laid to which if they shall adde but one scruple it shall be to mee sufficient ioy contentment recompence From your Hal-sted Decemb. 4. Your Worships humbly deuouted IOS HALL THE FIRST CENTVRIE OF MEDITATIONS AND VOWES DIVINE and MORALL 1 IN Meditation those which begin heauenly thoughts and prosecute them not are like those which kindle a fire vnder greene wood and leaue it so soone as it but begins to flame leesing the hope of a good beginning for want of seconding it with a sutable proceeding when I set my selfe to meditate I will not giue ouer till I come to an issue It hath beene said by some that the beginning is as much as the middest yea more than all but I say the ending is more than the beginning 2 There is nothing but Man that respecteth greatnesse Not God not death not Iudgement Not God he is no accepter of persons Not nature we see the sonnes of Princes borne as naked as the poorest and the poore childe as faire well-fauoured strong witty as the heire of Nobles Not disease death iudgement they sicken alike die alike fare alike after death There is nothing besides naturall men of whom goodnesse is not respected I will honour greatnesse in others but for my selfe I will esteeme a dram of goodnesse worth a whole world of greatnesse 3 As there is a foolish wisdome so there is a wise ignorance in not prying into Gods Arke not enquiring into things not reuealed I would faine know all that I need and all that I may I leaue Gods secrets to himselfe It is happy for me that God makes me of his Court though not of his Counsell 4 As there is no vacuity in nature no more is there spiritually Euery vessell is full if not of liquor yet of aire so is the heart of man though by nature it is empty of grace yet it is full of hypocrisie and iniquitie Now as it is filled with grace so it is empty of his euill qualities as in a vessell so much water as goes in so much ayre goes out but mans heart is a narrow-mouthed vessell and receiues grace but by drops and therefore takes a long time to empty and fill Now as there be differences in degrees and one heart is neerer to fulnesse than another so the best vessell is not quite full while it is in the body because there are still remainders of corruption I will neither be content with that measure of grace I haue nor impatient of Gods delay but euery day I will endeuour to haue one drop added to the rest so my last day shall fill vp my vessell to the brim 5 Satan would seeme to bee mannerly and reasonable making as if hee would bee content with one halfe of the heart whereas God challengeth all or none as indeed hee hath most reason to claime all that made all But this is nothing but a craftie fetch of Satan for he knowes that if hee haue any part God will haue none so the whole falleth to his share alone My heart when it is both whole and at the best is but a strait and vnworthy lodging for God if it were bigger and better I would reserue it all for him Satan may looke in at my doores by a tentation but hee shall not haue so much as one chamber-roome set a part for him to soiourne in 6 I see that in naturall motions the neerer any thing comes to his end the swifter it moueth I haue seene great riuers which at their first rising out of some hills side might bee couered with a bushell which after many miles fill a very broad channell and drawing neere to the Sea doe euen make a little Sea in their owne bankes So the winde at the first rising as a little vapour from the crannies of the earth and passing forward about the earth the further it goes the more blustering and violent it waxeth A Christians motion after hee is regenerate is made naturall to God-ward and therefore the neerer he comes to heauen the more zealous he is A good man must not bee like Ezekias Sunne that went backward nor like Ioshuahs Sunne that stood still but Dauids Sunne that like a Bridegroome comes out of his chamber and as a Champion reioiceth to runne his race onely herein is the difference that when hee comes to his high noone hee declineth not How euer therefore the minde in her naturall faculties followes the temperature of the body yet in these supernaturall things she quite crosses it For with the coldest complexion of age is ioined in those that are truly religious the feruentest zeale and affection to good things which is therefore the more reuerenced and better acknowledged because it cannot bee ascribed to the hot spirits of youth The Deuill himselfe deuised that old slander of early holinesse A young Saint an old Deuill Sometimes young Deuils haue proued old Saints neuer the contrarie but true Saints in youth doe alwaies proue Angels in their age I will striue to bee euer good but if I should not finde my selfe best at last I should feare I was neuer good at all 7 Consent harteneth sinne which a little dislike would haue daunted at first As wee say There would bee no theeues if no receiuers so would there not bee so many open mouthes to detract and slander if there were not so many open eares to entertaine them If I cannot stop another mans mouth from speaking ill I will either open my mouth to reproue it or else I will stop mine cares from hearing it and let him see in my face that he hath no roome in my heart 8 I haue oft wondered how fishes can retaine their fresh taste and yet liue in salt waters since I see that euery other thing participates of the nature of the place wherein it abides So the waters passing thorow the chanels of the earth varie their sauour with the veines of soile thorow which they slide So brute creatures transported from one region to another alter their former qualitie and degenerate by little and little The like danger I haue seene in the manners of men conuersing with euill companions in corrupt places For besides that it blemisheth our reputation and makes vs thought ill though wee bee good it breeds in vs an insensible declination to ill and workes in vs if not an approbation yet a lesse dislike of those sinnes to which our eares and eies are so continually inured I may haue a bad acquaintance I will neuer haue a wicked companion 9 Expectation in a weake minde makes an euill greater and a good lesse but in a resolued minde it digests an euill before it come and makes a future good long before present I will expect the worst because it may come the best because I know it will come 10 Some promise what they cannot doe as Satan to Christ some what they could but meane not to doe as the sons of Iacob to the Sechemites some what they meant for the
aduantage Fauours had bin more binding then cruelties yet the foolish Aegyptian had rather haue impotent seruants then able friends For their welfare alone Pharaoh owes Israel a mischiefe and how wil he pay it Come let vs worke wisely Lewd men call wicked policies wisdome and their successe happinesse Herein Satan is wiser then they who both layes the plot and makes them such fooles as to mistake villany and madnesse for the best vertue Iniustice is vpheld by violence whereas iust gouernments are maintained by loue Taske-masters must be set ouer Israel they should not be the true Seed of Israel if they were not still set to wrestle with God in afflictions Heauy burdens must bee laid vpon them Israel is neuer but loaded the destiny of one of Iacobs sonnes is common to all To lye downe betwixt their burdens If they had seemed to breathe them in Goshen sometimes yet euen there it was no small miserie to be forainers and to liue among Idolaters but now the name of a slaue is added to the name of a stranger Israel had gathered some rust in idolatrous Aegypt and now he must be scowred they had borne the burden of Gods anger if they had not borne the burdens of the Aegyptians As God afflicted them with another minde then the Aegyptians God to exercise them the Aegyptians to suppresse them so causes he the euent to differ Who would not haue thought with these Aegyptians that so extreme misery should not haue made the Israelites vnfit both for generation and resistance Moderate exercise strengthens extreame destroyes nature That God which many times workes by contrary means caused them to grow with depression with persecution to multiply How can Gods Church but fare well since the very malice of their enemies benefits them Oh the Soueraigne goodnes of our God that turnes all our poisons into cordials Gods Vine beares the better with bleeding And now the Aegyptians could be angry with their owne maliciousnesse that this was the occasion of multiplying them whom they hated and feared to see that this seruice gained more to the workmen then to their Masters The stronger therefore the Israelites grew the more impotent grew the malice of their persecutors And since their owne labour strengthens them now tyrannie will try what can be done by the violence of others since the present strength cannot bee subdued the hopes of succession must be preuented women must be suborned to bee murderers and those whose office is to helpe the birth must destroy it There was lesse suspition of crueltie in that sexe and more opportunitie of doing mischiefe The male children must be borne and die at once what can be more innocent then the childe that hath not liued so much as to cry or to see light It is fault enough to be the sonne of an Israelite the daughters may liue for bondage for lust a condition so much at the least worse then death as their sex was weaker O maruellous cruelty that a man should kill a man for his sexes sake Whosoeuer hath loosed the reynes vnto cruelty is easily caried into incredible extremities From burdens they proceed to bondage and from bondage to blood from an vniust vexation of their body to an inhumane destruction of the fruit of their body As the sinnes of the concupiscible part from slight motions grow on to foule executions so doe those of the irascible there is no sinne whose harbour is more vnsafe then of that of malice But oft-times the power of tyrants answers not their will euill commanders cannot alwayes meet with equally mischieuous agents The feare of God teaches the Midwiues to disobey an vniust command they well knew how no excuse it is for euill I was bidden God said to their hearts Thou shalt not kill This voice was lowder then Pharaohs I commend their obedience in disobeying I dare not commend their excuse there was as much weaknesse in their answer as strength in their practice as they feared God in not killing so they feared Pharaoh in dessembling oft-times those that make conscience of greater sinnes are ouertaken with lesse It is well and rare if we can come forth of a dangerous action without any foyle and if we haue escaped the storme that some after-drops wet vs not Who would not haue expected that the Midwiues should be murdered for not murthering Pharaoh could not be so simple to thinke these women a rusty yet his indignation had no power to reach to their punishment God prospered the Mid-wiues who can harme them Euen the not doing of euill is rewarded with good And why did they prosper Because they feared God Not for their dissimulation but their piety So did God regard their mercy that he regarded not their infirmity How fondly doe men lay the thanke vpon the sinne which is due to the vertue true wisedome teaches to distinguish Gods actions and to ascribe them to the right causes Pardon belongs to the lye of the Mid-wiues and remuneration to their goodnesse prosperity to their feare of God But that which the Mid-wiues will not the multitudes shall doe It were strange if wicked Rulers should not find some or other instruments of violence all the people must drowne whom the women saued Cruelty hath but smoked before now it â—ames vp secret practising hath made it shamelesse that now it dare proclaime tyranny It is a miserable state where euery man is made an executioner there can be no greater argument of an ill cause then a bloody persecution whereas Truth vpholds her selfe by mildnesse and is promoted by patience This is their act what was their issue The people must drowne their males themselues are drowned they died by the same meanes by which they caused the poore Israelitish infants to dye that law of retaliation which God will not allow to vs because we are fellow-creatures he iustly pactiseth in vs. God would haue vs reade our sinnes in our iudgements that we might both repent of our sins and giue glory to his iustice Pharaoh raged before much more now that he receiued a message of dismission the monitions of God make ill men worse the waues doe not beat nor roare any where so much as at the banke which restraines them Corruption when it is checked growes mad with rage as the vapour in a cloud would not make that fearfull report if it met not with opposition A good heart yeelds at the stillest voice of God but the most gracious motions of God harden the wicked Many would not be so desperately setled in their sinnes if the world had not controuled them How mild a message was this to Pharaoh and yet how galling We pray thee let vs goe God commands him that which he feared He tooke pleasure in the present seruitude of Israel God cals for a release If the sute had been for mitigation of labour for preseruation of their children it might haue caried some hope and haue found some fauour but now God requires that
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
Father from whom she could not fly to saue an Husband which durst not â—ot fly from her The bonds of matrimoniall loue are and should bee stronger then those of nature Those respects are mutuall which God appointed in the first institution of Wedlocke That Husband and Wife should leaue Father and Mother for each others sake Treason is euer odious but so much more in the Mariage-bed by how much the obligations are deeper As she loued her husband better then her Father so shee loued her selfe better then her husband she saued her husband by a wyle and now shee saues her selfe by a lye and loses halfe the thanke of her deliuerance by an officious slander Her act was good but she wants courage to maintaine it and therefore seekes to the weake shelter of vntruth Those that doe good offices not out of conscience but good nature or ciuility if they meet an effront of danger seldome come off cleanly but are ready to catch at all excuses though base though iniurious because their grounds are not strong enough to beare them out in suffering for that which they haue well done Whither doth Dauid fly but to the Sanctuary of Samuel He doth not though he knew himselfe gracious with the Souldiers raise forces or take some strong Fort and there stand vpon his owne defence and at defiance with his King but he gets him to the Colledge of the Prophets as a man that would seeke the peaceable protection of the King of Heauen against the vniust fury of a King on earth Onely the wing of God shall hide him from that violence God intended to make Dauid not a Warriour and a King onely but a Prophet too As the field fitted him for the first and the Court for the second so Naioth shall fit him for the third Doubtlesse such was Dauids delight in holy meditations he neuer spent his time so contentedly as when he was retired to that diuine Academie and so full freedome to enioy God and to satiate himselfe with heauenly exercises The only doubt is how Samuel can giue harbour to a man fled from the anger of his Prince wherein the very persons of both giue abundant satisfaction for both Samuel knew the councell of God and durst doe nothing without it and Dauid was by Samuel anointed from God This Vnction was a mutuall Bond Good reason had Dauid to sue to him which had powred the Oile on his head for the hiding of that head which he had anointed and good reason had Samuel to hide him whom God by his meanes had chosen from him whom God had by his sentence reiected besides that the cause deserued commiseration Here was not a Malefactor running away from Iustice but an innocent auoiding Murder not a Traitor countenanced against his Soueraigne but the Deliuerer of Israel harboured in a Sanctuary of Prophets till his peace might bee made Euen thither doth Saul send to apprehend Dauid All his rage did not incense him against Samuel as the Abettor of his Aduersarie Such an impression of reuerence had the person and calling of the Prophet left in the minde of Saul that hee cannot thinke of lifting vp his hand against him The same God which did at the first put an awe of man in the fiercest creatures hath stamped in the cruellest hearts a reuerent respect to his owne image in his Ministers so as euen they that hate them doe yet honour them Sauls messengers came to lay hold on Dauid God layes hold on them No sooner doe they see a company of Prophets busie in these diuine Exercises vnder the moderation of Samuel then they are turned from Executioners to Prophets It is good going vp to Naioth into the holy Assemblies who knows how we may be changed beside our intention Many a one hath come into Gods House to carpe or scoffe or sleepe or gaze that hath returned a Conuert The same heart that was thus disquieted with Dauids happy successe is now vexed with the holinesse of his other Seruants Irangdrs him that Gods Spirit could finde no other time to seize vpon his Agents then when he had sent them to kill And now out of an indignation at this disappointment himselfe will goe and be his owne Seruant His guilty soule finds it selfe out of the danger of being thus surprised And behold Saul is no sooner come within the smell of the smoke of Naioth then hee also prophesies The same Spirit that when hee went first from Samuel inabled him to prophesie returnes in the same effect now that he was going his last vnto Samuel This was such a grace as might well stand with reiection an extraordinarie gift of the spirit but nor sanctifying Many men haue had their mouthes opened to prophesie vnto others whose hearts haue beene deafe to God But this such as it was was farre from Sauls purpose who in stead of expostulating with Samuel fals downe before him and laying aside his weapons and his Robes of a Tyrant proues for the time a Disciple All hearts are in the hand of their maker how easie is it for him that gaue them their being to frame them to his owne bent Who can be afraid of malice that knowes what hookes God hath in the nosthrils of men and Deuils What charmes he hath for the most Serpentine hearts DAVID and AHIMELECH WHO can euer iudge of the Children by the Parents that knowes Ionathan was the son of Saul There was neuer a falser heart then Sauls there was neuer a truer friend then Ionathan Neither the hope of a Kingdome nor the frownes of a Father not the feare of death can remoue him from his vowed amity No Sonne could be more officious and dutifull to a good father yet he layes down nature at the foot of grace and for the preseruation of his innocent Riuall for the Kingdome crosses the bloody designes of his owne Parent Dauid needs no other Counsellor no other Aduocate no other Intelligencer then hee It is not in the power of Sauls vnnaturall reproches or of his Speare to make Ionathan any other then a friend and patron of innocence Euen after all these difficulties doth Ionathan shoot beyond Dauid that Saul may shoot short of him In vaine are those professions of loue which are not answered with action He is no true friend that besides talke is not ready both to doe and suffer Saul is no whit the better for his propecying he no sooner rises vp from before Samuel then he pursues Dauid Wicked men are rather the worse for those transitorie good motions they haue receiued If the Swine be neuer so cleane washed shee will wallow againe That we haue good thoughts it is no thanke to vs that wee answer them not it is both our sinne and iudgement Dauid hath learned not to trust these fits of deuotion but flyes from Samuel to Ionathan from Ionathan to Ahimelech when he was hunted from the Prophet he flyes to the Priest as one that knew iustice and compassion
call for the blood of the Gibeonites though drudges of Israel and a remnant of Amorites Why this There was a periury attending vpon this slaughter It was an ancient Oath wherein the Princes of the congregation had bound themselues vpon Ioshua's league to the Gibeonites that they would suffer them to liue an oath extorted by fraud but solemne by no lesse â—â—me then the Lord God of Israel Saul will now thus late either not acknowledge it or not keepe it out of his zeale therefore to the children of Israel and Iudah he roots â—ut some of the Gibeonites whether in a zeale of reuenge of their first imposture or in a zeale of inlarging the possessions of Israel or in a zeale of executing Gods charge vpon the brood of Canaanites he that spared Agag whom he should haue smitten smites the Gibeonites whom he should haue spared Zeale and good intention is no excuse much lesse a warrant for euill God holds it an high indignitie that his name should be sworne by and violated Length of time cannot dispense with our oathes with our vowes The vowes and oathes of others may binde vs how much more our owne There was a famine in Israel a naturall man would haue ascribed it vnto the drought and that drought perhaps to some constellations Dauid knowes to looke higher and sees a diuine hand scourging Israel for some great offence and ouer-ruling those second causes to his most iust executions Euen the most quick-sighted worldling is pore-blind to 〈◊〉 all obiects and the weakest eyes of the regenerate pierce the heauens and espy God in all earthly occurrences So well was Dauid acquainted with Gods proceedings that he knew the remouall of the iudgement must begin at the satisfaction of the wronged At once therefore doth he pray vnto God and treat with the Gibeonites What shall I doe for you and wherewith shall I make the atonement that I may blesse the inheritance of the Lord In vaine should Dauid though a Prophet blesse Israel at the Gibeonites did not 〈…〉 lesse them Iniuries done vs on earth giue vs power in heauen The oppressor is in no mans mercy but his whom he hath trampled vpon Little did the Gibeonites thinke that God had so taken to heart their wrongs that for their sakes all Israel should suffer Euen when we thinke not of it is the righteous Iudge auenging our vnrighteous vexations Our hard measures cannot bee hid from him his returnes are hid from vs It is sufficient for vs that God can bee no more neglectiue then ignorant of our sufferings It is now in the power of these despised Hiuites to make their owne termes with Israel Neither Siluer nor Gold will sauour with them towards their satisfaction Nothing can expiate the blood of their fathers but the blood of seuen sonnes of their deceased persecutor Here was no other then a iust retaliation Saul had punished in them the offence of their predecessors they will now reuenge Sauls sinne in his children The measure we mete vnto others is with much equity re-measured vnto our selues Euery death would not content them of Sauls sonnes but a cursed and ignominious hanging on the Tree Neither would that death content them vnlesse their owne hands might bee the executioners Neither would any place serue for the execution but Gibeah the Court of Saul neither would they doe any of this for the wreaking of their own fury but for the appeasing of Gods wrath We will hang them vp vnto the Lord in Gibeah of Saul Dauid might not refuse the condition Hee must deliuer they must execute Hee chooses out seuen of the sonnes and grand-children of Saul That house had raised long an vniust persecution against Dauid now God payes it vpon anothers score Dauids loue and oath to Ionathan preserues lame Mephibosheth How much more shall the Father of all mercies doe good vnto the children of the faithfull for the couenant made with their Parents The fiue sonnes of Adriel the Meholathite Dauids ancient riuall in his first loue which were borne to him by Merab Sauls Daughter and brought vp by her barren sister Michol the wife of Dauid are yeelded vp to death Merab was after a promise of mariage to Dauid vniustly giuen away by Saul to Adriel Michol seemes to abet the match in breeding the children now in one act nor of Dauids seeking the wrong is thus late auenged vpon Saul Adriel Merab Michol the children It is a dangerous matter to offer iniury to any of Gods faithfull ones If their meeknesse haue easily remitted it their God will not passe it ouer without a seuere retribution These fiue together with two sonnes of Rizpah Sauls Concubine are hanged vp at once before the Lord yea and before the eyes of the World No place but an Hill wil serue for this execution The acts of iustice as they are intended for example so they should be done in that eminent fashion that may make them both most instructiue and most terrifying Vnwarrantable courses of priuate reuenge seeke to hide their heads in secresie The beautifull face of iustice both affects the light and becomes it It was the generall charge of Gods Law that no corps should remaine all night vpon the gibbet The Almighty hath power to dispense with his owne command so doubtlesse he did in this extraordinary case these carkasses did not defile but expiate Sorrowfull Rizpah spreads her a Tent of Sackcloth vpon the Rocke for a sad attendance vpon those sonnes of her wombe Death might bereaue her of them not them of her loue This spectacle was not more grieuous to her then pleasing to God and happy to Israel Now the clouds drop â—â—messe and the earth runs forth into plenty The Gibeonites are satisfied God reconciled Israel relieued How blessed a thing it is for any Nation that iustice is vnpartially executed euen vpon the mighty A few drops of blood haue procured large showres from Heauen A few carkasses are a rich compost to the earth The drought and dearth remoue away with the breath of those pledges of the offender Iudgements cannot tyrannize where iustice raignes as contrarily there can be no peace where blood cryes vnheard vnregarded The numbring of the people ISrael was growne wanton and mutinous God puls them downe first by the sword then by famine now by pestilence Oh the wondrous yet iust wayes of the Almightie Because Israel hath sinned therefore Dauid shall sinne that Israel may be punished Because God is angry with Israel therefore Dauid shall anger him more and strike himselfe in Israel and Israel through himselfe The spirit of God elsewhere ascribes this motion to Satan which here it attributes to God Both had their hand in the worke God by permission Satan by suggestion God as a Iudge Satan as an enemy God as in a iust punishment for sinne Satan as in an act of sinne God in a wise ordination of it to good Satan in a malicious intent of confusion Thus at once
riuers of Brimstone that feed this flame where there is no intermission of complaints no breathing from paine and after millions of yeeres no possibility of comfort And if the rod wherewith thou chastisest thy children O Lord euen in this life be so smart and galling that they haue beene brought downe to the brim of despaire and in the bitternesse of their soule haue intreated death to release them What shall I thinke of their plagues in whose righteous confusion thou insultest and saiest Aha I will auenge mee of mine enemies Euen that thou shalt not be thus miserable O my soule is some kinde of happinesse but that thou shalt be as happy as the reprobate are miserable how worthy is it of more estimation than thy selfe is capable of CHAP. XXV 8 Of comparisons and similitudes whereby it may be most fitly set forth AFter this opposition the minde shall make comparison of the matter meditated with what may neerest resemble it and shall illustrate it with fittest similitudes which giue no small light to the vnderstanding nor lesse force to the affection Wonder then O my soule as much as thou canst at this glory and in comparison thereof contemne this earth which now thou treadest vpon whose ioyes if they were perfect are but short and if they were long are imperfect One day when thou art aboue looking downe from the height of thy glory and seeing the sonnes of men creeping like so many Ants on this Mole-hill of earth thou shalt thinke Alas how basely I once liued Was yonder silly dungeon the place I so loued and was so loth to leaue Thinke so now before hand and since of heauen thou canst not yet account of thy earth as it is worthy How heartlesse and irkesome are yee O yee best earthly pleasures if ye be matched with the least of those aboue How vile are you O yee sumptuous buildings of Kings euen if all the entrailes of the earth had agreed to enrich you in comparison of this frame not made with hands It is not so high aboue the earth in distance of place as in worth and Maiesty Wee may see the face of Heauen from the heart of the earth but from the neerest part of the earth who can see the least glory of Heauen The three Disciples on Mount Tabor saw but a glimpse of this glory shining vpon the face of their Sauiour and yet being rauished with the sight cried out Master it is good being here and thinking of building of three Tabernacles for Christ Moses Elias could haue beene content themselues to haue lien without shâ—lter so they might alwaies haue enioyed that sight Alas how could earthly Tabernacles haue fitted those heauenly bodies They knew what they saw what they said they knew not Loe these three Disciples were not transfigured yet how deeply they were affected euen with the glory of others How happy shall we be when our selues shall be changed into glorious and shall haue Tabernacles not of our owne making but prepared for vs by God and yet not Tabernacles but eternall Mansions Moses saw God but a while and shined how shall we shine that shall behold his face for euer What greater honour is there than in Soueraignty What greater pleasure than in feasting This life is both a Kingdome and a feast A Kingdome Hee that ouercomes shall rule the Nations and shall sit with me in my Throne O blessed promotion Oh large dominion and royall seast to which Salomons Throne of Yuory was not worthy to become a foot-stoole A feast Blessed are they that are called to the Marriage-supper of the Lambe Feasts haue more than necessity of prouision more than ordinary diet but marriage-feasts yet more than common abundance but the Marriage-feast of the Sonne of God to his blessed Spoâ—fe the Church must so farre exceed in all heauenly munificence and variety as the persons are of the greater state and Maiesty There is new wine pure Manna and all manner of spirituall dainties and with the continuall cheere a sweet and answerable welcome while the Bridegroome louingly cheereth vs vp Eat O friends drinke and make you merry O welbeloued yea there shalt thou be my soule not a guest but how vnworthy soeuer the Bride her selfe whom he hath euerlastingly espoused to himselfe in truth and righteousnesse The contract is passed here below the marriage is consummate aboue and solemnized with a perpetuall feast so that now thou maist safety say My welbeloued is mine and I am his Wherefore hearken O my soule and consider and incline thine eare forget also thine owne people and thy fathers house thy supposed home of this world so shall the King haue pleasure in thy beauty for hee is the Lord and worship thou him CHAP. XXVI THe very Names and Titles of the matter considered 9 The Titles and Names of the thing considered yeeld no small store to our Meditation which being commonly so imposed that they secretly comprehend the nature of the thing which they represent are not vnworthy of our discourse What need I seeke those resemblances when the very name of life implieth sweetnesse to wâ—â—â— on earth euen to them which confesse to liue with some discontentment Surely the light is a pleasant thing and it is good to the eies to see the Sunne yet when Temporall is added to Life I know not how this addâ—tion detracteth something and doth greatly abate the pleasure of Life for those which â—oy to thinke of Life grieue to thinke it but Temporall so vexing is the end of that whose continuance was delightfull But now when there is an addition aboue Time of Eternity it maketh life so much more sweet as it is most lasting and lasting infinitely what can it giue lesse than an infinite contentment Oh dying and false life which wee enioy here and scarce a shadow and counterfeit of that other What is more esteemed than glory which is so precious to men of spirit that it makes them prodigall of their bloud proud of their wounds careblesse of themselues and yet alas how pent how fading is this glory affected with such dangers and death hardly after all Trophees and monuments either knowne to the next Sea or suruiuing him that dieth for it It is true glory to triumph in heauen where is neither enuy nor forgetfulnes What is more deare to vs than our Country which the worthy and faithfull Patriots of all times haue respected aboue their parents their Children their lines counting it only happy to liue in it and to die for it The banisht man pines for the want of it the traueller digesteth all the tediousnesse of his way all the sorrowes of an ill iourney in the onely hope of home forgetting all his forraine miseries when he feeleth his owne smoke Where is our Country but aboue Thence thou camest O my soule thither thou art going in a short but weary pilgrimage O miserable men if we account our selues at home in our pilgrimage if
I call it the way or the gate of life Sure I am that by it onely wâ— 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
tune of that knowne song beginning Preserue vs Lord. THee and thy wondrous deeds O God Wiâ—h all my soule I sound abroad verse 2 My ioy my triumph is in thee Of thy dread name my song shall be verse 3 O highest God since put to flight And fal'ne and vanisht at thy sight verse 4 Are all my foes for thou hast past Iust sentence on my cause at last And sitting on thy throne aboue A rightfull Iudge thy selfe doest proue verse 5 The troupes profane thy checks haue stroid And made their name for euer void verse 6 Where 's now my foes your threatned wrack So well you did our Cities sacke And bring to dust while that ye say Their name shall die as well as they verse 7 Loe in eternall state God sits And his high Throne to iustice fits verse 8 Whose righteous hand the world shall weeld And to all folke iust doome shall yeeld verse 9 The poore from high finde his releefe The poore in needfull times of griefe verse 10 Who knowes the Lord to thee shall cleaue That neuer doest thy clients leaue verse 11 Oh! sing the God that doth abide On Sion mount and blazon wide verse 12 His worthy deeds For he pursues The guiltlesse bloud with vengeance due He mindes their cause nor can passe o're Sad clamors of the wronged poore verse 13 Oh! mercy Lord thou that dost saue My soule from gates of death and graue Oh! see the wrong my foes haue done verse 14 That I thy praise to all that gone Through daughter Sions beauteous gate With thankfull songs may loud relate And may reioyce in thy safe aide Behold the Gentiles whiles they made A deadly pit my soule to drowne Into their pit are sunken downe In that close snare they hid for mee Loe their owne feet intangled be verse 16 By this iust doome the Lord is knowne That th' ill are punisht with their owne verse 17 Downe shall the wicked backward fall To deepest hell and nations all verse 18 That God forget nor shall the poore Forgotten be for euermore The constant hope of soules opprest verse 19 Shall not aye die Rise from thy rest Oh Lord let not men base and rude Preuaile iudge thou the multitude verse 20 Of lawlesse Pagans strike pale feare Into those brests that stubborne were And let the Gentiles feele and finde They beene but men of mortall kinde PSALME 10. As the 51. Psalme O God Consider WHy stand'st thou Lord aloofe so long And hidst thee in due times of need verse 2 Whiles lewd men proudly offer wrong Vnto the poore In their owne deed And their deuice let them be caught verse 3 For loe the wicked braues and boasts In his vile and outragious thought And blesseth him that rauines most verse 4 On God he dares insult his pride Scornes to enquire of powers aboue But his stout thoughts haue still deni'd verse 5 There is a God His waies yet proue 〈◊〉 prosperous thy iudgements hye Doe farre surmount his dimmer fight verse 6 Therefore doth he all foes defie His heart saith I shall stand in spight Nor euer moue nor danger ' bide verse 7 His mouth is fill'd with curses foule And with close fraud His tongue doth hide verse 8 Mischiefe and ill he seekes the soule Of harmelesse men in secret waite And in the corners of the street Doth shead their bloud with scorne and hate His eies vpon the poore are set verse 9 As some fell Lyon in his den He closely lurkes the poore to spoyle He spoyles the poore and helplesse men When once he snares them in his toyle verse 10 He croucheth low in cunning wile And bowes his brest whereon whole throngs Of poore whom his faire showes beguile Fall to be subiect to his wrongs verse 11 God hath forgot in soule he saies He hides his face to neuer see verse 12 Lord God arise thine hand vp-raise Let not thy poore forgotten be verse 13 Shall these insulting wretches scorne Their God and say thou wilt not care verse 14 Thou see'st for all thou hast forborne Thou see'st what all their mischiefes are That to thine hand of vengeance iust Thou maist them take the poore distressed Rely on thee with constant trust The helpe of Orphans and oppressed verse 15 Oh! breake the wickeds arme of might And search out all their cursed traines And let them vanish out of sight verse 16 The Lord as King for euer raignes From forth his coasts the heathen sect verse 17 Are rooted quite thou Lord attendst To poore mens sutes thou deo'st direct Their hearts to them thine eare thou bendst verse 18 That thou maist rescue from despight The wofull fatherlesse and poore That so the vaine and earthen wight On vs may tyrannize no more FJNJS CHARACTERS OF VERTVES AND VICES JN TWO BOOKES By IOS HALL SIC ELEVABITVR FILIVS HOMINIS Io 3. ANCHORA FIDEI LONDON Printed for THOMAS PAVIER MILES FLESHER and John Haviland 1624. TO THE RIGHT HONOVRABLE MY singular good Lords EDWARD LORD DENNY BARON of WALTHAM AND JAMES LORD HAY HIS RIGHT NOBLE AND WORTHY SONNE IN LAW I. H. HVMBLY DEDICATES HIS LABOVR DEVOTETH HIMSELFE Wisheth all Happinesse A PREMONITION OF THE TITLE AND VSE of Characters READER THe Diuines of the old Heathens were their Morall Philosophers These receiued the Acts of an inbred law in the Sinai of Nature and deliuered them with many expositions to the multitude These were the Ouerseers of manners Correctors of vices Directors of liues Doctors of vertue which yet taught their people the body of their naturall Diuinitie not after one manner while some spent themselues in deepe discourses of humane felicitie and the way to it in common others thought it best to apply the generall precepts of goodnesse or decency to particular conditions and persons A third sort in a meane course betwixt the two other and compounded of them both bestowed their time in drawing out the true lineaments of euerie vertue and vice so liuely that who saw the medals might know the face which Art they significantly tearmed Charactery Their papers were so many tables their writings so many speaking pictures or liuing images whereby the ruder multitude might euen by their sense learne to know vertue and discerne what to detest J am deceiued if any course could be more likely to preuaile for herein the grosse conceit is led on with pleasure and informed while it feeles nothing but delight And if pictures haue beene accounted the bookes of Jdiots behold here the benefit of an image without the offence It is no shame for vs to learne wit of Heathens neither is it materiall in whose Schoole we take out a good lesson yea it is more shame not to follow their good than not to lead them better As one therefore that in worthy examples hold imitation better than inuention J haue trod in their paths but with an higher and wider steppe and out of their Tablets haue drawne these larger portraitures of both sorts More
of the fruit of her owne hands Pr. 31.31 and let her owne workes praise her PARENTS §. 5. Who owe to their children Prouision Instruction Correction PArents and Children are the next paire which doe giue much ioy to each other Childrens children are the crowne of the Elders Pr. 17 6. and the glory of the children are their fathers To which purpose the Parent oweth to the Childe 1. Prouision A good man shall giue inheritance to his childrens children Pr. 13.22 Ec. 2.18 Ec. 2.19 All the labour wherein hee hath trauelled he shall leaue to the man that shall bee after him And who knoweth whether he shall be wise or foolish yet shall he rule ouer all his labour wherein he hath laboured and shewed himselfe wise vnder the Sunne Here are therefore two grosse vanities Ec. 4.8 which I haue seene the one There is one alone and there is not a second which hath neither sonne nor brother yet there is none end of his trauell neither can his eie be satisfied with riches neither doth he thinke For whom doe I trauell and defraud my soule of pleasure The other contrary riches reserued to the owner thereof for their euill And these riches perish in his euill businesse Ec. 5.12 Ec. 5.13 Pr. 1.8 Pr. 17.21 Pr. 22.6 and he begetteth a sonne and in his hand is nothing 2. Instruction and good education for Hee that begetteth a foole whether naturally or by ill breeding begetteth himselfe sorrow and the father of a foole can haue no ioy And therefore Teach a childe in the trade of his way and when he is old he shall not depart from it 3. Correction He that spareth his rod hateth his sonne but hee that loueth him chasteneth betime Pr. 13.24 Pr. 22.15 for foolishnesse is bound in the heart of a childe the rod of correction shall driue it from him yea there is yet great benefit of due chastisement Pr. 29.15 for The rod and correction giue life but a childe set at liberty makes his mother who is commonly faulty this way ashamed Pr. 23.13 Pr. 25.14 Pr. 4.3 Pr. 29.17 yea more than shame death and hell follow to the childe vpon indulgence only If thou smite him with the rod he shall not die If thou smite him with the rod thou shalt deliuer his soule from hell Though thy sonne therefore be tender and deare in thy sight Correct him and he will giue thee rest and will giue pleasures to thy soule Pr. 19.18 wherefore Chasten him while there is hope and let not thy soule spare Pr. 19.19 to his destruction The sonne that is of a great stomacke shall endure punishment and though thou deliuer him yet thou shalt take him in hand againe CHILDREN §. 6. Their duties Obedience to Instructions Commandements Submission to correction Care of their Parents estate of their owne carriage Pr. 1â— 20 Pr. 10 1. Pr. 24.24 Pr. 19.13 A Wise Sonne reioyceth the father and the father of the righteous shall greatly reioyce whereas The foolish is the calamity of his Parents Contrarily if thou be a wise sonne or louest wisdome thy father and thy mother shall be glad Pr. â—9 3 Pr. 23.15 Pr. 31.1 Pr. 1.8 Pr. 23.22 Pr. 6.20 and shee that bare thee shall reioyce Such an one is first obedient for A wise sonne will heare and obey the instruction of his father and not forsake his mothers teaching yea in euery command he will obey him that begot him and not despise his mother when shee is old not vpon any occasion cursing his Parents as there is a generation that doth for He that curseth his father or mother his light shall bee put out in obscure darknesse Pr. 30.11 Pr. 20.20 Pr. 15.20 Pr. 30.17 Pr. 2.1 Pr. 15.5 Pr. 6.23 Pr. 15.10 Pr. 28.24 not mocking and scorning them for The eie that mocketh his father and despiseth the instruction of his mother the Rauens of the Valley shall picke it out and the young Eagles eat it and not obedient to counsell onely but to stripes Hee that hateth correction is a foole and he that regardeth it is prudent For those corrections that are for instruction are the way of life therefore he that hateth them shall die Secondly carefull both 1. of their estate He that robbeth his father and mother and saith it is no transgression is a companion of a man that destroyeth and 2. of his owne cariage Pr. 19.26 for a lewd and shamefull childe destroyeth his father and chaseth away his mother Pr. 20.11 Let therefore euen the childe shew himselfe to be knowne by his doings whether his worke bee pure and right so his fathers reines shall reioyce when he speaketh and doth righteous things Pr. 23.16 THE MASTER AND SERVANT §. 7. The Master must bee Prouident for his seruant Not too secure too familiar The Seruant must be Faithfull Diligent THe seruant is no small commodity to his Master He that is despised Pr. 12.9 and hath a seruant of his owne is better than he that boasts whether of Gentry or wealth and wanteth bread The Master therefore Pr. 27.27 must prouide sufficiency of food for his family and sustenance for his maids who also as he may not bee ouer-rigorous in punishing or noting offences sometimes not hearing his seruant that curseth him so not too familiar Ec. 7.23 Pr. 29.21 for he that delicately bringeth vp his seruant from his youth at length he will bee as his sonne He must therefore be sometimes seuere more than in rebukes For Pr. 29.19 A seruant will not be chastised with words and though hee vnderstand yet hee will not regard yet so as he haue respect euer to his good deseruings A discreet seruant shall rule ouer a lewd son Pr. 17.2 and he shall diuide the heritage among his brethren In answer whereto the good seruant must be faithfull vnto his Master As the cold of snow in the time of haruest Pr. 25.13 so is a faithfull Messenger to them that send him for he refresheth the soule of his Master A wicked Messenger falleth into euill but a faithfull Ambassadour is preseruation and 2. Pr. 13.17 diligent Whether in charge Be diligent to know the estate of thy flocke or rather Pr. 17.23 the face of thy cattell and take heed to the heards or in his attendance Hee that keepeth his Fig-tree shall eat of the fruit of it Pr. 27.18 so he that carefully waiteth on his Master shall come to honour where contrarily in both these As vineger to the teeth and smoke to the eies Pr. 10.26 so is a slothfull Messenger to them that send him FINIS AN OPEN AND PLAINE PARAPHRASE VPON THE SONG OF SONGS Which is SALOMONS 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 SINGVLAR GOOD LORD and Patron EDVVARD
will you embrace him for his sake that hath stricken him or auoid him for his sake that hath forbidden you If you honour his rod much more will you regard his precept If you mislike not the affliction because he sends it then loue the life which you haue of his sending feare the iudgement which he will send if you loue it not He that bids vs flee when we are persecuted hath neither excepted Angell nor man whether soeuer I feare our guiltinesse if wilfully we flee not But whither shall we flee from God say you where shall he not both find and lead vs whither shall not our destiny follow vs Vaine men we may runne from our home not from our graue Death is subtle our time is set we cannot God will not alter it Alas how wise we are to wrong our selues Because Death will ouer-take vs shall we runne and meet him Because Gods decree is sure shall we be desperate Shall we presume because God changeth not Why doe we not trye euery knife and cord since our time is neither capable of preuention nor delay our end is set not without our meanes In matter of danger where the end is not knowne the meanes must be suspected in matter of hope where the end is not knowne meanes must be vsed Vse then freely the meanes of your flight suspect the danger of your stay and since there is no particular necessity of your presence know that God bids you depart and liue You vrge the instance of your Minister How vnequally There is not more lawfulnesse in your flight then sin in ours you are your owne wee our peoples you are charged with a body which you may not willingly leese not hazard by staying wee with all their soules which to hazard by absence is to lose our owne we must loue our liues but not when they are riuals with our soules or with others How much better is it to bee dead then negligent then faithlesse If some bodies be contagiously sicke shall all soules bee wilfully neglected There can be no time wherein good counsell is so seasonable so needfull Euery threatning finds impression where the mind is prepared by sensible iudgements When will the ironhearts of men bow if not when they are heat in the flame of Gods affliction now then to runne away from a necessary and publike good to auoid a doubtfull and priuate euill is to runne into a worse euill then wee would auoid He that will thus runne from Niniue to Tharsis shall find a tempest and a whale in his way Not that I dare be an author to any of the priuate visitation of infected beds I dare not without better warrant VVho euer said wee were bound to close vp the dying eyes of euery departing Christian and vpon what-euer conditions to heare their last grones If we had a word I would not debate of the successe Then that were cowardlinesse which now is wisedome Is it no seruice that wee publikely teach and exhort that we priuately prepare men for death and arme them against it that our comfortable letters and messages stir vp their fainting hearts that our loud voyces pierce their eares afarre vnlesse we feele their pulses and leane vpon their pillowes and whisper in their eares Daniel is in the Lyons den Is it nothing that Darius speakes comfort to him thorow the grate vnlesse he goe in to salute him among those fierce companions A good Minister is the common goods hee cannot make his life peculiar to one without iniury to many In the common cause of the Church he must be no niggard of his life in the priuate cause of a neighbours bodily sicknesse he may soone be prodigall A good father may not spend his substance on one child and leaue the rest beggers If any man be resolute in the contrary I had rather praise his courage then imitate his practice I confesse I feare not so much death as want of warrant for death To M. R. B. EP. X. A complaint of the iniquity of the Times with a prescription of the meanes to redresse it WHiles I accused the Times you vndertooke their patronage I commend your charity not your cause It is true There was neuer any Age not complained of neuer any that was not censured as worst VVhat is we see what was we neither inquire nor care That which is out of sight and vse is soone out of mind and ere long out of memory Yet the iniquity of others cannot excuse ours And if you will be but as iust as charitable you shall confesse that both some times exceed others in euill and these all This earthly Moone the Church hath her fuls and wainings and sometimes her eclypses whiles the shadow of this sinfull masse hides her beauty from the world So long as she wadeth in this planetary world it should be vaine to expect better it is enough when she is fixed aboue to be free from all change This you yeeld but nothing can perswade you that shee is not now in the full of her glory True or else she were not subiect to this darkning There was neuer more light of knowledge neuer more darknesse of impiety and there could not be such darknesse if there were not such light Goodnesse repulsed giues height to sin therefore are we worse then our predecessors because we might be better By how much our meanes are greater by so much are our defects Turne ouer all records and parallell such helps such care such cost such expectation with such fruit I yeeld We see but our owne times There was neuer but one Noah whom the Heathen celebrate vnder another name that with two faces saw both before and behind him But loe that Ancient of dayes to whom all times are present hath told vs that these last shal be worst Our experience iustifies him with all but the wilfull This censure lest you should condemne my rigour as vnnaturally partiall is not confined to our seas but free and common hath the same bounds with the earth I ioy not in this large society Would God we were euill alone How few are those whose cariage doth not say that profession of any conscience is pusillanimity How few that care so much as to shew well And yet of those few how many care onely to seeme whose words disagree from their actions and their hearts from their words Where shall a man mew vp himselfe that he may not be a witness of what he would not What can he see or heare and not bee either sad or guilty Oathes striue for number with words scoffes with oathes vaine speeches with both They are rare hands that are free either from aspersions of blood or spots of filthinesse Let mee bee at once as I vse bold and plaine VVanton excesse excessiue pride close Atheisme impudent profanenesse vnmercifull oppression ouer-mercifull conniuence greedy couetousnesse loose prodigality simoniacall sacriledge vnbrideled luxury beastly drunkennesse bloody treachery cunning fraud slanderous detraction
fire vnquenchable Whether Infidels beleeue these things or no we know them so shall they but too late What remaines but that we applaud our selues in this happinesse and walke on cheerily in this heauenly profession acknowledging that God could not do more for vs and that we cannot doe enough for him Let others boast as your Ladiship might with others of ancient and Noble Houses large patrimonies or dowries honorable commands others of famous names high and enuied honours or the fauours of the greatest others of valour or beauty or some perhaps of eminent learning and wit it shall be our pride that we are Christians To my Lady HONORIA HAY. EP. IV. Discoursing of the necessitie of Baptisme and the estate of those which necessarily want it MADAM MEthinks children are like teeth troublesome both in the breeding and losing and oftentimes painfull while they stand yet such as wee neither would nor can well be without I goe not about to comfort you thus late for your losse I rather congratulate your wise moderation and Christian care of these first spirituall priuiledges desiring onely to satisfie you in what you heard as a witnesse not in what you needed as a mother Children are the blessings of Parents and Baptisme is the blessing of children and parents wherein there is not onely vse but necessitie necessitie not in respect so much of the end as of the precept God hath enioyned it to the comfort of parents and behoofe of children which therefore as it may not be superstitiously hastened so not negligently deferred That the contempt of baptisme damneth is past all doubt but that the constrained absence thereof should send infants to hell is a cruell rashnesse It is not their sinne to die early death is a punishment not an offence an effect of sinne not a cause of torment they want nothing but time which they could not command Because they could not liue a while longer that therefore they should die euerlastingly is the hard sentence of a bloody religion I am onely sorie that so harsh an opinion should bee graced with the name of a Father so reuerend so diuine whose sentence yet let no man plead by halues He who held it vnpossible for a childe to be saued vnlesse the baptismall water were powred on his face held it also as vnpossible for the same Infant vnlesse the sacramentall bread were receiued into his mouth There is the same ground for both the same error in both a weaknesse fit for forgetfulnesse see yet how ignorant or ill-meaning posterity could single out one halfe of the opinion for truth and condemne the other of falshood In spight of whom one part shall easily conuince the other yea without all force since both cannot stand both will fall together for company The same mouth which said Vnlesse yee be borne againe of water and the Holy Ghost said also Except yee eat the flesh of the Sonne of Man and drinke his blood an equall necessitie of both And lest any should plead different interpretations the same S. Austin auerres this later opinion also concerning the necessary communicating of children to haue been once the common iudgement of the Church of Rome A sentence so displeasing that you shall finde the memory of it noted vvith a blacke coale and wip't out in that infamous bill of Expurgations Had the ancient Church held this desperate sequele what strange and yet wilfull crueltie had it beene in them to deferre baptisme a whole yeare long till Easter or that Sunday which hath his name I thinke from the white robes of the baptised Yea what an aduenture vvas it in some to adiourne it till their age with Constantine if being vnsure of their life they had been sure the preuention of death would haue inferred damnation Looke vnto that legall Sacrament of circumcision which contrary to the fancies of our Anabaptists directly answers this Euangelicall Before the eight day they could not be circumcised before the eight day they might die If dying the seuenth day they were necessarily condemned either the want of a day is a sinne or God sometimes condemneth not for sinne Neither of them possible neither according with the iustice of the Law-giuer Or if from this parallel you please to looke either to reason or example the case is cleere Reason no man that hath faith can be condemned for Christ dwels in our hearts by faith and hee in whom Christ dwels cannot be a reprobate Now it is possible a man may haue a sauing faith before baptisme Abraham first beleeued to iustification then after receiued the signe of circumcision as a seale of the righteousnes of that faith which he had when he was vncircumcised Therefore some dying before their baptisme may yea must be saued Neither was Abrahams case singular he was the Father of all them also which beleeue not being circumcised these as they are his Sonnes in faith so in righteousnesse so in saluation vncircumcision cannot hinder where faith admitteth These following his steps of beliefe before the Sacrament shall doubtlesse rest in his bosome without the Sacrament without it as fatally absent not as willingly neglected It is not the water but the faith not the putting away the filth of the flesh saith S. Peter but the stipulation of a good conscience for who takes Baptisme without a full faith saith Hierom takes the water takes not the spirit Whence is this so great vertue of the water that it should touch the body and cleanse the heart saith Austin vnlesse by the power of the word not spoken but beleeued Thou seest water saith Ambrose euery water heales not that water onely heales which hath the grace of God annexed And if there bee any grace in the water saith Basil it is not of the nature of the water but of the presence of the Spirit Baptisme is indeed as Saint Ambrose stiles it the pawne and image of our resurrection yea as Basil the power of God to resurrection but as Ignatius expounds this phrase aright beleeuing in his death we are by baptisme made partakers of his resurrection Baptisme therefore without faith cannot saue a man and by faith doth saue him and faith without baptisme where it cannot bee had not where it may be had and is contemned may saue him That spirit which workes by meanes will not be tyed to meanes Examples Cast your eyes vpon that good thiefe good in his death though in his life abominable he was neuer washed in Iordan yet is receiued into Paradise his soule was foule with rapines and iniustice yea bloody with murders and yet being scoured onely with the blood of his Sauior not with water of baptisme it is presented glorious to God I say nothing of the soules of Traian and Falconella meere heathens liuing and dying without Christ without baptisme which yet their honest Legend reports to be deliuered from hell transported to heauen not so much as scorched in Purgatory The one by the prayers of Gregory
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
himselfe of himselfe a worme and no man the shame of men and contempt of the people Who is the King of glory Psal 24.10 the Lord of Hoasts he is the King of glory Set these two together the King of glory the shame of men the more honour the more abasement Looke backe to his Cradle there you finde him rejected of the Bethlemites borne and laid alas how homely how vnworthily sought for by Herod exiled to Aegypt obscurely brought vp in the Cottage of a poore Foster-Father transported and tempted by Sathan derided of his kindred blasphemously traduced by the Iewes pinched with hunger restlesse harbourlesse sorrowfull persecuted by the Elders and Pharises sold by his owne seruant apprehended arraigned scourged condemned and yet it is not finished Let vs with that Disciple follow him a farre off and passing ouer all his contemptuous vsage in the way see him brought to his Crosse Still the further we looke the more wonder euery thing adds to this ignominie of suffering and triumph of ouer-comming Where was it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Act 26.27 not in a corner as Paul saith to Festus but in Ierusalem the eye the heart of the world Obscuritie abateth shame publique notice heightens it Before all Israel and before this Sunne saith God to Dauid when he would thorowly shame him In Ierusalem which he had honoured with his presence taught with his preachings astonisht with his miracles bewayled with his teares O Ierusalem Ierusalem how oft would I and thou wouldest not O yet if in this thy day Crueltie and vnkindnesse after good desert afflict so much more as our merit hath beene greater Whereabouts without the gates in Caluarie among the stinking bones of execrable Malefactors Before the glory of the place bred shame now the vilenesse of it When but in the Passeouer a time of greatest frequence and concourse of all Iewes and Proselytes An holy time when they should receiue the figure they reiect the substance when they should kill and eat the Sacramentall Lambe in faith in thankfulnesse they kill the Lambe of God our true Passeouer in crueltie and contempt With whom The qualitie of our companie either increases or lessens shame In the midst of theeues saith one as the Prince of theeues In â—â—edio latronuÌ„ tanquam latronuÌ„ immanissimus Luthâ—r there was no guile in his mouth much lesse in his hands yet behold he that thought it no robberie to be equall with God is made equall to robbers and murderers yea superiour in euill What suffered he As all lifes are not alike pleasant so all deaths are not equally fearefull There is not more difference betwixt some life and death than betwixt one death and another See the Apostles gradation He was made obedient to the death euen the death of the Crosse The Crosse a lingring tormenting ignominious death The Iewes had foure kindes of death for malefactors the towell the sword fire stones each of these aboue other in extremitie Strangling with the towell they accounted easiest the sword worse than the towell the fire worse than the sword stoning worse than the fire but this Romane death was worst of all Cursed is euery one that hangeth on a Tree Yet as Ierome well hee is not therefore accursed because he hangeth but therefore he hangeth because he is accursed He was made 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a Curse for vs. The curse was more than the shame yet the shame is vnspeakable and yet not more than the paine Yet all that die the same death are not equally miserable the very theeues fared better in their death than hee I heare of no irrision no inscription no taunts no insultation on them they had nothing but paine to encounter he paine and scorne An ingenuous and noble Nature can worse brooke this than the other any thing rather than disdainfulnesse and derision especially from a base enemie I remember that learned Father begins Israels affliction with Ismaels persecuting laughter The Iewes the Souldiers yea the very Theeues flouted him and triumpht ouer his misery his bloud cannot satisfie them without his reproach Which of his senses now was not a window to let-in sorrow his eyes saw the teares of his Mother and friends the vnthankfull demeanure of Mankinde the cruell despight of his enemies his eares heard the reuilings and blasphemies of the multitude and whether the place were noysome to his sent his touch felt the nayles his taste the gall Looke vp O all yee beholders looke vpon this pretious bodie and see what part yee can finde free That head which is adored and trembled at by the Angelicall spirits is all raked and harrowed with thornes Caput Angelicis spiritibus tremebundum spinis corenatur c. that face of whom it is said Thou art fairer than the children of men is all besmeared with the filthy spettle of the Iewes and furrowed with his teares those eyes clearer than the Sunne are darkned with the shadow of death those eares that heare the heauenly consorts of Angels now are filled with the cursed speakings and scoffs of wretched men those lips that spake as neuer man spake that command the spirits both of light and darknesse are scornfully wet with vinegar and gall those feet that trample on all the powers of hell his enemies are made his footstoole are now nayled to the footstoole of the Crosse those hands that freely sway the scepter of the heauens now carry the reede of reproach and are nayled to the tree of reproach that whole bodie which was conceiued by the Holy-Ghost was all scourged wounded mangled this is the out-side of his sufferings Was his heart free Oh no the inner part or soule of this paine which was vnseene is as far beyond these outward and sensible as the soule is beyond the bodie Gods wrath beyond the malice of men these were but loue-tricks to what his soule endured O all yee that passe by the way behold and see if there bee any sorrow like to my sorrow Alas Lord what can we see of thy sorrowes wee cannot conceiue so much as the hainousnes and desert of one of those sinnes which thou barest wee can no more see thy paine than wee could vndergoe it onely this wee see that what the infinite sinnes of almost infinite men committed against an infinite Maiestie deserued in infinite continuance all this thou in the short time of thy Passion hast sustained Wee may behold and see but all the glorious spirits in Heauen cannot looke into the depth of this suffering Doe but looke yet a little into the passions of this his Passion for by the manner of his sufferings we shall best see what he suffered Wise and resolute men doe not complaine of a little holy Martyrs haue beene racked and would not be loosed what shall we say if the author of their strength God and Man bewray passions what would haue ouerwhelmed men would not haue made him shrinke and what made him
Mercy to bee eminent amongst his vertues when Parsons himselfe yeelds it And if a vertue so continuing could bee capable of excesse this might seeme so in him For that which was said of Anastasius the Emperor Euagr. l. 3. c. 34. that hee would attempt no exploit though neuer so famous if it might cost the price of Christian blood and that which was said of Mauritius Euagr. l. 6. c. 1. that by his good will hee would not haue so much as a Traitor dye and that of Vespasian Sueton. Vesp Socr. l. 7. c. 22. that hee wept euen for iust executions and lastly that of Theodosius that hee wisht hee could recall those to life againe that had wronged him may in some sense bee iustly verified of our mercifull Soueraigne I pray God the measure of this vertue may neuer hurt himselfe I am sure the want of it shall neuer giue cause of complaint to his aduersaries But among all his Heroicall Graces which commend him as a Man as a Christian as a King Pietie and firmenesse in Religion calls me to it and will not suffer me to deferre the mention of it any longer A priuate man vnsetled in opinion is like a loose tooth in the head troublesome and vse-lesse but a publique person vnstayed is dangerous Resolution for the truth is so much better than knowledge by how much the possessing of a treasure is better than knowing where it is With what zeale did his Maiestie flie vpon the blasphemous nouelties of Vorstius How many solicitations threats promises profers hath hee trampled vnder his feet in former times for but a promise of an indifferent conniuence at the Romish religion Was it not an answer worthy of a King worthy of marble and brasse Watson B. Barl. answer to Parsons pag. 115. è Com. Northamp lib. that hee made vnto their agent for this purpose in the times of the greatest perill of resistance That all the Crownes and Kingdomes in this world should not induce him to change any iot of his profession Hath hee not so ingaged himselfe in this holy quarrell that the world confesses Rome had neuer such a◠Aduersarie and all Christian Princes reioyce to follow him as their worthy leader in all the battels of God and all Christian Churches in their prayers acclamations stile him in a double right Defender of the Faith more by desert than inheritance But because as the Sunne beames so praises are more kindly when they are cast oblique vpon their obiects than when they fall directly let me shew you him rather in the blessings we receiue from him than in the graces which are in him And not to insist vpon his extinguishing of those hellish feudes in Scotland and the reducing of those barbarous borderers to ciuilitie and order two acts worthy of eternitie and which no hand but his could doe Consider how great things the Lord hath done for vs by him in our Peace in our freedome of the Gospell in our Deliuerance Continuance detracts from the value of any fauour Little do we know the price of peace If wee had beene in the coat of our forefathers or our neighbours wee should haue knowne how to esteeme this deare blessing of God Oh my deare brethren wee neuer knew what it was to heare the murdering peeces about our eares to see our Churches and houses flaming ouer our heads to heare the fearefull cracks of their fals mixed with the confused out-cries of men Tum vero gemitus morientū sanguine in alto Armaque corporaque permisti caede virorum Semianimos voluuntur equi Virg. Aen. 11. killing incouraging to kill or resist dying and the shriekings of women and children we neuer saw tender babes snatcht from the breasts of their mothers now bleeding vpon the stones or sprawling vpon the pikes and the distracted mother rauished ere shee may haue leaue to die Wee neuer saw men and horses lie wallowing in their mingled bloud and the ghastly visages of death deformed with wounds The impotent wife hanging with teares on her armed husband as desirous to die with him with whom she may not liue The amazed runnings to and fro of those that would faine escape if they knew how and the furious pace of a bloudy victor The rifling of houses for spoile and euery souldier running with his load and ready to fight with other for our booty The miserable captiue driuen manicled before the insulting enemy Neuer did wee know how cruell an Aduersarie is and how burdensome an helper is in warre Looke round about you All your neighbours haue seene and tasted these calamities All the rest of the world haue beene whirled about in these wofull tumults onely this ILAND hath like the center stood vnmoueable Nam cum tristis hyems alias produxerit vndas Tum Nilum retinent ripae Claud. Epigr. Onely this ISLE hath beene like Nilus which when all other waters ouer-flow keeps within the banks That we are free from these and a thousand other miseries of warre Whither should we ascribe it but next vnder God to his Anointed as a King as a King of Peace For both Anarchie is the mother of diuision as we see in the State of ITALIE wherein when they wanted their King all ranne into ciuill broiles Otho Fris lib. 7. cap. 29. The Venetians with them of Rauenna Verona and Vincentia with the Paduans and Taruisians The Pisans and Florentines with them of Luca and Sienna And besides euery King is not a Peace-maker Ours is made of Peace Socr. lib. 7. c. 22. There haue beene Princes which as the Antiochians said of IVLIAN taking occasion by the Bull which hee stampt in his coyne haue goared the world to death The breasts of some Princes haue beene like a Thunder-cloud whose vapours would neuer leaue working till they haue vented themselues with terror to the world Ours hath nothing in it but a gracious raine to water the inheritance of God Behold He euen He alone like to NOAHS Doue brought an Oliue of peace to the tossed Arke of Christendome Hee like another AVGVSTVS before the second comming of CHRIST hath becalmed the world and shut the iron gates of warre and is the bond of that peace hee hath made And if the Peace-maker both doth blesse and is blessed how should we blesse him and blesse God for him and hold our selues blessed in him Now what were peace without religion but like a Nabals sheepe-shearing like the fatting of an Epicurean hogge the very festiuall reuels of the Deuill But for vs we haue Gloria in excelsis Deo sung before our Pax in terris in a word we haue Peace with the Gospell Discors l. 1. c. 20. Due continuoue successioni di principi virtuosi fanno grandi effetti Plato 8. de Rep. Machiauel himselfe could say in his Discourses that two continued successions of vertuous Princes fanno grandi effetti cannot but doe great matters Wee proue it so
termes whereof if any be probable some are impossible Oh miserable grounds of Popish faith whereof the best can haue but this praise that perhaps it may be true A Religion that hath bin oft dyed in the bloud of Princes that in some cases teaches and allowes Rebellion against Gods Anointed and both suborneth Treasons and excuses pities honors rewards the Actors A Religion that ouerloades mens consciences with heauy burdens of infinite vnnecessary Traditions far more than euer Moses commented vpon by all the Iewish Masters imposing them with no lesse authoritie and exacting them with more rigor than any of the royall lawes of their Maker A Religion that coozens the vulgar with nothing but shadowes of Holinesse in Pilgrimages Processions Offerings Holy-water Latine Seruices Images Tapers rich Vestures garish Altars Crosses Censings and a thousand such like fit for Children and Fooles robbing them in the meane time of the sound and plaine helps of true pietie and saluation A Religion that cares not by what wilfull falshoods it maintaines a part as Wickliffes blasphemie Luthers aduice from the Deuill Tindals communitie Caluins fained Miracle and blasphemous death Bucers necke broken Bezaes revolt the blasting of Huguenots Englands want of Churches and Christendome Queene ELIzABETHS vnwomanlinesse her Episcopall Iurisdiction her secret fruitfulnesse English Catholikes cast in Beares skins to Doggs Plesses shamefull ouerthrow Garnets Straw the Lutherans obscene night-revels Scories drunken ordination in a Tauerne the Edict of our Gracious King IAMES Anno 87. for the establishment of Poperie our casting the Crusts of our Sacrament to Doggs and ten thousand of this nature maliciously raised and defended against knowledge and conscience for the disgrace of those whom they would haue hated ere knowne A Religion that in the conscience of her owne vntruth goes about to falsifie and depraue all Authors that might giue euidence against her to out-face all ancient truths to foist in Gibeonitish witnesses of their owne forging and leaues nothing vnattempted against Heauen or Earth that might aduantage her faction disable her innocent Aduersarie Loe this is your choice If the zeale of your losse haue made me sharpe yet not malicious not fasle God is my Record I haue not to knowledge charged you with the least vntruth and if I haue wronged accuse mee and if I cleere not my selfe and my challenge let me be branded for a Slanderer In the meane time what spirituall phrensie hath ouertaken you that you can finde no beautie but in this Monster of Errors It is to you and your fellowes that God speakes by his Prophet O yee Heauens be astonied at this be afraid and vtterly confounded saith the Lord for my people hath committed two euils they haue forsaken me the Fountaine of liuing Waters to digge them pits euen broken pits that can hold no water what shall bee the issue Et tu Domine deduces eos in puteum interitus Thou O God shalt bring them downe into the pit of destruction If you will thus wilfully leaue God there I must leaue you But if you had not rather dye returne and saue one returne to God returne to his Truth returne to his Church your bloud be vpon my head if you perish AN ADVERTISEMENT TO THE READER THe Reader may please to take notice that in the former Edition there was added vnto this Discourse a iust Volume of aboue three hundred Contradictions and dissentions of the Romish Doctors vnder the name of The Peace of Rome which because it was but a collection out of Bellarmine and Navar and no otherwise mine but as a Gatherer and Translator I haue here thought good to omit FINIS NO PEACE WITH ROME WHEREIN IS PROVED THAT AS TERMES NOW Stand there can be no Reconciliation of the REFORMED RELIGION with the ROMISH And that the Romanists are in all the fault Written first in Latine by J. H. And now Englished SIC ELEVABITVR FILIVS HOMINIS Io 3. ANCHORA FIDEI LONDON Printed for THOMAS PAVIER MILES FLESHER and John Haviland 1624. TO THE TRVE SOVND AND HOLY CHVRCH OF GOD wheresoeuer warfaring vpon Earth I Present vnto thee deare and holy Mother this poore vnworthy token of my loue and loialtie the not so pleasing as true report of thy future broiles How much gladder should I haue beene if thy Spouse had so thought good to haue beene the messenger of thy Peace and securitie But since the great and wise Moderator of all things hath thought a Palme fitter for thee than an Oliue it is for thee to thinke of victory not of rest Thou shalt once triumph in heauen and rest for all but in the meane time here is nothing to bee lookt for but ambushes skirmishes tumults And how cheerefully must thou needs both beare and ouercome all oppositions that art not more sure of the necessitie of thy warfare than of the happinesse of thy successe whilest thou seest thy glorious husband not onely the leader of this field but a most iust and mercifull crowner of thy Conquest Certainly it is as vnpossible for thee to miscarry as to sit still and not fight Behold all the forces of heauen and earth conspire and reioyce to come voluntaries vnto this holy warre of thine and promise thee a most happy issue addresse thy selfe therefore as thou art wont couragiously to this worke of God But remember first to inquire as thou dost of ABEL Spare no teares to thy desperate Sister now thine enemie and calling heauen and earth to witnesse vpon thy knees beseech and intreat her by her owne soule and by the deare bowels of CHRIST by those precious drops of his bloudy sweat by that common price of our eternall redemption that she would at the last returne to her selfe and that good disposition which she hath now too long abandoned that she would forbeare any more as I feare shee hath hitherto wilfully done to fight against God but if shee shall still persist to stop her eares against thee and to harden her selfe in rebellion against her God forget if thou canst who shee once was and flie mercilesly vpon this daughter of Beliall that vaunts her selfe proudly in the glory of her munition Goe smite destroy conquer and reigne as the worthy partner of thine husbands Throne For mee I shall in the meane time be as one of thy rude Trumpets whose noise shall both awaken thy courage vnto this spirituall battell and whose ioyfull gratulations shall after thy rich spoiles applaud thine happy returne in the day of thy victory J. H. THE SVMME OF THE following Sections SECTION I. THe state of the now-Roman Church SECTION II. The commodities and conditions of Peace SECTION III. The obstinate and Peace-hating disposition of Papists SECTION IV. That the Confession of the same Creed is not with them sufficient to Peace SECTION V. The imputation or corruption of the Roman Church and their impossibility of Reconciliation arising from that wilfull fable of the Popes infallibilitie SECTION VI. That the other Opinions
parting now therefore he wisely prefers his own estate to Labans loue it is not good to regard too much the vniust discontentment of worldly men and to purchase vnprofitable fauour with too great losse Behold Laban followes Iacob with one troop Esau meets him with another both with hostile intentions both goe on till the vtmost point of their execution both are preuented ere the execution God makes fooles of the enemies of his Church he lets them proceed that they may be frustrate and when they are gone to the vtmost reach of their tether hee puls them backe to their taske with shame Loe now Laban leaues Iacob with a kisse Esau meets him with a kisse Of the one he hath an oath teares of the other peace with both Who shall need to feare man that is in league with God But what a wonder is this Iacob receiued not so much hurt from all his enemies as from his best friend Not one of his hairs perished by Laban or Esau yet he lost a ioint by the Angell and was sent halting to his graue He that knowes our strength yet wil wrestle with vs for our exercise and loues our violence and importunity O happy losse of Iacob he lost a ioynt and wonne a blessing It is a fauour to halt from God yet this fauour is seconded with a greater He is blessed because hee would rather halt then leaue ere he was blessed If he had left sooner he had not halted but hee had not prospered That man shall goe away sound but miserable that loues a limbe more then a blessing Surely if Iacob had not wrestled with God he had beene foyled with euills how many are the troubles of the righteous Not long after Rachel the comfort of his life dyeth And when but in her trauell and in his trauell to his Father When he had now before digested in his thoughts the ioy and gratulation of his aged Father for so welcome a burden His children the staffe of his age wound his soule to the death Reuben proues incestuous Iudah adulterous Dinah rauished Simeon and Leui murderous Er and Onan striken dead Ioseph lost Simeon imprisoned Beniamin the death of his Mother the Fathers right-hand indangered himselfe driuen by famine in his old age to die amongst the Aegyptians a people that held it abomination to eat with him If that Angell with whom hee stroue and who therefore stroue for him had not deliuered his soule out of all aduersity he had beene supplanted with euils and had beene so far from gaining the name of Israel that he had lost the name of Iacob now what sonne of Israel can hope for good daies when he heares his Fathers were so euill It is enough for vs if when wee are dead we can rest with him in the land of Promise If the Angell of the Couenant once blesse vs no paine no sorrowes can make vs miserable Of DINAH I Find but one onely daughter of Iacob who must needes therefore be a great darling to her Father and she so miscaries that she causes her Fathers griefe to be more then his loue As her mother Leah so she hath a fault in her eyes which was Curiosity She will needes see and be seene and whiles she doth vainely see shee is seene lustfully It is not enough for vs to looke to our owne thoughts except wee beware of the prouocations of others If wee once wander out of the lists that God hath set vs in our callings there is nothing but danger Her Virginity had been safe if she had kept home or if Sechem had forced her in her mothers tent this losse of her Virginity had been without her sin now she is not innocent that gaue the occasion Her eyes were guilty of the temptation Onely to see is an insufficient warrant to draw vs into places of spirituall hazard If Sechem had seen her busie at home his loue had beene free from out-rage now the lightnesse of her presence gaue incouragement to his inordinate desires Immodesty of behauior makes way to lust and giues life vnto wicked hopes yet Sechem be wrayes a good nature euen in filthinesse He loues Dinah after his sinne and will needs marry her whom he had defiled Commonly lust ends in loathing Ammon abhors Thamar as much after his act as before he loued her and beats her out of doores whom hee was sicke to bring in But Sechem would not let Dinah fare the worse for his sinne And now hee goes about to entertaine her with honest loue whom the rage of his lust had dishonestly abused Her deflouring shall bee no preiudice to her since her shame shall redound to none but him and he will hide her dishonour with the name of an husband What could hee now doe but sue to his Father to hers to her selfe to her brethren intreating that vvith humble submission which he might haue obtained by violence Those actions vvhich are ill begun can hardly be salued vp with late satisfactions whereas good entrances giue strength vnto the proceedings and successe to the end The yong mans father doth not only consent but sollicite and is ready to purchase a daughter either with substance or paine The two old men would haue ended the matter peaceably but youth commonly vndertakes rashly and performes with passion The sons of Iacob thinke of nothing but reuenge and which is worst of all begin their cruelty with craft and hide their craft with Religion A smiling malice is most deadly and hatred doth most rankle the heart when it is kept in and dissembled We cannot giue our sister to an vncircumcised man here was God in the mouth and Saran in the heart The bloodiest of all proiects haue euer wont to be coloured with Religion because the worse any thing is the better shew it desires to make and contrarily the better colour is put vpon any vice the more odious it is for as euery simulation addes to an euill so the best addes most euill themselues had taken the daughters and sisters of vncircumcised men yea Iacob himselfe did so why might not an vncircumcised man obtaine their sister Or if there be a difference of giuing and taking it had beene well if it had not beene onely pretended It had beene a happy Rauishment of Dinah that should haue drawne a whole Country into the bosome of the Church but here was a Sacrament intended not to the good of the soule but to murder of the body It was a hard taske for Hamor and Sechem not onely to put the knife to their owne foreskins but to perswade a multitude to so painfull a condition The sons of Iacob dissemble with them they with the people Shall not their flocks and substance be ours Common profit is pretended whereas onely Sechems pleasure is meant No motiue is so powerfull to the vulgar sort as the name of Commoditie The hope of this makes them prodigall of their skin and blood Not the loue to the Sacrament not the
which he knowes will as much discontent Pharaoh as Pharaohs cruelty could discontent the Israelites Let vs goe How contrary are Gods precepts to naturall minds and indeed as they loue to crosse him in their practice so hee loues to crosse them in their commands before and his punishments afterwards It is a dangerous signe of an ill heart to feele Gods yoke heauy Moses talkes of sacrifice Pharaoh talkes of worke Any thing seemes due worke to a carnall minde sauing Gods seruice nothing superfluous but religious duties Christ tels vs there is but one thing necessary Nature tels vs there is nothing but that needlesse Moses speakes of deuotion Pharaoh of idlenesse It hath bin an old vse as to cast faire colours vpon our owne vicious actions so to cast euill aspersions vpon the good actions of others The same Deuill that spoke in Pharaoh speakes still in our scoffers and cals Religion Hypocrisie conscionable care singularity Euery vice hath a title and euery vertue a disgrace Yet while possible taskes were imposed there was some comfort Their diligence might saue their backes from stripes The conceit of a benefit to the commander and hope of impunity to the labourer might giue a good pretence to great difficulties but to require tasks not faisible is tyrannicall and doth onely picke a quarrell to punish They could neither make straw nor find it yet they must haue it Doe what may be is tolerable but doe what cannot be is cruell Those which are aboue others in place must measure their commands not by their owne wils but by the strength of their inferiours To require more of a beast then he can doe is inhumane The taske is not done the task-masters are beaten the punishment lyes where the charge is they must exact it of the people Pharaoh of them It is the misery of those which are trusted with authority that their inferiours faults are beaten vpon their backes This was not the fault to require it of the taske-masters but to require it by the taske-masters of the people Publike persons doe either good or ill with a thousand hands and with no fewer shall receiue it Of the birth and breeding of MOSES IT is a wonder that Amram the father of Moses would think of the mariage bed in so troublesome a time when he knew he should beget children either to slauery or slaughter yet euen now in the heat of this bondage he maries Iochebed the drowning of his sons was not so great an euill as his owne burning the thraldome of his daughters not so great an euill as the subiection vnto sinfull desires Hee therefore vses Gods remedie for his sinne and referres the sequell of his danger to God How necessary is this imitation for those which haue not the power of containing perhaps we would haue thought it better to liue childlesse but Amram and Iochebed durst not incurre the danger of a sinne to auoid the danger of a mischiefe No doubt when Iochebed the mother of Moses saw a man-child borne of her and him beauâ—ifull and comely she fell into extreame passion to thinke that the executioners hand should succeed the Midwiues All the time of her conception she could not but feare a sonne now she sees him and thinkes of his birth and death at once her second throes are more grieuous then her first The paines of trauell in others are somewhat mitigated with hope and counternailed with ioy that a man-child is borne in her they are doubled with feare the remedie of others is her complaint still she lookes when some fierce Aegyptian would come in and snatch her new-borne infant out of her bosome whose comelinesse had now also added to her affection Many times God writes presages of maiesty and honor euen in the faces of children Little did she think that she held in her lap the Deliuerer of Israel It is good to hazard in greatest apparances of danger If Iochebed had sayd If I beare a son they will kill him where had beene the great Rescuer of Israel Happy is that resolution which can follow God hood-winkt and let him dispose of the euent When shee can no longer hide him in her wombe shee hides him in her house afraid lest euery of his cryings should guide the executioners to his cradle And now shee sees her treasure can be no longer hid she ships him in a barke of bulrushes and commits him to the mercy of the waues and which was more mercilesse to the danger of an Aegyptian passenger yet doth she not leaue him without a guardian No tyranny can forbid her to loue him whom she is forbidden to keep Her daughters eyes must supply the place of her armes And if the weake affection of a mother were thus effectually carefull what shall we thinke of him whose loue whose compassion is as himselfe infinite His eye his hand cannot but be with vs euen when wee forsake our selues Moses had neuer a stronger protection about him no not when all his Israelites were pitched about his Tent in the wildernesse then now when hee lay sprawling alone vpon the waues no water no Aegyptian can hurt him Neither friend nor mother dare own him and now God challenges his custodie When we seem most neglected and forlorne in our selues then is God most present most vigilant His prouidence brings Pharaohs daughter thither to wash her self Those times lookt for no great state A Princesse comes to bathe her selfe in the open streame she meant onely to wash her selfe God fetches her thither to deliuer the Deliuerer of his people His designes go beyond ours We know not when we set our foot ouer our threshold what he hath to doe with vs. This euent seemed casuall to this Princesse but predetermined and prouided by God before she was how wisely and sweetly God brings to passe his owne purposes in our ignorance and regardlesnesse She saw the Arke opens it finds the child weeping his beauty and his teares had God prouided for the strong perswasions of mercy This young and liuely Oratorie preuailed Her heart is strucke with compassion and yet her tongue could say It is an Hebrew child See here the mercifull daughter of a cruell father It is an vncharitable and iniurious ground to iudge of the childs disposition by the parents How well doth pitty beseeme great personages and most in extremities It had beene death to another to rescue the child of an Hebrew in her it was safe and noble It is an happy thing when great ones improue their places to so much more charity as their liberty is more Moses his sister finding the Princesse compassionate offers to procure a nurse and fetches the mother and who can bee so fit a nurse as a mother She now with glad hands receiues her child both with authority and reward She would haue giuen all her substance for the life of her son now she hath a reward to nurse him The exchange of the name of a mother for the name
counsell of so wise and mercifull a God hath drawne vs into his want and shall not he as easily find the way out It is the Lord let him doe what he will There can be no more forceable motiue to patience then the acknowledgment of a diuine hand that strikes vs. It is fearefull to be in the hand of an aduersarie but who would not be confident of a Father Yet in our fraile humanity choler may transport a man from remembrance of nature but when wee feele our selues vnder the discipline of a wise God that can temper our afflictions to our strength to our benefit who would not rather murmur at himselfe that hee should swerue towards impatience Yet these sturdy Israelites wilfully murmur and will not haue their thirst quenched with faith but with water Giue vs water Nooked to heare when they would haue entreated Moses to pray for them but in stead of entreating they contend and in stead of prayers I find commands Giue vs water If they had gone to God without Moses I should haue praised their faith but now they goe to Moses without God I hate their stubborne faithlesnesse To seeke to the second meanes vvith neglect of the first is the fruit of a false faith The answer of Moses is like himselfe milde and sweet Why contend ye with mee Why tempt ye the Lord In the first expostulation condemning them of iniustice since not he but the Lord had afflicted them In the second of presumption that since it was God that tempted them by want they should tempt him by murmuring In the one hee would haue them see their wrong in the other their danger As the act came not from him but from God so he puts it off to God from himselfe Why tempt yee the Lord The opposition which is made to the instruments of God redounds euer to his person He holds himselfe smitten through the sides of his Ministers So hath God incorporated these respects that our subtilty cannot diuide them But what temptation is this Is the Lord among vs or no Infidelitie is crafty and yet foolish Craftie in her insinuations foolish in her conceits They imply If we were sure the Lord were with vs we would not distrust They conceiue doubts of his pr sence after such confirmations What could God doe more to make them know hiâ— present vnlesse euery moment should haue renued miracles The plagues of Aegypt and the diuision of the Sea were so famous that the very Innes of Iericho rang of them Their waters were lately sweetned the Quailes were yet in their teeth their Manna was yet in their eye yea they saw God in the Pillar of the Cloud and yet they say Is the Lord amongst vs No argument is enough to an incredulous heart not sense not experience How much better was that faith of Thomas that would beleeue his eyes and hands though his care he would not Oh the deepe infidelitie of these Israelites that saw and beleeued not And how will they know if God be amongst them As if hee could not bee with them and they be a thirst either God must humour carnall minds or be distrusted If they prosper though it be with wickednesse God is with them If they be thwarted in their owne designes straight Is God with vs It was the way to put God from them to distrust and murmure If he had not been with them they had not liued If he had been in them they had not mutined They can thinke him absent in their want and cannot see him absent in their sinne and yet wickednesse not affliction argues him gone Yea then is he most present when he most chastises Who would not haue looked that this answer of Moses should haue appeased their fury As what can still him that will not be quiet to thinke he hath God for his Aduersarie But as if they would wilfully warre against Heauen they proceed yet with no lesse craft then violence bending their exception to one part of the answer and smoothly omitting what they could not except against They will not heare of tempting God they maintaine their strife with Moses both with words and stones How malicious how headdy is impatience The act was Gods they cast it vpon Moses Wherefore hast thou brought vs The act of God was mercifull they make it cruell To kill vs and our children As if God and Moses meant nothing but their ruine who intended nothing but their life and libertie Foolish men What needed this iourney to death Were they not as obnoxious to God in Aegypt Could not God by Moses as easily haue killed them in Aegypt or in the Sea as their enemies Impatience is full of misconstruction If it be possible to find out any glosse to corrupt the Text of Gods actions they shall be sure not to scape vntainted It was no expostulating with an vnreasonable multitude Moses runs straight to him that was able at once to quench their thirst and their fury What shall I do to this people It is the best way to trust God with his owne causes when men will bee intermedling with his affaires they vndoe themselues in vaine We shall finde difficulties in all great enterprises if wee be sure we haue begun them from God wee may securely cast all euents vpon his prouidence which knowes how to dispose and how to end them Moses perceiued rage not in the tongues only but in the hands of the Israelites Yet a while longer and they will stone me Euen the Leader of Gods people feared death and sinned not in fearing Life is worthy to be deare to all especially to him whom publike charge hath made necessary Meere feare is not sinfull It is impotence and distrust that accompany it which make it euill How well is that feare bestowed that sends vs the more importunately to God Some man would haue thought of flight Moses flyes to his Prayers and that not for reuenge but for helpe Who but Moses would not haue said This twice they haue mutined and beene pardoned and now againe thou seest O Lord how madly they rebell and how bloodily they intend against me preserue me I beseech thee and plague them I heare none of this but imitating the long suffering of his God he seekes to God for them which sought to kill him for the quarrell of God Neither is God sooner sought then found All Israel might see Moses goe towards the Rocke None but the Elders might see him strike it Their vnbeleefe made them vnworthy of this priuiledge It is no small fauor of God to make vs witnesses of his great Workes That he crucifies his Sonne before vs that he fetches the water of Life out of the true Rocke in our sight is an high prerogatiue If his rigour would haue taken it our infidelity had equally excluded vs whom now his mercy hath receiued Moses must take his Rod God could haue done it by his will without a word or by his word without the
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 haâ—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
bidden If we will be vnseasonable in our good actions we may hurt and not benefit our selues Euery liuing thing in Iericho man woman child cattell must die our folly would thinke this mercilesse but there can bee no mercy in iniustice and nothing but iniustice in not fulfilling the charge of God The death of Malefactors the condemnation of wicked men seeme harsh to vs but we must learne of God that there is a punishing mercy Cursed be that mercy that opposes the God of mercy Yet was not Ioshua so intent vpon the slaughter as not to be mindfull of Gods part and Rahabs First he giues charge vnder a curse of reseruing all the treasure for God Then of preseruing the family of Rahab Those two Spyes that receiued life from her now returne it to her and hers They call at the window with the red cord and send vp newes of life to her the same way which they receiued theirs Her house is no part of Iericho neither may fire be set to any building of that City till Rahab and her family be set safe without the host The actions of our faith and charity will be sure to pay vs if late yet surely Now Rahab findes what it is to beleeue God whiles out of an impure idolatrous Citie she is transplanted into the Church of God and made a mother of a royall and holy posteritie Of ACHAN WHen the wals of Iericho were falne Ioshua charged the Israelites but with two precepts Of sparing Rahabs house and of abstaining from that treasure which was anathematized to God and one of them is broken As in the entrance to Paradise but one tree was forbidden and that was eaten of God hath prouided for our weaknesse in the paucity of commands but our innocency stands not so much in hauing few precepts as in keeping those we haue So much more guilty are wee in the breach of one as wee are more fauoured in the number They needed no command to spare no liuing thing in Iericho but to spare the treasure no command was enough Impartialitie of execution is easier to performe then contempt of these worldly things because we are more prone to couet for our selues then to pitie others Had Ioshua bidden saue the men and diuide the treasure his charge had been more plausible then now to kill the men and saue the treasure or if they must kill earthly minds would more gladly shead their enemies blood for a bootie then out of obedience for the glory of their Maker But now it is good reason since God threw downe those wals and not they that both the blood of that wicked Citie should be spilt to him not to their owne reuenge and that the treasure should bee reserued for his vse not for theirs Who but a miscreant can grudge that God should serue himselfe of his owne I cannot blame the rest of Israel if they were vvell pleased with their conditions onely one Achan troubles the peace and his sinne is imputed to Israel the innocence of so many thousand Israelites is not so forceable to excuse his one sinne as his one sinne is to taint all Israel A lewd man is a pernicious creature That hee damnes his owne soule is the least part of his mischiefe he commonly drawes vengeance vpon a thousand either by the desert of his sinne or by the infection Who would not haue hoped that the same God which for ten righteous men would haue spared the fiue wicked Cities should not haue beene content to drowne one sinne in the obedience of so many righteous But so venemous is sinne especially when it lights among Gods people that one dram of it is able to infect the whole masse of Israel Oh righteous people of Israel that had but one Achan How had their late circumcision cut away the vncleane foreskin of their disobedience How had the blood of their Paschal Lambe scoured their soules from couetous desires The world was well mended with them since their stubborne murmurings in the Desart Since the death of Moses and the gouernment of Ioshua I doe not find them in any disorder After that the Law hath brought vs vnder the conduct of the true Iesus our sinnes are more rare and our liues are more conscionable Whiles we are vnder the Law we do not so keep it as when wee are deliuered from it our Christian freedome is more holy then our seruitude Then haue the Sacraments of God their due effect when their receit purgeth vs from our old sinnes and makes our conuersation cleane and spirituall Little did Ioshua know that there was any sacriledge committed by Israel that sinne is not halfe cunning enough that hath not learned secrecie Ioshua was a vigilant Leader yet some sinnes will escape him Onely that eye which is euery where findes vs out in our close wickednesse It is no blame to authoritie that some sinnes are secretly committed The holiest congregation or family may be blemisht with some malefactors it is iust blame that open sinnes are not punished wee shall wrong gouernment if wee shall expect the reach of it should be infinite Hee therefore which if he had knowne the offence would haue sent vp prayers and teares to God now sends Spyes for a further discouery of Ai They turne with newes of the weaknesse of their aduersaries and as contemning their paucity perswades Ioshua that a wing of Israel is enough to ouershadow this city of Ai. The Israelites were so fleshed with their former victory that now they thinke no wals or men can stand before them Good successe lifts vp the heart with too much confidence and whiles it disswades men from doing their best oft-times disappoints them With God the meanes can neuer bee too weake without him neuer strong enough It is not good to contemne an impotent enemy In this second battell the Israelites are beaten It was not the fewnesse of their assailants that ouerthrow them but the sin that lay lurking at home If all the Host of Israel had set vpon this poore village of Ai they had beene all equally discomfited the wedge of Achan did more fight against them then all the swords of the Canaanites The victories of God go not by strength but by innocence Doubtlesse these men of Ai insulted in this foyle of Israel and said Loe these are the men from whose presence the waters of Iordan ran backe now they runne as fast away from ours These are they before whom the wals of Iericho fell downe now they are falne as fast before vs and all their neighbours tooke heart from this victory Wherein I doubt not but besides the punishment of Israels sinne God intended the further obduration of the Canaanites Like as some skilfull player loses on purpose at the beginning of the game to draw on the more abetments The newes of their ouerthrow spred as farre as the fame of their speed and euery City of Canaan could say Why not we as well as Ai But good
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
cannot haue the heart or the face to stand out against the message of God but now as a man confounded and condemned in himselfe he cryes out in the bitternesse of a wounded Soule I haue sinned against the Lord. It was a short word but passionate and such as came from the bottome of a contrite heart The greatest griefes are not most verball Saul confessed his sinne more largely lesse effectually God cares not for phrases but for affections The first piece of our amends to God for sinning is the acknowledgement of sinne He can doe little that in a iust offence cannot accuse himselfe If wee cannot bee so good as we would it is reason wee should doe God so much right as to say how euill we are And why was not this done sooner It is strange to see how easily sin gets into the heart how hardly it gets out of the mouth Is it because sinne like vnto Satan where it hath got possession is desirous to hold it and knowes that it is fully eiected by a free confession or because in a guiltinesse of deformitie it hides it selfe in the brest where it is once entertayned and hates the light or because the tongue is so fee'd with selfe-loue that it is loath to be drawne vnto any verdict against the heart or hands or is it out of an idle misprision of shame which whiles it should be placed in offending is misplaced in disclosing of our offence Howeuer sure I am that God hath need euen of rackes to draw out confessions and scarce in death it selfe are we wrought to a discouery of our errors There is no one thing wherein our folly shewes it selfe more than in these hurtfull concealements Contrary to the proceedings of humane Iustice it is with God Confesse and liue no sooner can Dauid say I haue sinned than Nathan inferres The Lord also hath put away thy sinne He that hides his sins shall not prosper but hee that confesseth and forsaketh them shall finde mercie Who would not accuse himselfe to bee aquittted of God O God who would not tell his wickednesse to thee that knowest it better than his owne heart that his heart may be eased of that wicednesse which being not told killeth Since we haue sinned why should wee bee niggardly of that action wherein we may at once giue glory to thee and reliefe to our soules Dauid had sworne in a zeale of Iustice that the rich Oppressor for but taking his poore Neighbours Lambe should dye the death God by Nathan is more fauourable to Dauid than to take him at his word Thou shalt not dye O the maruellous power of repentance Besides adultery Dauid had shed the bloud of innocent Vriah The strict Law was Eye for Eye Tooth for Tooth Hee that smiteth with the Sword shall perish with the Sword Yet as if a penitent confession had dispensed with the rigour of Iustice now God sayes Thou shalt not dye Dauid was the voyce of the Law awarding death vnto sinne Nathan was the voyce of the Gospell awarding life vnto the repentance for sinne Whatsoeuer the sore be neuer any soule applyed this remedie and dyed neuer any soule escaped death that applyed it not Dauid himselfe shall not dye for this fact but his mis-begotten childe shall dye for him Hee that said The Lord hath put away thy sinne yet said also The Sword shall not depart from thine house The same mouth with one breath pronounces the sentence both of absolution and death Absolution to the Person Death to the Issue Pardon may well stand with temporall afflictions Where God hath forgiuen though hee doth not punish yet he may chastize and that vnto bloud neither doth hee alwayes forbeare correction where hee remits reuenge So long as hee smites vs not as an angry Iudge wee may indure to smart from him as a louing Father Yet euen this Rod did Dauid deprecate with teares How faine would hee shake off so easie a lode The Childe is striken the Father fasts and prayes and weepes and lyes all night vpon the Earth and abhorres the noyse of comfort That Childe which was the fruit and monument of his odious adultery whom hee could neuer haue looked vpon without recognition of his sinne in whose face hee could not but haue still read the records of his owne shame is thus mourned for thus sued for It is easie to obserue that good man ouer-passionately affected to his Children Who would not haue thought that Dauid might haue held himselfe well appayd that his soule escaped an eternall death his bodie a violent though God should punish his sinne in that Childe in whome hee sinned Yet euen against this crosse he bends his Prayers as if nothing had beene forgiuen him There is no Childe that would be scourged if hee might escape for crying No affliction is for for the time other than grieuous neither is therefore yeelded vnto without some kinde of reluctation Farre yet was it from the heart of Dauid to make any opposition to the will of God hee sued he struggled not There is no impatience in entreaties Hee well knew that the threats of temporall euils ranne commonly with a secret condition and therefore might perhaps bee auoyded by humble importunitie if any meanes vnder Heauen can auert iudgments it is our Prayers God could not chuse but like well the boldnesse of Dauids saith who after the apprehension of so heauie a displeasure is so far from doubting of the forgiuenesse of his sinne that hee dares become a Sutor vnto God for his sicke child Sinne doth not make vs more strange than Faith confident But it is not in the power of the strongest Faith to preserue vs from all afflictions After all Dauids prayers and teares the Childe must dye The carefull seruants dare but whisper this sad newes They who had found their Master so auerse from the motion of comfort in the sicknesse of the Childe feared him vncapable of comfort in his death Suspition is quick-witted Euery occasion makes vs misdoubt that euent which wee feare This secrecie proclaymes that which they were so loath to vtter Dauid perceiues his Childe dead and now hee rises vp from the Earth whereon hee lay and washes himselfe and changeth his apparell and goes first into Gods House to worship and into his owne to eate now hee refuses no comfort who before would take none The issue of things doth more fully shew the will of God than the prediction God neuer did any thing but what hee would hee hath sometimes foretold that for tryall which his secret will intended not hee would foretell it hee would not effect it because hee would therefore fore-tell it that hee might not effect it His predictions of outward euils are not alwayes absolute his actions are Dauid well sees by the euent what the Decree of God was concerning his Childe which now hee could not striue against without a vaine impatience Till wee know the determinations of the Almightie it is free
for vs to striue in our prayers to striue with him not against him when once wee know them it is our dutie to sit downe in a silent contentation Whiles the Childe was yet aliue I fasted and wept for I said who can tell whether the Lord will be gracious to me that the Childe may liue but now he is dead Wherfore should I fast Can-I bring him backe againe The griefe that goes before an euill for remedie can hardly bee too much but that which followes an euill past remedie cannot bee too little Euen in the saddest accident Death wee may yeeld something to nature nothing to impatience immoderation of sorrow for losses past hope of recouery is more fullen than vse-full our stomacke may be bewrayed by it not our wisdome AMNON and TAMAR IT is not possible that any word of God should fall to the ground Dauid is not more sure of forgiuenesse than smart Three maine sins passed him in this businesse of Vriah Adultery Murder Dissimulation for all which he receiues present payment for Adultery in the deflowring of his Daughter Thamar for Murder in the killing of his Sonne Amnon for Dissimulation in the contriuing of both Yet all this was but the beginning of euils Where the Father of the Family brings sinne home to the house it is not easily swept our Vnlawfull Lust propagates it selfe by example How iustly is Dauid scourged by the sinne of his Sonnes whome his Act taught to offend Maacha was the Daughter of an Heathenish King By her had Dauid that beautifull but vnhappy Issue Absalom and his no lesse faire Sister Thamar Perhaps thus late doth Dauid feele the punishment of that vnfit choice I should haue maruelled if so holy a man had not found crosses in so vnequall a match either in his person or at least in his feed Beauty if it be not well disciplin'd proues not a Friend but a Traytour three of Dauids Children are vndone by it at once What else was guilty of Amnons incestuous loue Tamars rauishment Absoloms pride It is a blessing to be faire yet such a blessing as if the soule answer not to the face may leade to a curse How commonly haue we seene the foâ—â—lest soule dwell fairest It was no fault of Tamars that shee was beautifull the Candle offends not in burning the foolish flie offends in scorching it selfe in the flame yet it is no small misery to become a tentation vnto another and to be made but the occasion of others ruine Amnon is loue-sicke of his sister Tamar and languishes of that vnnaturall heat Whither will not wanton lust carry the inordinate mindes of pampered and vngouerned youth None but his halfe sister will please the eyes of the young Prince of Israel Ordinary pleasures will not content those whom the conceit of greatnesse youth and ease haue let loose to their appetite Perhaps yet this vnkindly flame might in time haue gone out alone had not there beene a Ionadab to blow these coales with ill counsell It were strange if great Princes should want some Parasiticall Followers that are ready to feed their ill humors Why art thou the Kings Sonne so leane from day to day As if it were vnworthy the Heire of a King to suffer either Law or Conscience to stand in the way of his desires Whereas wise Princes know well that their places giue them no priuiledge of sinning but call them in rather to so much more strictnesse as their example may be more preiudiciall Ionadab was the Cousin German of Amnon Ill aduice is so much more dangegerous as the interest of the giuer is more Had he beene a true friend hee had bent all the forces of his disswasion against the wicked motions of that sinfull lust and had shewed the Prince of Israel how much those lewd desires prouoked God and blemished himselfe and had lent his hand to strangle them in their first Conception There cannot be a more worthy improuement of friendship than in a feruent opposition to the sinnes of them whom we professe to loue No enemy can be so mortall to great Princes as those officious Clients whose flattery soothes them vp in wickednesse These are Traytors to the Soule and by a pleasing violence kill the best part eternally How ready at hand is an euill suggestion Good counsell is like vnto Wel-water that must be drawne vp with a Pumpe or Bucket Ill counsell is like to Conduit-water which if the cocke be but turned runnes out alone Ionadab hath soone proiected how Amnon shall accomplish his lawlesse purpose The way must be to faine himselfe sicke in body whose minde was sicke of lust and vnder this pretence to procure the presence of her who had wounded and only might cure him The daily increasing languor and leanenesse and palenesse of loue-sicke Amnon might well giue colour to a Kerchiefe and a pallet Now is it soone told Dauid that his eldest Sonne is cast vpon his sicke bed there needs no suite for his visitation The carefull Father hastenâ— to his Bed-side not without doubts and feates He that was lately so afflicted with the sicknesse of a Childe that scarce liued to see the light how sensible must we needs thinke hee would bee of the indisposition of his first borne Soone in the prime of his age and hopes It is not giuen to any Prophet to fore-see all things Happie had it beene for Dauid if Amnon had beene truly sicke and sicke vnto death yet who could haue perswaded this passionate Father to haue beene content with this succession of losses this early losse of his Successour How glad is he to heare that his Daughter Tamars skill might bee likely to fit the dyet of so deareâ— patient Conceit is word to rule much both in sicknesse and the cure Tamar is sent by her Father to the house of Amnon Her hand only must dresse that Dish which may please the nice Palace of her sicke Brother Euen the Children of Kings in those homelyâ—r Tymes did not scorne to put their fingers to some workes of huswifrie Shee tooke floure and did knead it and did make Cakes in his sight and did bake the Cakes and tooke a Pan and powred them out before him Had shee not beene sometimes vsed to such domestique imployments shee had beene now to seeke neither had this beene required of her but vpon the knowledge of her skill Shee doth not plead the impayring of her beauty by the scorching of the fire nor thinkes her hand too dainty for such meane Services but settles to the worke as one that had rather regard the necessities of her Brother than her owne state Only pride and idlenesse haue banisht honest and thrifty diligence out of the houses of the great This was not yet the Dish that Amnon longed for It was the Cooke and not the Cates which that wanton eye affected Vnlawfull Acts seeke for secrecie The companie is dismissed Tamar onely staies Good meaning suspects nothing Whiles she presents the meat
his creature for wishing the best to it selfe and because Salomon hath asked what he should hee shall now receiue both what he asked and what hee asked not Riches and honour shall bee giuen him in to the match So doth God loue a good choyce and hee recompences it with ouer-giuing Could we but first seeke the Kingdome of God and his righteousnesse all these earthly things should be super-added to vs Had Salomon made wealth his boone he had failed both of riches and wisdome now he askes the best and speeds of all They are in a faire way of happinesse that can pray well It was no dis-comfort to Salomon that he awaked and found it a dreame for hee knew this dreame was diuine and oracular and he already found in his first waking the reall performance of what was promised him sleeping Such illumination did he sensibly find in all the roomes of his heart as if God had now giuen him a new soule No maruell if Salomon now returning from the Tabernacle to the Arke testified his ioy thankfulnesse by burnt-offerings and peace offerings and publique feastings The heart that hath found in it selfe the liuely testimonies of Gods presence and fauour cannot containe it selfe from outward expressions God likes not to haue his gifts lie dead where hee hath confer'd them Israel shall soone witnesse that they haue a King inlightened from heauen in whom wisdome did not stay for heires did not admit of any parallel in his predecessors The all-wise God will find occasions to draw forth those graces to vse and light which he hath bestowed on man Two Harlots come before yong Salomon with a difficult plea It is not like the Princes eare was the first that heard this complaint there was a subordinate course of iustice for the determination of these meaner incidences the hardnesse of this decision brought the matter through all the benches of inferior iudicature to the Tribunall of Salomon The very Israelitish Harlots were not so vnnatural as some now adaies that counterfait honesty These striue for the fruit of their wombe ours to put thē off One son is yet aliue two mothers contēd for him The children were alike for features for age the mothers were alike for reputation here can be no euidence from others eyes Whethers now is the liuing Child and whethers is the dead Had Salomon gone about to wring forth the truth by tortures hee had perhaps plagued the innocent and added paine to the misery of her losse the weaker had been guilty and the more able to beare had caried away both the child and the victory The countenance of either of the mothers bewrayed an equality of passion Sorrow possessed the one for the sonne she had lost and the other for the sonne shee was in danger to leese Both were equally peremptory and importunate in their claime It is in vaine to thinke that the true part can bee discerned by the vehemence of their challenge Falshood is oft-times more clamorous then truth No witnesses can be produced They two dwelt apart vnder one roofe and if some neighbours haue seene the children at their birth and circumcision yet how little difference how much change is there in the fauour of infants how doth death alter more confirmed lines The impossibility of proofe makes the guilty more confident more impudent the true mother pleads that her child was taken away at midnight by the other but in her sleepe she saw it not she felt it not and if all her senses could haue witnessed it yet here was but the affirmation of the one against the deniall of the other which in persons alike credible doe but counterpoise What is there now to lead the Iudge since there is nothing either in the act or circumstances or persons or plea or euidence that might sway the sentence Salomon well saw that when all outward proofes failed there was an inward affection which if it could be fetcht out would certainely bewray the true mother he knew sorrow might more easily bee dissembled then naturall loue both sorrowed for their owne both could not loue one as theirs To draw forth then this true proofe of motherhood Salomon calls for a sword Doubtlesse some of the wiser hearers smiled vpon each other and thought in themselues What will the yong King cut these knottie causes in peeces Will he diuide iustice with edge tooles will hee smite at hazard before conuiction The actions of wise Princes are riddles to vulgar constructions neither is it for the shallow capacities of the multitude to fadome the deepe proiects of Soueraigne authority That sword which had serued for execution shall now serue for triall Diuide ye the liuing child in twaine and giue the one halfe to the one and the other halfe to the other Oh diuine oracle of iustice commanding that which it would not haue done that it might find out that which could not be discouered Neither God nor his Deputies may bee so taken at their words as if they alwaies intended their commands for action and not sometimes for probation This sword hath already pierced the brest of the true mother and diuided her heart with feare and griefe at so killing a sentence There needs no other racke to discouer nature and now she thinks woe is me that came for iustice and am answered with cruelty Diuide ye the liuing child Alas what hath that poore infant offended that it suruiues and is sued for How much lesse miserable had I beene that my childe had beene smothered in my sleep then mangled before mine eies If a dead carkasse could haue satisfied me I needed not to haue complanied What a wofull condition am I falne into who am accused to haue beene the death of my supposed childe already and now shall be the death of my owne If there were no losse of my childe yet how can I endure this torment of mine owne bowels How can I liue to see this part of my selfe sprawling vnder that bloody sword And whiles she thinks thus shee sues to that suspected mercy of her iust Iudge Oh my Lord giue her the liuing child and slay him not as thinking if he liue he shall but change a mother if he die his mother loseth a sonne Whiles he liues it shall be my comfort that I haue a son though I may not call him so dying he perisheth to both it is better he should liue to a wrong mother then to neither Contrarily her enuious competitor as holding her selfe well satisfied that her neighbor should be as childlesse as her selfe can say Let it be neither mine nor thine but diuide it Well might Salomon and euery hearer conclude that either shee was no mother or a monster that could be content with the murder of her childe and that if she could haue been the true mother and yet haue desired the blood of her infant shee had been as worthy to bee stript of her childe for so foule vnnaturallnesse as the other had
whiles our hearts are euill The Cruse and the Salt must bee their owne The act must bee his the power Gods He cast the Salt into the spring and said Thus saith the Lord I haue healed these waters there shall not be from thence any more death or barrennesse Farre was it from Elisha to challenge ought to himselfe Before when hee should diuide the waters of Iordan he did not say Where is the power of Elisha but Where is the Lord God of Elijah and now when hee should cure the waters of Iericho hee saies not Thus saies Elisha but thus saith the Lord I haue healed these waters How carefull is the man of God that no part of Gods glory should sticke to his owne fingers Iericho shall know to whom they owe the blessing that they may duely returne the thankes Elisha professes he can doe no more of himselfe then that Salt then that Cruse onely God shall worke by him by it and what euer that almighty hand vndertakes cannot faile yea is already done neither doth he say I will heale but I haue healed Euen so O God if thou cast into the fountaine of our hearts but one Cruse-full of the Salt of thy Spirit we are whole no thought can passe betweene the receit and the remedy As the generall visitor of the Schooles of the Prophets Elisha passeth from Iericho to that other Colledge at Bethel Bethel was a place of strange composition there was at once the golden Calfe of Ieroboam and the Schoole of God True religion and Idolatry found a free harbour within those wals I do not maruell that Gods Prophets would plant there there was the most need of their presence where they found the spring head of corruption Physitians are of most vse where diseases abound As he was going vp by the way there came forth little children out of the City and mocked him and said to him Goe vp thou bald-head Goe vp thou bald-head Euen the very boyes of Bethel haue learned to scoffe at a Prophet The spight of their Idolatrous parents is easily propagated Children are such as their institution Infancy is led altogether by imitation it hath neither words nor actions but infused by others If it haue good or ill language it is but borrowed and the shame or thanke is due to those that lent it What was it that these ill-taught children vpbraided to the Prophet but a sleight naturall defect not worthy the name of a blemish the want of a little haire at the best a comely excrement no part of the body Had there been deformity in that smoothnesse of the head which some great wits haue honoured with praises a faultlesse and remedilesse eye-sore had beene no fit matter for a taunt How small occasions will be taken to disgrace a Prophet If they could haue said ought worse Elisha had not heard of this God had crowned that head with honor which the Bethelitish children loaded with scorne Who would haue thought the rude termes of waggish boyes worthy of any thing but neglect Elisha lookes at them with seuere browes and like the heire of him that cald downe fire vpon the two Captaines and their fifties curses them in the name of the Lord Two shee-Beares out of the wood hasten to bee his executioners and teare two and forty of them in peeces O fearefull example of diuine Iustice This was not the reuenge of an angry Prophet it was the punishment of a righteous Iudge God and his Seer lookt through these children at the Parents at all Israel he would punish the parents mis-nurturing their children to the contemptuous vsage of a Prophet with the death of those children which they had mis-taught Hee would teach Israel what it was to mis-use a Prophet And if hee would not endure these contumelies vnreuenged in the mouthes of children what vengeance was enough for aged persecutors Doubtlesse some of the children escaped to tell the newes of their fellowes what lamentation doe wee thinke there was in the streets of Bethel how did the distressed mothers wring their hands for this woefull orbation And now when they came forth to fetch the remnants of their owne flesh what a sad spectacle it was to finde the fields strawed with those mangled carkasses It is an vnprofitable sorrow that followes a iudgement Had these parents beene as carefull to traine vp their children in good discipline and to correct their disorders as they are now passionate in bemoaning their losse this slaughter had neuer beene In vaine doe we looke for good of those children whose education we haue neglected In vaine do we grieue for those miscariages which our care might haue preuented Elisha knew the successe yet doth he not balke the City of Bethel Doe wee not wonder that the furious impatience of those parents whom the curse of Elisha robbed of their children did not breake forth to some malicious practice against the Prophet Would wee not thinke the Prophet might misdoubt some hard measure from those exasperated Citizens There lay his way hee followes God without feare of men as well knowing that either they durst not or they could not act violence They knew there were Beares in the wood and fires in heauen and if their malice would haue ventured aboue their courage they could haue no more power ouer Elisha in the streets then those hungry beasts had in the way Whither dare not a Prophet go when God cals him Hauing visited the schooles of the Prophets Elisha retires to mount Carmel after some holy solitarinesse returnes to the City of Samaria He can neuer be a profitable Seer that is either alwaies or neuer alone Carmel shall fit him for Samaria contemplation for action That mother City of Israel must needs afford him most worke Yet is the Throne of Ahaziah succeeded by a brother lesse ill then himselfe then the parents of both Ahabs impiety hath not a perfect heire of Iehoram That son of his hates his Baal though he keepes his calues Euen into the most wicked families it pleaseth God to cast his powerfull restraints that all are not equally vicious It is no newes to see lewd men make scruple of some sinnes The world were not to liue in if all sinnes were affected by all It is no thanke to Ahab and Iezebel that their sonne is no Baalite As no good is traduced from parents so not all euill there is an Almighty hand that stops the foule current of nature at his pleasure No Idolater can say that his child shall not be a conuert The affinitie betwixt the houses of Israel and Iuda holds good in succession Iehoram inherits the friendship the aid of Iehoshaphat whose counsell as is most likely had cured him of that Baalisme It was a good warre whereto he solicites the good King of Iudah The King of Moab who had beene an ancient Tributarie from the daies of Dauid falls now from his homage and refuses to pay his hundred thousand Lambes and hundred
we are blest by their protection Who wonders not to heare a Prophet call for a Minstrell in the middest of that mournfull distresse of Israel and Iudah Who would not haue expected his charge of teares and prayers rather then of Musicke How vnreasonable are songs to an heauy heart It was not for their eares it was for his owne bosome that Elisha called for Musicke that his spirits after their zealous agitation might bee sweetly composed and put into a meet temper for receiuing that calme visions of God Perhaps it was some holy Leuite that followed the Campe of Iehoshaphat whose minstrelsie was required for so sacred a purpose None but a quiet brest is capable of diuine Reuelations Nothing is more powerfull to settle a troubled heart then a melodious harmony The Spirit of Prophesie was not the more inuited the Prophets Spirit was the better disposed by pleasing sounds The same God that will reueale his will to the Prophet suggests this demand Bring me a Minstrell How many say thus when they would put God from them Profane mirth wanton musicke debauches the soule and makes no lesse roome for the vncleane spirit then spirituall melody doth for the Diuine No Prophet had euer the Spirit at command The hand of the Minstrell can doe nothing without the hand of the Lord Whiles the Musicke sounds in the eare God speakes to the heart of Elisha Thus saith the Lord Make this valley full of ditches Yee shall not see wind neither shall ye see raine yet that valley shall be full of water c. To see wind and raine in the height of that drought would haue seemed as wonderfull as pleasing but to see abundance of water without wind or raine was yet more miraculous I know not how the fight of the meanes abates our admiration of the effect Where no causes can be found out wee are forced to confesse omnipotency Elijah releeued Israel with water but it was out of the cloudes and those cloudes rose from the sea but vvhence Elisha shall fetch it is not more maruellous then secret All that euening all that night must the faith of Israel and Iudah bee exercised with expectation At the houre of the morning sacrifice no sooner did the blood of that Oblation gush forth then the streames of vvaters gushed forth into their new channells and filled the Countrey with a refreshing moisture Elijah fetcht downe his fire at the houre of the euening sacrifice Elisha fetcht vp his water at the houre of the morning sacrifice God giues respect to his owne houres for the encouragement of our obseruation If his wisdome hath set vs any peculiar times wee cannot keepe them without a blessing The deuotions of all true Iewes all the world ouer were in that houre combined How seasonably doth the wisdome of God picke out that instant wherein hee might at once answer both Elishaes prophesie and his peoples prayers The Prophet hath assured the Kings not of water onely but of victory Moab heares of enemies and is addressed to warre Their owne error shall cut their throats they rise soone enough to beguile themselues the beames of the rising Sunne glistering vpon those vaporous and vnexpected waters caried in the eyes of some Moabites a semblance of blood a few eyes were enough to fill all eares with a false noise the deceiued sense miscaries the imagination This is blood the Kings are surely slaine and they haue smitten one another now therefore Moab to the spoile Ciuill broyles giue iust aduantage to a common enemy Therefore must the Camps be spoiled because the Kings haue smitten each other Those that shall bee deceiued are giuen ouer to credulity The Moabites doe not examine either the conceit or the report but flie in confusedly vpon the Campe of Israel whom they finde too late to haue no enemies but themselues As if death would not haue hastened enough to them they come to fetch it they come to challenge it It seizeth vpon them vnauoidably they are smitten their Cities razed their Lands marred their Wells stopped their trees felled as if God meant to waste them but once No onsets are so furious as the last assaults of the desperate The King of Moab now hopelesse of recouery would bee glad to shut vp with a pleasing reuenge with seuen hundred resolute followers he rushes into the battaile towards the King of Edom as if he would bid death welcome might he but carie with him that despighted neighbour and now mad with the repulse he returnes and whether as angry with his destiny or as barbarously affecting to win his cruell gods with so deare a sacrifice he offers them with his owne hand the blood of his eldest sonne in the sight of Israel and sends him vp in smoake to those hellish Deities O prodigious act whether of rage or of deuotion What an hand hath Satan ouer his miserable vassals What maruell is it to see men sacrifice their soules in an vnfelt oblation to these plausible tempters when their owne flesh and blood hath not beene spared There is no Tyrant to the Prince of darknesse ELISHA with the Shunamite THE holy Prophets vnder the old Testament did not abhorre the mariage bed they did not thinke themselues too pure for an institution of their Maker The distressed widow of one of the sonnes of the Prophets comes to Elisha to bemoane her condition Her husband is dead and dead in debt Death hath no sooner seized on him then her two sonnes the remaining comfort of her life are to be seized on by his creditors for bond-men How thicke did the miseries of this poore afflicted woman light vpon her Her husband is lost her estate clogged with debts her children ready to be taken for slaues Her husband was a religious and worthy man hee paid his debts to Nature he could not to his Creditors they are cruell and rake in the scarce-closed wound of her sorrow passing an arrest worse then death vpon her sonnes Widow-hood pouertie seruitude haue conspired to make her perfitly miserable Vertue and goodnesse can pay no debts The holiest man may be deepe in arerages and breake the banke Not through lauishnesse and riot of expence Religion teaches vs to moderate our hands to spend within the proportion of our estate but through either iniquitie of times or euill casualties Ahab and Iezebel were lately in the Throne who can maruell that a Prophet was in debt It was well that any good man might haue his breath free though his estate were not wilfully to ouer-lash our ability cannot stand with wisedome and good gouernment but no prouidence can guard vs from crosses Holinesse is no more defence against debt then against death Grace can keepe vs from vnthriftinesse not from want Whither doth the Prophets widow come to bewaile her case but to Elisha Euery one would not be sensible of her affliction or if they would pity yet could not releeue her Elisha could doe both Into his eare doth hee vnload her
not distracted with an accident so sudden so sorrowfull she layes her dead childe vpon the Prophets bed shee lockes the doore shee hides her griefe lest that consternation might hinder her designe she hastens to her husband and as not daring to bee other then officious in so distresse-full an occasion acquaints him with her iourney though not with the cause requires of him both attendance and conueyance shee posts to mount Carmel shee cannot so soone finde out the man of God as hee hath found her He sees her afarre off and like a thankfull guest sends his seruant hastily to meet her to inquire of the health of her selfe her husband her childe Her errand was not to Gehezi it was to Elisha no messenger shall interrupt her no eare shall receiue her complaint but the Prophets Downe shee fals passionately at his feet and forgetting the fashion of her bashfull strangenesse layes hold of them whether in an humble veneration of his person or in a feruent desire of satisfaction Gehezi who well knew how vncouth how vnfit this gesture of salutation was for his master offers to remoue her and admonisheth her of her distance The mercifull Prophet easily apprehends that no ordinary occasion could so transport a graue and well-gouerned matrone as therefore pittying her vnknowne passion hee bids Let her alone for her soule is vexed within her and the Lord hath hid it from mee and hath not told mee If extremitie of griefe haue made her vnmannerly wise and holy Elisha knowes how to pardon it Hee dares not adde sorrow to the afflicted hee can better beare an vnseemelinesse in her greeting then cruelty in her molestation Great was the familiaritie that the Prophet had with his God and as friends are wont mutually to impart their counsels to each other so had the Lord done to him Elisha was not idle on mount Carmel What was it that he saw not from thence Not heauen onely but the world was before him yet the Shunamites losse is concealed from him neither doth he shame to confesse it Oft-times those that know greater matters may yet bee ignorant of the lesse It is no disparagement to any finite creature not to know something By her mouth will God tell the Prophet what by vision hee had not Then she said Did I desire a sonne of my Lord Did I not say doe not deceiue me Deepe sorrow is sparing of words The expostulation could not be more short more quicke more pithy Had I begged a son perhaps my importunity might haue been yeelded to in anger Too much desire is iustly punished with losse It is no maruell if what we wring from God prosper not This fauour to mee was of thine owne motion Thy suit O Elisha made me a mother Couldst thou intend to torment me with a blessing How much more easie had the want of a sonne been then the mis-cariage Barrennesse then orbation Was there no other end of my hauing a son then that I might lose him O man of God let mee not complaine of a cruel kindnesse thy prayers gaue me a son let thy prayers restore him let not my dutifull respects to thee bee repaid with an aggrauation of misery giue not thine hand-maid cause to wish that I were but so vnhapy as thou foundest me Oh wofull fruitfulnesse if I must now say that I had a sonne I know not whether the mother or the Prophet were more afflicted the Prophet for the mothers sake or the mother for her owne Not a word of reply doe wee heare from the mouth of Elisha his breath is onely spent in the remedy Hee sends his seruant with all speed to lay his staffe vpon the face of the childe charging him to auoyd all the delayes of the way Had not the Prophet supposed that staffe of his able to beat away death why did hee send it and if vpon that supposition hee sent it how was it that it failed of effect was this act done out of humane conceit not out of instinct from God Or did the want of the mothers faith hinder the successe of that cure She not regarding the staffe or the man holds fast to Elisha No hopes of his message can loose her fingers As the Lord liueth and as thy soule liueth I will not leaue thee She imagined that the seruant the staffe might bee seuered from Elisha she knew that where euer the Prophet was there was power It is good relying vpon those helpes that cannot faile vs. Merit and importunity haue drawne Elisha from Carmel to Shunem Hee findes his lodging taken vp by that pale carkeise hee shuts his doore and fals to his prayers this staffe of his what euer became of the other was long enough hee knew to reach vp to Heauen to knocke at those gates yea to wrench them open Hee applies his body to those cold and senselesse limbs By the feruour of his soule hee reduces that soule by the heat of his body he educeth warmth out of that corps The childe neeseth seuen times as if his spirit had beene but hid for the time not departed it fals to worke a fresh the eyes looke vp the lippes and hands moue The mother is called in to receiue a new life in her twice-giuen sonne she comes in full of ioy full of wonder and bowes her selfe to the ground and fals downe before those feet which shee had so boldly layd hold of in Carmel Oh strong faith of the Shunamite that could not be discouraged with the seizure and continuance of death raising vp her heart still to an expectation of that life which to the eyes of nature had beene impossible irreuocable Oh infinite goodnesse of the Almightie that would not suffer such faith to be frustrate that would rather reuerse the lawes of nature in returning a guest from heauen and raising a corps from death then the confidence of a beleeuing heart should be disappointed How true an heire is Elisha of his master not in his graces onely but in his actions Both of them diuided the waters of Iordan the one as his last act the other as his first Elijahs curse was the death of the Captaines and their troupes Elishaes curse was the death of the children Elijah rebuked Ahab to his face Elisha Iehoram Elijah supplied the drought of Israel by raine from heauen Elisha supplied the drought of the three Kings by waters gushing out of the earth Elijah increased the oyle of the Sareptan Elisha increased the oyle of the Prophets widow Elijah raised from death the Sareptans son Elisha the Shunamites Both of them had one mantle one spirit both of them climbed vp one Carmel one heauen ELISHA with NAAMAN OF the full showers of grace which fell vpon Israel and Iudah yet some drops did light vpon their neighbours If Israel bee the worse for her neerenesse to Syria Syria is the better for the vicinity of Israel Amongst the worst of Gods enemies some are singled out for mercy Naaman was a great
in the lawfull reformation of a Church 558 Contemplation a discourse of the study of it 341 Contemplation of the creation of the World 809 Of Man 812 Of Paradise 815 Of Cain and Abel 817 Of the Deluge 819 Of Noah 827 Of Babel 829 c. Content an inducement to contentment in want 3 A reason to be so 4 Earth yeelds no contentment 12 How to prouoke a mans selfe to contentation 28 What brings contentment in earthly things 58 Pretty enducements to bee content with our present estates 95 96. None liue so ill but that they content themselues in somewhat 136 Contentation a rare blessing 886 It oft fals out that those times which promise most content proue most dolefull in the issue 993 Contention a right behauiour in contention 10 Contention what it doth 219 Continencie what with its contraries 225 Conuersation of hauing it in the world 603 Conuert of his welcome home 965 Corah his conspiracy 919 Corruption the best thing corrupted is worst 147 Cost the Israelites cost to a calfe shall iudge vs in our want of it for true Religion 901 Councellor and counsell for soule and state 231 What is required in a Councellor ibid. It is sign of a desperate cause when once we seek to make Satan our counsellor 931 Counsell good and ill whereto compared 1145 Countenance dishonesty growes bold when it is countenanced by greatnesse 1138 Courtier sixe qualities of a Courtier 233 Two mischiefes of the Court Flatterie and Trecherie 280 The description of a good faithfull Courtier 331 Couetousnesse hath a great resemblance with Drunkennesse 8 A base thing to get goods onely to keepe them 24 25. The couetous like a spider 55 The couetous character 193 The couetous described 221 The couetous restlesse 933 934 Creation of our contemplation therein 809 The head of our creation is Heauen 811 The wonderfulnesse of it seene in man 813 Creatures how they al fight for God 531 872 c. 929 How obseruant they are to him that made them 949 950 The power of nourishment is not in the creature but in the Maker 996 God would rather haue his creatures perish any way then to serue for the vse of the wicked 1003 There is a speciall prouideÌ„ce in their motion 1049 Creed the confession of the same creed is not sufficient with Rome for peace 637 Credulitie it is the daughter of Folly 1102 Crosses of them 80 of such as arise from conceit and of true and reall crosses 80 81 Remedies of crosses before they come 81 And when they are come 83 against sorrow for worldly crosses 309 Crucifie excellent things of our crucifying Christ a new 431 432 Crueltie it is commonly ioyned with error 564 God will call vs to account for our cruelty against dumbe beasts 935 sudden cruelty stands not with religion 969 Yet sometimes a vertue 996 It is no thanks to themselues that wicked men cannot bee cruell 1003 The mercies of God in turning the cruelty of the wicked to the aduantage of the godly 1004 Insultation in the rigour of Iustice argueth cruelty 1020 Curious A censure of the curious in diet and apparell that are negligent or indifferent in Gods businesse 1110 Curse a causelesse curse whom it hurts 1009 Of Shemei his curse 1231 Custome It shall bee no plea for sinne or errour 38 Custome in sinne will so flesh vs as to deny or forsweare any thing 1009 D DAnger there should wee bend our greatest care where we finde our greatest danger 1193 Dancing allowed described and censured 677 In a case disallowed 1021 Dauid his choice or Election 1076 Called to the Court. 1079 Of him and Goliah 1080 Dauids reproach by his brother 1081 His preparation to the Combate 1084 An excellent vse of it ibid. His deliuerance out at a window 1089 Of Samuels harbouring him 1090 Of Dauid and Abimetech 1091 A notable demonstration of his royaltie 1101 A description of Dauids and his peoples perplexitie 1113 Dauid a type of Christ in his warres ibid. His too much credulitie 1133 Dauid a spectacle of infirmitie 1137 What in warre and what in peace 1137 An expostulation with Dauid about his sinne 1138 Of Dauid and Nathan 1141 His confession 1142 Obseruations of Dauids childs death 1143 Dauid is not more sure of forgiuenesse then of smart 1144 The relation of his particular pay ibid. His cariage in Shemeies curse 1232 His patience drawes on his impudencie 1233 Of his numbring the people 1246 His admirable charity 1249 His honour in welcoming the Prophets 1257 Dauids end 1258 Day That al daies are Gods but some more specially 441 442 Holy dayes how obserued in the Church of England 589 Death It hath three messengers p. 4 The wicked therein hath three terrible spectacles 7 Its desire how lawfull â—5 Mans vnwillingnesse to die 53 To bee vnwilling is signe of being in a bad case 61 Of the importunitie and terrour of death 84 The grounds of the feare of death 85 The remedy of the last and greatest breach of peace arising from death 86 A meditation of death 126 Of that Epicurean resolution Let vs eate and drinke for c. 1 Cor. 15.32 139 140 What resolutenesse doth to death 148 An Epistle against the feare of death 291 Of immoderate mourning for the dead 307 A discourse of due preparation for death and the meanes to sweeten it 317 An effectuall preparation of a murtherer to his death 379 Sweet comforts in the meditation of Christs death 434 A pretty item in mourning for the dead 913 Euery circumstance of our dissolutioÌ„ is determined 939 The difference of a godly and wicked mans death ibid. How God forewarnes vs of death 940 Dead bodies are not lost but laid vp 942 T is iust with God that hee that liues without grace should dye without comfort 1105 Death is not partiall 1116 Deceit Its kinds and iudgements 218 219 The hearts deceit in its faculties and affections largely described 504 c. A pretty description of deceiuing others 506 and of the deuils deceit ibid. Described by its effects 507 Oh the deceit of sinne 1140 Decree It is in vaine to striue against Gods decree when we know it 1057 Delay An argument not to delay our repentance till the last day 63 Delay dangerous 948 Desire A man besotted with euill desires is made fit for any villany 937 Where God sees feruent desire he stayes not for words 977 Despaire Then it no greater wrong to God p. 35 Excellent examples against it 946 To what mad shifts men are driuen to in despaire 1210 Detraction or detractor our behauiour with or against such p. 2 A sweet resolution against detraction 3 Deuill He â—ill we haue sinned is a Parasite but when wee haue sinned he is a Tyrant 1112 Hee is no lesse vigilant then malicious 1103 The dumbe deuill eiected 1285 Sinne giues him possession 1286 There is the deuill most tyrannous where hee is most obeyed 1293 There is no time wherein the deuill is not
tormented 1298 Euer doing mischiefe 1302 And delights in it 1303 Deuotion Of the deceit of deferring our deuotions on conceit of present vnfitnesse and its euill effect 29 An excellent meanes to stirre vs to deuotion 138 A direction how to conceiue of God in our deuotions and meditations 347 Of the Pharisees and Papists deuotion how farre exceeding ours 411 Miserable is the deuotion that troubleth vs in the performance 993 The morning fittest for deuotion 1044 Superstition is deuotions ape 1047 A good heart is easily wonne to deuotion 1052 Deuotion so attended as not to neglect our particular calling 1186 Difference No difference betweene seruants friends and sonnes with God 50 Diligence What and how profitable 222 Discretion In a good action how good 6. What it is and what it worketh 212 A good guide for zeale 968 Discontent Its Character 190 Discontented humor seldome scapes vnpunished 930 Discourse It is but the froth of wisedome 1271 Dishonestie It growes bold when it is countenanced by greatnesse 1139 Dissembler Of dissimulation foure kinds 218 Its craft 932 Dissimulation how clad 958 One degree of dissimulation drawes on another 1109 Dissention An excellent rule for our cariage in the dissentions of the Church 29 The cause of dissentions with the deuils ioy at them should make vs to cease from them 56 Dissention in Religion an insufficient motiue of vnsetlednesse in it 324 An earnest disswasion from dissention 413 414 Oh the miserie of ciuill dissention 1120 Dissolution Pretty things of it by way of comparison 464 465 Not to hasten our dissolution 968 Distrust It makes our dangers greater 917 Diuorce Concerning matter of diuorce in case of apparent adultery with aduice to the innocent party in that behalfe 328 Doctrine This and exhortation must goe together 54 Doubt Of the minde that neuer doubts and that euer doubts 1270 Dreames Of what vse of old and also euen now 50 Drunkennesse Its resemblance with Couetousnesse 8 Of Noahs drunkennesse 827 828 Drunkennesse the way to all beastiall affections 837 A drunkards stile 1030 A beast or a stone is as capable of instruction as a drunkard 1105 A drunkard may be any thing saue good 1140 Duell The first challenge of Duell whence 1081 The censure of Duels 1120 Dulnesse Remedies against dulnesse in our calling 375 E EArnestnesse What it doth in prayer 10 Earth It yeelds no content 12 A pretty vse of that that wee are earth 68 The earth is made onely for action not for fruition 939 Ease Good things seldome gotten with ease 5 Of enduring a false worship with ease 1011 Youth and ease let loose their appetites 1145 Education A complaint of the mis education of our Gentry 393 What education workes 867 Parents should haue both of them a like care of their childrens education 996 Education hath no lesse power to corrupt theÌ„ nature 1327 Egypt Its plagues 872 Eglon His reuerence in receiuing a message from God 972 Ehud and Eglon. 970 Elegance what without foundnesse 10 Elijah with the widow of Sarepta 1330 Of his tempestuous coÌ„ming in to Ahab ibid. Of his being fed by the Rauens 1331 His deeds with the Baalites 1335 His Heroicall spirit 1336 Of his running before Ahab flying from Iezebel 1340 His cordiall in his iourney 1344 Hee is reuenged on Ahab 1364. His rapture 1368 The happinesse of Elisha in attending him ibid. Elisha his happinesse in attending Elijah 1368 What he cared for 1370 He s aw his masters departure 1371 His healing the waters 1378 Cursing the children 1374 Releeuing the Kings 1374 Of his being with the Shunamite 1378 Of him and Naaman 1383 His raising the Iron blinding the Assyrians 1390 Elizabeth that Queene praised and of whom enuied in life and scorned after death 479 Ely of him and Hanaah 1030 His zealous breach of charitie ibid. Of him and his sons 1032 Wee read of no other fault that he had but indulgence 1034 His admirable faith 1035 Embassadors their names sacred 1135 Emptinesse as in nature so spiritually there ought to be no emptinesse 1 End Satans assaults are sorest at our end 63 The liues of most are mis-spent onely for want of a certaine end of their actions 147 The end commonly answerable to the way 1116 Enemie wee are so to God actiuely and passiuely 529 A good vse to be made of an enemy 868 If God be our enemy we shall bee sure of enemies enough 971 Euen all the creatures 531 872 and 929 A fearfull thing to bee at the mercy of an enemy 1351 Enterprises the vndertaking of great enterprises had need both of wisedome and courage 973 Enuie vide Malice a proud man is alwayes enuious euen to all 52 Enuy a sinne punishment 55 The enuious character 198 Its kinds and effects 219 Enuie curious 914 Enuie in a malicious man once conceiued what it brings forth 1029 Enuie is blind to all obiects saue to other mens happinesse 1087 An enuious brest a fit lodging for the euill spirit ibid. An example of enuies casting off shame 1088 Enuy like the Iaundies 1089 Error is coÌ„monly ioyned with cruelty 564 The false patrons for new errors compared to the Gibeonites 958 Esau â—e Contemplation on Esau and Iacob 843 Esteeme Two things make a man esteemed 5 Euill an euill man described 12 Not to bee euill when there are prouocations thereto is commendable 65 In euill how ready the deuill is to set vs forward 140 The not doing of euill is requited with good 865 The infection of euil is much worse then the act 920 Whether wee may doe euill that good may come therof 946 Euery Christian the better for his euils 1000 If we bee not as ready to suffer euill as to doe good wee are not fit for the consecration of God 1004 The abetting of euill is worse then the committing it 1019 It is one of the greatest praises of Gods goodnesse that hee can turne the euill of men to his owne glory 1055 Examples as the sins of great men are exemplary so are their punishments 937 Where the examples of the weake serue 1103 Exceptions there was neuer any of whom some tooke not exceptions 1058 Excellency Twelue things that are excellent to behold 136 Excesse it is neuer good but commonly with admirable faculties there are great infirmities 61 Excesse a great argument of folly 1105 Excuse none for sin 911 912. Exhortation Doctrine and exhortation must goe together 54 Expectation what it doth in a resolued mind 3 Extremity sudden extremity is a notable triall of faith 15 884 Extremitye distinguisheth friends 25 Nature is too subiect to extremities He that hath found God present in one extremity may trust him in the next 1081 Extremity of distresse will send the prophanest to God 1109 1110 Eye A faithfull man hath three eyes 1 Of Sense 2 Of Reason 3 Of Faith 34 How it betrayes the heart c. 956 Hee can neuer keepe couenant with God that cannot keepe his eyes 1138 How temptation is let