but that must be vpon resolution Easie punishment is too much fauour to sinne conniuence is much worse but the defence of it and that vnto bloud is intollerable Had not these men been both wicked and quarrellous they had not drawne their swords in so foule a cause Peaceable dispositions are hardly drawn to fight for innocence yet these Beniaminites as if they were in loue with villanie and out of charity with God will be the wilfull Champions of lewdnesse How can Gibeah repent them of that wickednesse which all Beiamin will make good in spight of their consciences Euen where sinne is suppressed it will rise but where it is

say Come vp we will goe vp for God hath deliuered them into our hands If they say Tarry till we come to you we will stand still Ionathan was too wise to trust vnto a casuall presage There might be some farre fetcht coniectures of the euent from the word We will come to you was a threat of resolution Come you to vs was a challenge of feare or perhaps Come vp to vs was a word of insultation from them that trusted to the inaccessiblenesse of the place and multitudes of men Insultation is from pride pride argued a f●ll but faith hath nothing to doe with probabilities as that which acknowledgeth no Argument but demonstration If there hid not beene an instinct from GOD of this assured warrant of successe Ionathan had presumed in stead of beleeuing and had tempted that GOD whom hee professed to glorifie by his trust There can be no faith where there is no promise and where there is a promise there can be no presumption Words are voluntary The tongues of the Philistims were as free to say Tarry as Come That God in whom our very tongues moue ouerruled them so as now they shall speake that word which shall cut their owne throats They knew no more harme in Come then Tarry both were alike safe for the sound for the sense but he that put a signification of their slaughter in the one not in the other did put that word into their mouth whereby they might inuite their owne destruction The disposition of our words are from the prouidence of the Almighty God and our hearts haue not alwayes the same meaning in our speeches In those words which we speake at random or out of affectation God hath a further drift of his owne glory and perhaps our iudgement If wicked men say Our tongues are our owne they could not say so but from him whom they defie in saying so and who makes their tongue their executioner No sooner doth Ionathan heare this inuitation then hee answers it Hee whose hands had learned neuer to faile his heart puts himselfe vpon his hands and knees to climbe vp into this danger the exploit was not more difficult then the way the paine of the passage was equall to the perill of the enterprize that his faith might equally triumph ouer both he doth not say how shall I get vp much lesse which way shall I get downe againe but as if the ground were leuell and the action dangerlesse hee puts himselfe into the view of the Philistims Faith is neuer so glorious as when it hath most opposition and will not see it Reason lookes euer to the meanes Faith to the end and in stead of consulting how to effect resolues what shall be effected The way to heauen is more steepe more painfull O God! how perillous a passage hast thou appointed for thy labouring Pilgrims If difficulties will discourage vs we shall but climbe to fall When we are lifting vp our foot to the last step there are the Philistims of death of temptations to grapple with giue vs but faith and turne vs loose to the spight either of Earth or Hell Ionathan is now on the top of the hill and now as if he had an army at his heeles he flyes vpon the hoste of the Philistims his hands that might haue beene weary with climbing are immediately commanded to fight and deale as many deaths as blowes to the amazed enemie He needs not walke farre for this execution Himselfe and his Armour-bearer in one halfe acres space haue slaine twenty Philistims It is not long since Ionathan smote their Garison in the hill of Geba perhaps from that time his name and presence carried terror in it but sure if the Philistims had not seene and felt more then a man in the face and hands of Ionathan they had not so easily groueled in death The blowes and shrikes cannot but affect the next who with a ghastly noise ranne away from death and afright their fellowes no lesse then themselues are afrighted The clamour and feare runnes on like fire in a traine to the very formost rankes Euery man would flye and thinkes there is so much more cause of flight for that his eares apprehend all his eyes nothing Each man thinkes his fellow stands in his way and therefore in stead of turning vpon him which was the cause of their flight they bend their swords vpon those whom they imagine to be the hinderers of their flight and now a miraculous astonishment hath made the Philistims Ionathans Champions and Executioners He followes and kils those which helped to kill others and the more he killed the more they feared and fled and the more they killed each other in the flight and that feare it selfe might preuent Ionathan in killing them the earth it selfe trembles vnder them Thus doth God at once strike them with his owne hand with Ionathans with theirs and makes them runne away from life whiles they would flye from an enemie Where the Almighty purposes destruction to any people hee needs not call in forraigne powers he needs not any hands or weapons but their own He can make vast bodies die no other death then their owne waight We cannot be sure to be friends among our selues whiles God is our enemy The Philistims flye fast but the newes of their flight ouer-runnes them euen vnto Sauls Pomegranate Tree The Watchmen discerne afarre off a flight and execution search is made Ionathan is found missing Saul will consult with the Arke Hypocrites while they haue leisure will perhaps be holy For some fits of deuotion they cannot bee bettered But when the tumult encreased Sauls piety decreases It is now no season to talke with a Priest withdraw thine hand Ahaiah the Ephod must giue place to Armes It is more time to fight then to pray what needs he Gods guidance when he sees his way before him He that before would needs sacrifice ere hee fought will now in the other extreame fight in a wilfull indeuotion Worldly minds regard holy duties no further then may stand with their owne carnall purposes Very easie occasions shall interrupt them in their religious intentions like vnto children which if a Bird doe but flye in their way cast their eye from their booke But if Saul serue not God in one kind he will serue him in another if he honour him not by attending on the Arke hee will honour him by a vow His negligence in the one is recompenced with his zeale in the other All Israel is adiured not to eate any food vntill the euening Hypocrisie is euer masked with a blind and thanklesse zeale To wait vpon the Arke and to consult with Gods Priest in all cases of importance was a direct commandement of God To eate no food in the pursuit of their enemies was not commanded Saul leaues that which he was bidden and does that which he was not required To eate no food all day was more difficult then to attend an houre vpon

issue can distinguish betwixt a Dauid and a Doeg when they are both in the Tabernacle Honest Ahimelech could little suspect that he now offered a Sacrifice for his Executioner yea for the Murtherer of all his Family Oh the wise and deepe iudgements of the Almighty God owed a reuenge to the House of Eli and now by the delation of Doeg he takes occasion to pay it It was iust in God which in Doeg was most vniust Sauls cruelty and the trecherie of Doeg doe not lose one dram of their guilt by the Counsell of God neither doth the holy Counsell of God gather any blemish by their wickednesse If it had pleased God to inflict death vpon them sooner without any pretence of occasion his Iustice had beene cleere from all imputations now if Saul and Doeg be in stead of a pestilence or feuer who can cauill The iudgements of God are not open but are alwaies iust He knowes how by one mans sinne to punish the sinne of another and by both their sinnes and punishments to glorifie himselfe If his word sleepe it shall not dye but after long intermissions breakes forth in those effects which wee had forgotten to looke for and ceased to feare O Lord thou art sure when thou threatnest and iust when thou iudgest Keepe thou vs from the sentence of death else in vaine shall we labour to keepe our selues from the execution Contemplations THE FOVRTEENTH BOOKE Containing SAVL in DAVIDS Caue NABAL and ABIGAIL DAVID and ACHISH SAVL and the Witch of Endor ZIKLAG spoyled and reuenged The death of SAVL ABNER and IOAB By IOS HALL D. of Diuinitie and Deane of WORCESTER TO THE RIGHT HONOVRABLE AND MY SINGVLAR GOOD LORD PHILIP EARLE OF MONGOMERY ONE OF THE GENTLEMEN OF HIS MAIESTIES Bed-chamber and Knight of the most Honourable Order of the GARTER RIGHT HONOVRABLE AFter some vnpleasing intermissions Ireturne to that taske of Contemplation wherin onely my soule findeth rest Jf in other imployments I haue indeuoured to serue God and his Church yet in none I must confesse with equall contentment Me thinkes Controuersie is not right in my way to Heauen how euer the importunitie of an Aduersary may force me to fetch it in If Truth oppressed by an erroneous Teacher cry like a rauisht Virgin for my aid J betray it if J releeue it not when J haue done J returne gladly to these paths of Peace The fauour which my late Polemicall labour hath found beyond merit from the Learned cannot diuert my loue to those wrangling Studies How earnestly doth my heart rather wish an vniuersall cessation of these Armes that all the Professors of the deare Name of Christ might bee taken vp with nothing but holy and peaceable thoughts of Deuotion the sweetnesse whereof hath so farre affected mee that if I might doe it without danger of mis-construction I could beg euen of an Enemie this leaue to bee happy I haue already giuen account to the World of some expences of my houres this way and heere I bring more which if some Reader may censure as poore none can censure as vnprofitable J am bold to write them vnder your Honorable Name whereto I am deeply obliged that I may leaue behinde me this meane but faithfull Testimony of mine humble thankfulnesse to your Lordship and your most honoured and vertuous Ladie The noble respects J haue had from you both deserue my Prayers and best seruices which shall neuer be wanting to you and yours From your Honours sincerely deuoted in all true duty IOS HALL Contemplations SAVL IN DAVIDS CAVE IT was the strange lot of Dauid that those whom he pursued preserued him from those whom he had preserued The Philistims whom Dauid had newly smitten in Keilah call off Saul from smiting Dauid in the wildernesse when there was but an hillocke betwixt him and death Wicked purposes are easily checked not easily broken off Sauls Sword is scarce dry from the bloud of the Philistims when it thirsts anew for the bloud of Dauid and now in a renewed chase hunts him dry-foot thorow euery wildernesse The very Desart is too faire a refuge for innocence The hils and rockes are searched in an angry iealousie the very wilde Goats of the mountaines were not allowed to be companions for him which had no fault but his vertue Oh the seemingly-vnequall distribution of these earthly things Cruelty and oppression reignes in a Palace whiles goodnesse lurkes among the Rockes and Caues and thinkes it happinesse enough to steale a life Like a dead man Dauid is faine to be hid vnder the earth and seekes the comfort of protection in darknesse and now the wise prouidence of God leades Saul to his enemy without bloud He which before brought them within an hils d●stance without interuiew brings them now both within one roofe so as that whiles Saul seekes Dauid and finds him not he is found of Dauid vnsought If Saul had known his own opportunities how Dauid and his men had interred themselues he had saued a treble labour of chase of execution and buriall for had he but stopt the mouth of that Caue his enemies had laid themselues downe in their owne Graues The Wisdome of God thinkes fit to hide from euill men and spirits those meanes and seasons which might be if they had beene taken most preiudiciall to his owne we had beene oft foiled if Satan could but haue knowne our hearts sometimes we lie open to euils and happy it is for vs that he only knowes it which pit●ies in stead of tempting vs. It is not long since Saul said of Dauid lodged then in Keilah God hath deliuered him into mine hands for he is shut in seeing he is come into a city that hath gates and bars but now contrarily God deliuers Saul ere he was aware into the hands of Dauid and without the helpe of gates and barres hath inclosed him within the Valley of death How iust is it with God that those who seeke mischiefe to others finde it to themselues and euen whiles they are spreading nets are insnared Their deliberate plotting of euill is surprized with a sudden iudgement How amazedly must Dauid needs looke when hee saw Saul enter into the Caue where himselfe was what is this thinkes he which God hath done Is this presence purposed or casuall is Saul here to pursue or to tempt me Where suddenly the action bewrayes the intent and tels Dauid that Saul sought secrecy and not him The superfluity of his maliciousnesse brought him into the Wildernesse the necessity of nature led him into the Caue Euen those actions wherein wee place shame are not exempted from a prouidence The fingers of Dauids followers itched to sease on their Masters enemy and that they might not seeme led so much by faction as by faith they vrge Dauid with a promise from God The day is come whereof the Lord said vnto thee Behold I will deliuer thine enemy into thine hand and thou shalt do to him as it shall seeme

that his head was long before anointed and had heard Saul himselfe confidently auouching his Succession yet he will not stirre from the heapes of Ziklag till he haue consulted with the Lord It did not content him that he had Gods warrant for the Kingdome but he must haue his instructions for the taking possession of it How safe and happy is the man that is resolued to do nothing without God Neither will generalities of direction be sufficient euen particular circumstances must looke for a word still is God a Pillar of fire and cloude to the eye of euery Israelite neither may there be any motion or stay but from him That action cannot but succeed which proceeds vpon so sure a warrant God sends him to Hebron a City of Iudah Neither will Dauid goe vp thither alone but he takes with him all his men with their whole housholds they shall take such part as himselfe As they had shared with him in his misery so they shall now in his prosperity Neither doth he take aduantage of their late mutinie which was yet fresh and greene to cashire those vnthankfull and vngracious followers but pardoning their secret rebellions he makes them partakers of his good successe Thus doth our heauenly Leader whom Dauid prefigured take vs to reigne with him who hath suffered with him passing by our manifold infirmities as if they had not beene he remoueth vs from the Land of our banishment and the ashes of our forlorne Ziklag to the Hebron of our Peace and glory The expectation of this day must as it did with Dauids Souldiers digest all our sorrowes Neuer any calling of God was so conspicuous as not to finde some Opposites What Israelite did not know Dauid appointed by God to the succession of the Kingdome Euen the Amalekite could carry the Crowne to him as the true Owner yet there want not an Abner to resist him and the Title of an Ishbosheth to colour his resistance If any of Sauls house could haue made challenge to the Crowne it should haue beene Mephibosheth the sonne of Ionathan Who it seemes had too much of his Fathers bloud to be a Competitor with Dauid the question is not who may claime the most right but who may best serue the faction Neither was Ishbosheth any other than Abners Stale Saul could not haue a fitter Courtier whether in the imitation of his Masters enuy or the ambition of ruling vnder a borrowed name he strongly opposed Dauid there are those who striue against their owne hearts to make a side with whom conscience is oppressed by affection An ill quarrell once vndertaken shall be maintained although with bloud Now not so much the bloud of Saul as the ingagement of Abner makes the Warre The sonnes of Zerniah stand fast to Dauid It is much how a man placeth his first interest If Abner had beene in Ioabs roome when Sauls displeasure droue Dauid from the Court or Ioab in Abners these actions these euents had beene changed with the persons It was the only happinesse of Ioab that he fell on the better side Both the Commanders vnder Dauid and Ishbosheth were equally cruell both are so iniured to bloud that they make but a sport of killing Custome makes sinne so ●●miliar that the horror of it is to some turned into pleasure Come let the young m●n play before vs. ABNER is the Challenger and speeds thereafter for though in the matches of Duell both sides miscarryed yet in the following conflict Abner and his men are beaten By the successe of those single Combates no man knowes the better of the cause Both sides perish to shew how little God liked either the offer or the acceptation of such a tryall but when both did their best God punisheth the wrong part with discomfiture Oh the misery of ciuill dissention Israel and Iudah were brethren Our carried the name of the Father the other of the Sonne Iudah was but a branch of Israel Israel was the roote of Iudah yet Iudah and Israel must fight and kill each other onely vpon the quarrell of an ill Leaders ambition The speed of Asahel was not greater than his courage It was a mind fit for one of Dauids Worthies to strike at the head to match himselfe with the best He was both swift and strong but the race is not to the swift nor the battle to the strong If hee had gon neuer so slowly he might haue ouer-taken death now hee runnes to fetch it So little lust had Abner to shed the bloud of a sonne of Zerniah that hee twice aduises him to retreate from pursuing his owne perill Asahels cause was so much better as Abners successe Many a one miscarries in the rash prosecution of a good quarrell when the Abettors of the worst part goe away with victory Heate of zeale sometimes in the vndiscreet pursuit of a iust Aduersary prooues mortall to the agent preiudiciall to the seruice ABNER whiles hee kils yet hee flyes and runnes away from his owne death whiles he inflicts it vpon another Dauids followers had the better of the field and day The Sunne as vnwilling to see any more Israelitish bloud shed by brethren hath withdrawne himselfe and now both parts hauing got the auantage of an hill vnder them haue safe conuenience of parley Abner beginnes and perswades Ioab to surcease the fight Shall the sword deuoure for euer Knowest thou not that it will bee bitternesse in the end How long shall it bee ere thou bid the people returne from following their Brethren It was his fault that the sword deuoured at all and why was not the beginning of a ciuill Warre bitternesse Why did hee call forth the people to skirmish and inuite them to death Had Abner beene on the winning hand this motion had beene thanke-worthy It is a noble disposition in a Victor to call for a cessation of Armes whereas necessitie wrings this suite from the ouer-mastered There cannot be a greater prayse to a valiant and wise Commander than a propension to all iust termes of peace For warre as it is sometimes necessary so it is alwayes euill and if fighting haue any other end proposed besides peace it proues murder Abner shall finde himselfe no lesse ouercome by Ioab in clemencie than power Hee sayes not I will not so easily leaue the aduantage of my victory since the Dice of warre runne on my side I will follow the chace of my good successe Thou shouldest haue considered of this before thy prouocation It is now too late to moue vnto forbearance But as a man that meant to approue himselfe equally free from cowardise in the beginning of the conflict and from crueltie in the end hee professeth his forwardnesse to entertaine any pretence of sheathing vp the swords of Israel and sweares to Abner that if it had not beene for his proud irritation the people had in the morning before ceased from that bloudy pursuit of their brethren As it becomes publike persons to bee louers of peace

mother neither words nor teares can suffice to discouer it Yet more had she beene ayded by the counsell and supportation of a louing yoke-fellow this burden might haue seemed lesse intolerable A good husband may make amends for the losse of a sonne had the root beene left to her intire she might better haue spared the branch now both are cut vp all the stay of her life is gone and shee seemes abandoned to a perfect misery And now when shee gaue herselfe vp for a forlorne mourner past all capacity of redresse the God of comfort meets her pities her relieues her Here was no solicitor but his owne compassion In other occasions he was sought and sued to The Centurion comes to him for a seruant the Ruler for a sonne Iairus for a daughter the neighbours for the Paralyticke here hee seekes vp the patient and offers the cure vnrequested Whiles wee haue to doe with the Father of mercies our afflictions are the most powerfull suitors No teares no prayers can moue him so much as his owne commiseration Oh God none of our secret sorrowes can be either hid from thine eyes or kept from thine heart and when wee are past all our hopes all possibilities of helpe then art thou neerest to vs for deliuerance Here was a conspiration of all parts to mercy The heart had compassion the mouth said Weepe not the feet went to the Beere the hand touched the coffin the power of the Deity raised the dead What the heart felt was secret to it selfe the tongue therefore expresses it in words of comfort Weepe not Alas what are words to so strong and iust passions To bid her not to weepe that had lost her onely sonne was to perswade her to be miserable and not feele it to feele and not regard it to regard and yet to smother it Concealement doth not remedy but aggrauate sorrow That with the counsell of not weeping therefore she might see cause of not weeping his hand seconds his tongue He arrests the Coffin and frees the Prisoner Yongman I say vnto thee arise The Lord of life and death speakes with command No finite power could haue said so without presumption or with successe That is the voice that shall one day call vp our vanished bodies from those elements into which they are resolued and raise them out of their dust Neither sea nor death nor hell can offer to detaine their dead when he charges them to be deliuered Incredulous nature what doest thou shrinke at the possibility of a resurrection when the God of nature vndertakes it It is no more hard for that almighty Word which gaue being vnto all things to say Let them be repaired then Let them be made I doe not see our Sauiour stretching himselfe vpon the dead corps as Elias and Elisha vpon the sonnes of the Sunamite and Sareptan nor kneeling downe and praying by the Beere as Peter did to Dorcas but I heare him so speaking to the dead as if he were aliue and so speaking to the dead that by the word hee makes him aliue I say vnto thee arise Death hath no power to bid that man lye still whom the Sonne of God bids Arise Immediately he that was dead sate vp So at the sound of the last trumpet by the power of the same voice we shall arise out of the dust and stand vp glorious this mortall shall put on immortalitie this corruptible incorruption This body shall not be buried but sowne and at our day shall therefore spring vp with a plentifull increase of glory How comfortlesse how desperate should be our lying downe if it were not for this assurance of rising And now behold lest our weake faith should stagger at the assent to so great a difficulty he hath already by what hee hath done giuen vs tasts of what he will doe The power that can raise one man can raise a thousand a million a world no power can raise one but that which is infinite and that which is infinite admits of no limitation Vnder the old Testament God raised one by Elias another by Elisha liuing a third by Elisha dead By the hand of the Mediator of the New Testament hee raised here the sonne of the Widow the daughter of Iairus Lazarus and in attendance of his owne resurrection he made a gaole-deliuery of holy prisoners at Ierusalem Hee raises the daughter of Iairus from her bed this widowes sonne from his Coffin Lazarus from his graue the dead Saints of Ierusalem from their rottennesse that it might appeare no degree of death can hinder the efficacie of his ouer-ruling command Hee that keepes the keyes of death cannot onely make way for himselfe through the common Hall and outer-roomes but through the inwardest and most reserued closets of darknesse Me thinkes I see this yong man who was thus miraculously awaked from his deadly sleepe wiping and rubbing those eies that had beene shut vp in death and descending from the Beere wrapping his winding sheet about his loines cast himselfe down in a passionate thankfulnesse at the feet of his Almightie restorer adoring that diuine power which had commanded his soule back again to her forsaken lodging though I heare not what he said yet I dare say they were words of praise wonder which his returned soule first vttered It was the mother whom our Sauior pitied in this act not the sonne who now forced from his quiet rest must twice passe through the gates of death As for her sake therefore he was raised so to her hands was he deliuered that she might acknowledge that soule giuen to her not to the possessor Who cannot feele the amazement and extasie of ioy that was in this reuiued mother when her son now salutes her from out of another world And both receiues and giues gratulations of of his new life How suddenly were all the teares of that mournfull traine dried vp with a ioyfull astonishment How soone is that funerall banquet turned into a new Birth-day feast What striuing was here to salute the late carkasse of their returned neighbour What awfull and admiring lookes were cast vpon that Lord of life who seeming homely was approued omnipotent How gladly did euery tongue celebrate both the worke and the author A great Prophet is raised vp amongst vs and God hath visited his people A Prophet was the highest name they could finde for him whom they saw like themselues in shape aboue themselues in power They were not yet acquainted with God manifested in the flesh This miracle might well haue assured them of more then a Prophet but he that raised the dead man from the Beere would not suddenly raise these dead hearts from the graue of Infidelitie they shall see reason enough to know that the Prophet who was raised vp to them was the God that now visited them and at last should doe as much for them as hee had done for the yong man raise them from death to life from dust to glory The

of ioy and thankfulnesse Hee knew well this meteor was not at the biggest it was newly borne of the wombe of the waters and in some minutes of age must grow to a large stature stay but a while and Heauen is couered with it From how small beginnings haue great matters arisen It is no otherwise in all the gracious proceedings of God with the soule scarce sensible are those first workes of his spirit in the heart which grow vp at last to the wonder of men and applause of Angels Well did Elijah know that God who is perfection it selfe would not defile his hand with an inchoate and scanted fauour as one therefore that fore-saw the face of heauen ouer-spread with this cloudy spot hee sends to Ahab to hasten his Charet that the raine stop him not It is long since Ahab feared this let neuer was the newes of a danger more welcome Doubtlesse the King of Israel whiles hee was at his diet lookt long for Elijahs promised showers where is the raine whose sound the Prophet heard how is it that his eares were so much quicker then our eyes Wee saw his fire to our terrour how gladly would we see his Waters When now the seruant of Elijah brings him newes from heauen that the clouds were setting forward and if hee hastened not would be before him The winde arises the clouds gather the sky thickens Ahab betakes him to his Charet Elijah girds vp his loynes and runnes before him Surely the Prophet could not want the offer of more ease in his passage but he will be for the time Ahabs lacquey that the King and all Israel may see his humility no lesse than his power and may confesse that the glory of those miracles hath not made him insolent Hee knew that his very sight was monitorie neither could Ahabs minde be beside the miraculous workes of God whiles his eye was vpon Elijah neither could the Kings heart be otherwise then well-affected towards the Prophet whiles he saw that himselfe and all Israel had receiued a new Life by his procurement But what newes was here for Iezebel Certainly Ahab minced nothing of the report of all those astonishing accidents If but to salue vp his owne honour in the death of those Baalites hee made the best of Elijahs merits hee told of his challenge conflict victorie of the fire that fell downe from Heauen of the conuiction of Israel of the vnauoidable execution of the Prophets of the prediction and fall of those happy showers and lastly of Elijahs officious attendance Who would not haue expected that Iezebel should haue said It is no striuing no dallying with the Almightie No reasonable creature can doubt after so prodigious a decision God hath wonne vs from Heauen hee must possesse vs Iustly are our seducers perished None but the God that can command fire and water shall bee ours There is no Prophet but his But shee contrarily in stead of relenting rageth and sends a message of death to Elijah So let the gods doe to mee and more also if I make not thy life as the life of one of them by to morrow about this time Neither scourges nor fauours can worke any thing with the obstinately wicked All euill hearts are not equally dis-affected to good Ahab and Iezebel were both bad enough yet Ahab yeelds to that worke of God which Iezebel stubbornly opposeth Ahab melts with that water with that fire wherewith Iezebel is hardened Ahab was bashfully Iezebel audaciously impious The weaker sexe is euer commonly stronger in passion and more vehemently caried with the sway of their desires whether to good or euill She sweares and stamps at that whereat shee should haue trembled She sweares by those gods of hers which were not able to saue their Prophets that she will kill the Prophet of God who had scorned her gods and slaine her Prophets It is well that Iezebel could not keepe counsell Her threat pre●e●ted him whom shee had meant to kill The wisedome and power of God could ●●ue found euasions for his Prophet in her greatest secresie but now he needs no other meanes of rescue but her owne lips She is no lesse vaine then the gods shee sweares by In spight of her fury and her oath and her gods Elijah shall liue At once shall she finde her selfe frustrate and forsworne She is now ready to bite her tongue to eat her heart for anger at the disappointment of her cruell Vow It were no liuing for godly men if the hands of Tyrants were allowed to be as bloody as their hearts Men and Deuils are vnder the restraint of the Almighty neither are their designes more lauish then their executions short Holy Elijah flees for his life wee heare not of the command of God but we would willingly presuppose it So diuine a Prophet should doe nothing without God His heeles were no new refuge As no where safe within the ten Tribes hee flees to Beersheba in the Territories of Iudah as not there safe from the machinations of Iezebel hee flees alone one dayes iourney into the wildernesse there hee sits him downe vnder a Iuniper tree and as weary of life no lesse then of his way wishes to rise no more It is enough now O Lord take away my life for I am not better then my Fathers O strange and vncouth mutation What is this wee heare Elijah fainting and giuing vp that heroicall spirit deiected and prostrate Hee that durst say to Ahabs face It is thou and thy fathers house that troubleth Israel hee that could raise the dead open and shut the Heauens fetch downe both fire and water with his prayers hee that durst chide and contest with all Israel that durst kill the foure hundred and fifty Baalites with the sword doth hee shrinke at the frownes and threats of a woman doth hee wish to be rid of his life because hee feared to lose it Who can expect an vndaunted constancie from flesh and blood when Elijah failes The strongest and holiest Saint vpon earth is subiect to some qualmes of feare and infirmitie To bee alwayes and vnchangeably good is proper onely to the glorious Spirits in heauen Thus the wise and holy God will haue his power perfited in our weaknesse It is in vaine for vs whiles wee carie this flesh about vs to hope for so exact health as not to be cast downe sometimes with fits of spirituall distemper It is no new thing for holy men to wish for death Who can either maruell at or blame the desire of aduantage For the weary traueller to long for rest the prisoner for libertie the banished for home it is so naturall that the contrary disposition were monstrous The benefit of the change is a iust motiue to our appetition but to call for death out of a satietie of life out of an impatience of suffering is a weaknesse vnbeseeming a Saint It is not enough O Elijah God hath more worke yet for thee thy God hath more honoured thee

then thy fathers and thou shalt liue to honour him Toile and sorrow haue lulled the Prophet asleepe vnder his Iuniper tree that wholesome shade was well chosen for his repose whiles death was called for the cozen of death comes vnbidden The Angell of God waits on him in that hard lodging no wildernesse is too solitarie for the attendance of those blessed spirits As hee is guarded so is hee awaked by that Messenger of God and stirred vp from his rest to his repast whiles hee slept his breakfast is made ready for him by those spirituall hands There was a cake baked on the coales and a cruse of water at his head Oh the neuer-ceasing care and prouidence of the Almig●tie not to bee barred by any place by any condition when meanes are wanting to to vs when we are wanting to our selues when to God euen then doth hee follow vs with his mercy and cast fauours vpon vs beyond against expectation What varietie of purueyance doth he make for his seruant One while the Rauens then the Sareptan now the Angell shall be his Cator none of them without a miracle Those other prouided for him waking this sleeping O God the eye of thy prouidence is not dimmer the hand of thy power is not shorter onely teach thou vs to serue thee to trust thee Needs must the Prophet eate and drinke and sleepe with much comfort whiles hee saw that hee had such a guardian attendant purueiour and now the second time is he raised by that happy touch to his meale and his way Arise and eate because the iourney is too great for thee What needed hee to trauell further sith that diuine power could as well protect him in the Wildernesse as in Horeb What needed hee to eate since hee that meant to sustaine him forty dayes with one meale might as well haue sustained him without it God is a most free Agent neither will be tied to the termes of humane regularities It is enough that hee knowes and approues the reasons of his owne choice and commands once in forty dayes and nights shall Elijah eate to teach vs what God can doe with little meanes and but once to teach vs what hee can doe without meanes Once shall the Prophet eate Man liues by bread and but once Man liues not by bread onely but by euery word that proceeds out of the mouth of God Moses Elijah our Sauiour fasted each of them forty daies and forty nights the three great fasters met gloriously in Tabor I finde not where God euer honoured any man for feasting It is abstinence not fulnesse that makes a man capable of heauenly visions of diuine glory The iourney was not of it selfe so long the Prophet tooke those wayes those houres which his heart gaue him In the very same Mount where Moses first saw God shall Elijah see him one and the same caue as is very probable was the receptacle to both It could not bee but a great confirmation of Elijah to renue the sight of those sensible monuments of Gods fauour and protection to his faithfull predecessor Moses came to see God in the Bush of Horeb God came to finde Elijah in the Caue of Horeb What doest thou here Elijah The place was directed by a prouidence not by a command Hee is hid sure enough from Iezebel hee cannot bee hid from the all-seeing eye of God Whither shall I goe from thy Spirit or Whither shall I fly from thy presence If I ascend vp into Heauen thou art there if I make my bed in Hell behold thou art there If I take the wings of the morning and dwell in the vttermost parts of the Sea euen there shall thine hand finde me and thy right hand shall hold mee Twice hath God propounded the same question to Eljiah Once in the heart once in the mouth of the Caue Twice doth the Prophet answer in the same words Had the first answer satisfied the question had not beene re-demanded Now that sullen answer which Elijah gaue in the darknesse of the Caue is challenged into the Light not without an awfull preface The Lord first passeth by him with the terrible demonstrations of his power A great strong wind rent the Mountaines and brake the Rocks in pieces That tearing blast was from God God was not in it So was hee in it as in his other extraordinarie workes not so in it as by it to impart himselfe to Elijah it was the vshier not the cariage of God After the winde came an Earthquake more fearfull then it That did but moue the aire this the earth that beat vpon some prominences of earth this shooke it from the Center After the earth-quake came a fire more fearfull them either The other affected the eare the feeling but this lets in horrour into the Soule by the eye the quickest and most apprehensiue of the senses Elijah shall see Gods mighty power in the earth aire fire before hee heare him in the soft voice all these are but boistrous harbingers of a meeke and still word In that God was Behold in that gentle and mild breath there was omnipotency there was but powerfulnesse in those fierce representations There is not alwaies the greatest efficacie where is the greatest noise God loues to make way for himselfe by terrour but he conuayes himselfe to vs in sweetnesse It is happy for vs if after the gusts and flashes of the Law wee haue heard the soft voice of Euangelicall mercy In this very mount with the same horror God had deliuered his Law to Moses and Israel It is no maruell if Elijah wrap his face in his Mantle His obedience drawes him forth to the mouth of the Caue his feare still hides his head Had there not beene much courage in the Prophets faith hee had not stood out these affrightfull fore-runners of the diuine presence though with his face couered The very Angels doe no lesse before that all-glorious Maiestie then vaile themselues with their wings Farre be it from vs once to thinke of that infinite and omnipotent Deitie without an humble awfulnesse Feare changes not the tenour of Elijahs answer Hee hath not left one word behinde him in the Caue I haue beene very iealous for the Lord God of Hosts because the children of Israel haue forsaken thy Couenant throwne downe thine Altars and slaine thy Prophets with the sword and I euen I onely am left and they seeke my life to take it away I heare not a direct answer from the Prophet to the demand of God then hee had said I runne away from the threats of Iezebel and here I hide my head from her malicious pursuit His guiltinesse would not let him speake out all Hee had rather say I haue beene iealous for the Lord God of Hosts then I was fearfull of Iezebel Wee are all willing to make the best of our owne case but what hee wants of his owne accusation hee spends vpon the complaint of Israel Neither doth he more bemone

nothing more dangerous for any state then to call in forraigne powers for the suppression of an home-bred enemie the remedy hath oft in this case proued worse then the disease Asa King of Iudah implores the ayde of Benhadad the Syrian against Baasha King of Israel That stranger hath good colour to set his foot in some out-skirt-townes of Israel and now these serue him but for the handsell of more Such sweetnesse doth that Edomite find in the soile of Israel that his ambition will not take vp with lesse then all He that entred as a Friend will proceed as a Conqueror and now aimes at no lesse then Samaria it selfe the heart the head of the ten Tribes There was no cause to hope for better successe of so perfidious a League with an Infidell Who can looke for other then warre when he sees Ahab and Iezebel in the Throne Israel in the groues and temples of Baalim The ambition of Benhadad was not so much guilty of this warre as the Idolatry of that wicked nation How can they expect peace from earth who doe wilfully fight against heauen Rather will the God of Hosts arme the brute the senselesse creatures against Israel then he will suffer their defiance vnreuenged Ahab and Benhadad are well matched an Idolatrous Israelite with a paganish Idumaean well may God plague each with other who meanes vengeance to them both Ahab finds himselfe hard pressed with the siege and therefore is glad to enter into treaties of peace Benhadad knowes his owne strength and offers insolent conditions Thy siluer and thy gold is mine thy wiues also and thy children euen the goodliest are mine It is a fearefull thing to be in the mercy of an enemy In case of hostility might will carue for it selfe Ahab now after the diusion of Iudah was but halfe a King Benhadad had two and thirthy Kings to attend him What equality was in this opposition Wisely doth Ahab therefore as a reed in a tempest stoop to this violent charge of so potent an enemy My Lord O King according to thy saying I am thine and all that I haue It is not for the ouer-powred to capitulate Weaknesse may not argue but yeeld Tyranny is but drawne on by submission and where it finds feare and deiection insulteth Benhadad not content with the soueraigntie of Ahabs goods cals for the possession Ahab had offred the Dominion with reseruation of his subordinate interest he will be a tributary so he may be an owner Benhadad imperiously besides the command cals for the propriety and suffers not the King of Israel to enioy those things at all which he would inioy but vnder the fauour of that predominancie Ouer-strained subiection turnes desperate if conditions bee imposed worse then death there needes no long disputation of the remedy The Elders of Israel whose share was proportionably in this danger hearten Ahab to a deniall which yet comes out so fearefully as that it appeares rather extorted by the peremptory indignation of the people then proceeding out of any generosity of his Spirit Neither doth he say I will not but I may not The proud Syrian who would haue taken it in foule scorne to bee denied though he had sent for all the heads of Israel snuffes vp the wind like a wilde Asse in the Wildernesse and brags and threats and sweares The gods doe so to me and more also if the dust of Samaria shall suffice for handfulls for all the people that follow me Not the men not the goods onely of Samaria shall bee caried away captiue but the very earth whereon it stands and this with how much ease No Souldier shall need to bee charged with more then an handfull to make a valley where the mother City of Israel once stood Oh vaine boaster In whom I know not whether pride or folly be more eminent Victorie is to bee atchieued not to bee sworne future euents are no matter of an oath Thy gods if they had beene might haue beene called as witnesses of thy intentions not of that successe whereof thou wouldst be the Author without them Thy gods can doe nothing to thee nothing for thee nothing for themselues all thine Aramites shall not cary away one corne of sand out of Israel except it bee vpon the soles of their feet in their shamefull flight It is well if they can cary backe those skins that they brought thither Let not him that girdeth on his harnesse boast himselfe as hee that putteth it off There is no cause to feare that man that trusts in himselfe Man may cast the dice of war but the disposition of them is of the Lord. Ahab was lewd but Benhadad was insolent If therefore Ahab shall be scourged with the rod of Benhadads feare Benhadad shall bee smitten with the sword of Ahabs reuenge Of all things God will not endure a presumptuous and selfe-confident vaunter after Elijahs flight and complaint yet a Prophet is addressed to Ahab Thus saith the Lord Hast thou seene all this great multitude behold I will deliuer it into thine hand this day and thou shalt know that I am the Lord Who can wonder enough at this vnweariable mercy of God After the fire and ruine fetcht miraculously from Heauen Ahab had promised much performed nothing yet againe will God blesse and solicit him with victory One of those Prophets whom hee persecuted to death shall comfort his deiection with the newes of deliuerance and triumph Had this great worke beene wrought without premonition either chance or Baal or the golden calues had caried away the thankes Before hand therefore shall Ahab know both the Author and the meanes of his victory God for the Author the two hundred thirty two yong men of the Princes for the meanes What are these for the Vant-gard and seuen thousand Israelite for the maine battell against the troupes of three thirty Kings and as many centuries of Syrians as Israel had single souldiers An equality of number had taken away the wonder of the euent but now the God of hoasts will be confessed in this issue not the valor of men How indifferent it is with thee O Lord to saue by many or by few to destroy many or few A world is no more to thee then a man how easie is it for thee to enable vs to be more then Conquerors ouer Principalities and Powers to subdue spirituall wickednesses to flesh and blood Through thee we can doe great things yea we can doe all things through thee that strengthnest vs Let not vs want faith we are sure there can bee no want in thy power or mercy There was nothing in Benhadads pauilions but drink and surfet and iollity as if wine should make way for blood Security is the certain vsher of destruction we neuer haue to much cause to feare as when we feare nothing This handful of Israel dares look out vpon the Prophets assurance to the vast host of Benhadad It is enough for that proud Pagan to sit