strange affectioned wife or friend who can bee well content the one to maintaine her husbands credit the other his friends estimation and both embrace his profitable counsels and performe his pleasure because either their owne dignity and good is continued or distaste and disquiet preuented but can least endure that childe in whom appeares most the fathers image or that friend who is most respected and therefore that soule whose loue is wholly fixed vpon the Lord will loue his Church which is his vineyard planted by his owne right hand garded by his Angels guided by his wisdome the flourishing whereof he greatly affecteth and they who loue him are delighted in it whether ioyntly or seuerally considered In euery particular member of it loue wee the graces that appeare in them loue we them for the graces which are signes and testimonies of Gods fauour towards them We can haue no better testimony no better token of our loue to God no surer marke of our saluation for if we loue him who by his eternall spirit did beget them to be heires of glory 1 John 3.14 we cannot but loue them who are begotten and are children of grace a signe not to bee neglected for hereby wee know that we are translated from death to life because we loue the brethren 5.13 Is thy affection rather lessened then encreased to a Christian because he is a Christian Matth. 10. Doth his loue to the word his delight in good workes his distaste of wickednesse imbitter thy minde against him Can he loue the father who loathes the dutifulnesse of the sonne or honour the Soueraigne who harbours dislike of the subiects loyaltie Christ will proclaime against them howsoeuer they soothe now themselues at that great day in that they loued not his little ones Mat. 10.42 they had no delight in him For the Church ioyntly is it ioy to thy soule to heare improue the prosperity of it to perceiue and procure the propagation of the Gospell in it And dost thou with Paul in the midst of thy bonds and imprisonments for ioy forget the sorrowes of thy afflictions at the report of Christ and his Gospels proceeding then art thou with the Lord alike affectioned Contrarily art thou with Nehemiah for thy outward state without all cause of sorrowing liuing in soft rayment and faring deliciously in Artaxerxes Court yet art in countenance sad art thou not sicke yet weepes and mournes when thou hearest of the distresse of Ierusalem or with Vriah wilt thou lodge with the kings seruants and not goe downe to thine owne house because the Arke of the Lord is in hazard Art thou strooke as the wife of Phinees with sorrow with a deadly sorrow hearing the glory to bee departed from Israel Dost thou in a word Preferre Ierusalem to thy chiefest ioy The Lord will not forget thy loue when he will neglect those who are so glued to the profits and pleasures of this life that so they may haue the flesh-pots of Aegypt and the plenty of Sodome care not which way Religion goeth harken lesse to the well-fare of the Church then to those things which are done in a strange Land They solemnise the feasts of Bacchus as the greatest godhead present their offrings and enrich the Altar of Aesculapius as a Diety They honour Pluto as a diuine power and so they may liue in any aire can turne to any Religion neither meditating on Gods mercy which would moue a desire in them to delight in and be affected with what he loueth nor pondering his Iustice which would beget a feare of his Maiesty as it did the Prophet Dauid as of himselfe he testifieth My flesh trembleth for feare of thee Psal 119.120 and I am afraid of thy iudgements Doth Dauid deepely interested in the Lords euerlalasting loue by Couenant neuer to bee cancelled tremble and are we loded with sinne lulled in the Cradle of stupidity Is he a man after Gods owne heart afraid of his iudgements and are not we branded with impiety abashed at the contemplation and sight of his Iustice Oh feare the Lord all yee his Saints for your soules obseruing Iustice become the banquetting house of the blessed Trinity Get the feare of the Lord it is a faithfull Porter Your soules are either already sicke or subiect to diseases seeke for the feare of the Lord it is a skilfull Physician Your soules are as Ships in danger to be tossed in tempestuous seas be fastned to the feare of the Lord it is an assured Anchor Haue you entertained disloyall thoughts or attempted any rebellious enterprise and are afraid to approach the Throne of grace to pleade your pardon Call for the feare of God it is a powerfull Aduocate Are you trauelling in the Wildernesse of this world replenished with many by-paths doubtfull which way to take Take for your companion the feare of the Lord it is a faithfull Counsellour Are you enuironed in the midst of many enemies guard you with the feare of the Lord it is a carefull Centinell Haue you entred the danger of the battell fight vnder the banner of the feare of the Lord it is a couragious Captaine It is a faithfull Porter not admitting any rebellious suggestion nor though entertaining vnawares suffring to abide any heauen-distasting motion in the soule the Lords Palace for if Ioseph be tempted this either diuerts the attempt repels the assault and makes him cry out How can I do this and offend my God Gen. 33.9 or else subuerts the plot and expels the act rather leauing the loosenesse of the thoughts then loading the conscience with the weight of sinne rather enduring the losse of a ragged motion then to defile the mansion of a heauenly mind yet sets open wide open the doore of the heart to euery guest wherein the Lord delighteth kindly entertaining euery grace which hee affecteth cheerefully welcomming euery good thing the presence whereof he desireth Is mercy and compassion more pleasing then sacrifice Hos 6.6 Neb. 5.1.5 Iob. 6.14 The feare of the Lord first inuites it 2. Chron. 19.9 Is singlenesse of heart the delight of God the desire of man The feare of God admits it Psal 187.11 Is waiting vpon the Lords mercy and depending on his pleasure expected by him respected of him The feare of the Lord brings it in his hand to the banquet By him who feareth the Lord Col. 3.22 Obedience is as readily saluted as the sun-shine day after showers in the time of Haruest Repentance as louingly embraced as the prodigall Sonne by the commiserating father Pro. 1.7 Psal 112.1 Instructions as ioyfully receiued as Christ by Zacheus Thus is it a faithfull Porter It is no lesse a skilfull Physician Eeclus 1.26 either purging corrupt humors and restoring health or preuenting sicknesse and preseruing life It purgeth corruption not suffring sinne to nestle it selfe in the soule or iniquity to lodge as a guest in the heart but speaking to it as the Lord
ΠΟΛΕΩΣ-ÎΑΩ-ΔΑΦÎΗ Londons Laurell OR A BRANCH OF THE GRAFT OF GRATITVDE First budded in the TEMPLE and now begun to blossome VPON DAVIDS THANKFVLNES TO THE LORD FOR a Cities kindnesse By EDW. DALTON one of the Lecturers in the Cathedrall Church of S. PAVLS London D. Chrysost super Matth. homil 25. Optima beneficiorum custos est ipsa memoria beneficiorum perpetua confessio gratiarum Senec. lib. de benef Gratum hominem semper beneficium delectat ingratum semel LONDON Printed by IOHN HAVILAND M.DC.XXIII TO THE RIGHT HONOVRABLE SIR PETER PROBY KNIGHT Lord MAIOR the Right Worshipfull and Worshipfull the Sheriffes Aldermen Companies and Citizens of the Honourable Citie of London Grace and Glorie Right Honourable right Worshipfull and Worshipfull AS the case stands with a man and the parts of his body so it may fall out with a Citie and the members of it one part is the principall in the Act and another in that renowne which redoundeth from that Act yet the man himselfe as is due beareth away the glory of the deserued praise The hand by the Mercurialists Penne or Martiall Pike sets a wreath as the embleme of worthinesse vpon the head only yet blazeth the Fame of the whole man A worthy Gouernour among you my much respected friend whose name when euery BRANCH shall beare a particular name another BRANCH if God permit shall mention as it is not vnknowne not onely himselfe shewed me a fauour but tooke order with his successor in his place that that storme which did threaten my ruine should not with that violence which was intended fall vpon me if a chearing calme should not come betweene which by Gods prouidence and his meanes came to passe Sensible yet of that fauor and other curtesies which I haue receiued from and perceiued in diuers of you in the good intentions of some endeuours of other wel-wishing of many I haue aduentured to present to your eies part of that which sometime sounded in some of your eares as they especially can witnesse who were the Lords instruments to manifest his care in preuenting the violent course of some who would haue wrongfully enthralled my freedome and damned vp the streames of my iust and legall proceedings yet so as my thankfulnesse is made knowne vnder the name of your honourable citie my Text casting a fauourable countenance that way and referreth its entertainement to your kindnesses Now goe on right worthy as the Lord shall minister occasion and your seuerall places call for in Christian and charitable actions for such haue carried your cities and predecessors fame beyond the Ocean and assuredly God himselfe will not forget though those who haue felt the benefit should be which God forbid vnmindfull of your works of either pietie or pittie for my selfe my tongue and penne shall not cease to afford you moe dishes of fruit as Testimonies of my gratefull heart if the Lord be pleased to prosper my endeuours about the roote of this GRAFT In the meane season I shall not cease by my prayers to labour to draw from the fountaine of all goodnesse all needfull blessings for your whole city and all in it from the highest Cedar to the lowest Shrub and euer rest Yours and the Churches denoted Seruant EDVV. DALTON To the Right Honourable SIR IVLIVS CAESAR Knight Master of the Rolles and Sir EDWARD COKE Knight both of his Maiesties most honourable Priuie Councell Sir HENRY HOBART Knight and Baronet Lord chiefe Iustice of his Maiesties right honourable Court of Common Pleas and Sir LAVRENCE TANFEILD Knight Lord chiefe Baron of his Maiesties right honourable Court of Exchequer and the right worshipfull his Maiesties Iustices and Barons of the same COVRTS AS ALSO To the honourable Societies the right worshipfull and worshipfull the Master Benchers Counsellors Barristers Gentlemen Students and members of either Temple Mercy truth righteousnesse and peace Right Honourable Honourable and truly Worthy YOu who haue in an aspectuall either Trine or Sextile radiation vouchsafed Your auspicious influences and some directly other collaterally all of you fauourably beheld me mitigated with your gentler aspects the malice of my opposite Planets in this inferiour Orbe hindered by Your beneuolent powers the maleuolent motions of some irregular Starres in our earthly Globe and in processe of time the reuolution of heauen so bringing it about as your seuerall places and my seuerall proceedings required met almost in the same degree though carried in your distant Spheres to the clayming through your concurrences of the denomination of a Coniunction for my good may as iustly as ioyntly as ioyntly as iustly both iustly and ioyntly challenge the publication of those effects which your worths out of good will produced and my weakenesse in way of gratefulnesse was is or shall be enabled to make knowne To you therefore doe I dedicate this first BRANCH OF my GRAFT OF GRATITVDE which hitherto hath not appeared lacking the life-giuing Rayes of one or other Luminary yet now at last through a happier constellation buds and begins to blossome in open view vnder your Patronages whose beames of kinde acceptance if I shall perceiue Sunne-like to reflexe vpon it I shall be animated to gather together those Siens which lie dispersed in my nurserie to adapt and in seasonable time to inoculate them into one Stocke to digge about the root of this GRAFT and so to prune euery BRANCH of it that it may answer the aime of my now attempt in yeelding some fruit wherewith the Lords name the Author of all grace may be magnified Your names who are and haue beene the instruments of much good as with LAWRELL were honoured the heads of the well-deseruing with condigne fame according to your deserts for patterne sake an end of my present endeuours diuulged mine owne thankefulnesse who haue bin in some sort the passiue subiect of aduerse might obiect of affected malice to God and man the instant wishing of my soule expressed the meanest of the Tribe of Leui in their places rights persons disesteemed wronged contemned so much as either Hypocrisie irreligion error or superstition can preuaile notwithstanding all iniurious disgraces and disgracefull iniuries in our heauen-respected calling as my heart hopeth incouraged and all men lesse or more which the Lord now and alway vouchsafe some way bettered Till when and euer that your LOVE and FEARE may so be fixed vpon the Lords MERCIE and JVSTICE the onely blossomes which as yet this BRANCH doth beare and all your affections so ordered and so disposed by God himselfe to goodnesse that you neuer either want the sensible feeling of sauing Grace or goe without the full fruition of eternall Glory hee praieth who is till death Yours and the Churches deuoted Seruant Edw. Dalton The Text analysed Analogically three parts according to the courts of Salomons Temple 1 Pet. 1.12 1. For all Hee 2. For the Priests Shewed 3. For the High Priest where were the Heb. 9.3 4. 1. Arke or mercy-seat 1. Kindnesse 2.
them who are as yet rebellious deluing and digging about Luc. 13.8 dunging pruining of those trees which as yet are fruitlesse presenting himselfe to them in loue who absent themselues from him in disloyalty intreating and wooing them whom as a father his sonnes he might command as a Soueraigne his subiects he might inioine or a Lord his vassals he might compell they cannot towards them not behold him mercifull before their conuersion Note now the Echo of my accent in resounding his mercy and iustice in the very moment of his childrens change then he lets them see themselues plunged in the deuouring sea of their sinnes fettered in the Giues of their transgressions seruants to the rigour of the Law subiect to eternall death and slaues to the vnsatiable tyranny of Satan which being seene with feare is felt with sorrow for hereby their consciences do awake awakening accuse accusing arraigne conuict condemne them of vnkindnesse to so good of rebellion to so great a God then their hearts boile with throbs the sire of remorse is kindled in their soules and the flames breake out at their mouthes or at least is signified to be there by their sighs for either the tongue or the heart in the tongues silence cryeth out with the leprous I am vncleane Len. 13.45 I am vncleane and with the Apostle Paul Rom. 7.20 Wretched man that I am who shall deliuer me from the body of this death Thus hee appeares vnto them in the shape of a terrible Lion but lest they bee circumuented or too much endangered hee presently binds vp these wounds stops and staies these dangerous issues tendreth them a plaister compacted of his owne mercies and his Sonnes merits a salue compounded of his bounty and their Sauiours bloud and withall so inlightneth their vnderstanding that they looking vpon his good pleasure apprehend a possibility of their pardon he appeares in the meeknesse of a lambe In that therefore hee brings them by the mouth of Hell to the gates of Heauen causing them to condemne themselues lest they should bee condemned with the world 1 Cor. 11.31 then offring them the meanes of their amendment the occasion of their better change when hee might iustly leaue them in their misery and passe by them weltring in their polluted bloud then reuealing to them his grace Ezech. 16.6 when hee might righteously conceale from them his goodnesse then presenting them with a pardon when hee might duly inflict vpon them punishment yet so as first the horrour of their sinnes must seise vpon their soules and the hainousnesse of their iniquities set vpon their consciences that deepe impression of their deserts which afterward can bee defaced by no power but his owne spirit hee is iust and mercifull mercifull and iust to the good in the very instant of their change neither is hee otherwise after their change and in the continuance of their conuersion For sinners hating their apparant holinesse and Satan enuying their prepared happinesse assault the Fortresse of their faith batter the Castle of their confidence vndermine the Bulwarkes of their obedience and deface the Towers of their conuersation all which being built and semented with the rubbish of old corruption admit many breaches the Lust of the flesh 1 Iohn 2.16 the lust of the eyes and the pride of life carnall pleasures coueted profits enchanting vanities are as deceiuing baites whereon their flesh as the little fish too often greedily feedeth and their corruption as Tinder with these sparkes of Hell are set on fire and thus becomming sinners they suffer being to corruption affected with crosses they are afflicted and tainted with pollution are touched with punishment There is the Lords iustice Yet in that they are infested lest they should be more infected in that their miseries are mixt with ioyes and moderated according to what they are able to beare in that their suffrings are seasoned with heauens salt and salued with an happy successe they either taken from their trials or their tribulation remoued from them in that grace in the midst of misery is preserued in them and glory notwithstanding all calamity is reserued for them is manifest his mercy Doe then the good after their conuersion feele outward sorrow when they perceiue inward solace and are they perplexed with outward crosses as well as replenished with inward comforts though they be euer seized of many graces doe they yet suffer many grieuances and is not the Lord euen to them iust and mercifull iust he is not freeing corruption from calamity mercifull he is not leauing tribulation in perplexity Thus it is demonstrated by his works of mercy and iustice whether we looke on the place where or the persons on whom they are executed that the Lord as well beares a knife to cut as brings a salue to cure and hath as well a heart to raise vp as a hand to cast downe Let vs now attempt to confirme the same by reason taken from those absurdities which must be granted if this bee denied whether wee consider him our selues or others In him his attributes or his office are disparaged The Attributes which should adde oyle to this Lampe and make the light of this truth shine more cleerely are his liberty his omnipotency his verity but his liberty is abridged his omnipotency obscured his verity falsified if either the mercy or the iustice of the Lord bee excluded his liberty is abridged For if wee say he is all mercy how is not his word controlled his will violently carried against it selfe with the inundations of the sinnes of men which not only in this world he must necessarily be content to winke at but also in the world to come willingly entertaine If he be all mercy those who are knowne to him to be branded in conscience to the Deuils to be marked in conuersation with the curse of hel must by him be acknowledged to haue right to and be made partakers of the blisse of Heauen On the contrary side if he be all Iustice how is not the same will of his enforced to leaue those hopelesse for whom hee had purposed to whom he hath promised happinesse If he had beene all Iustice he had left in the pawes of Satan that roaring deuouring Lion those who are redeemed by the precious bloud of his Sonne that immaculate Lambe Ioh. 3.8 The winde bloweth where it listeth and the winds Creator worketh as him liketh doing as saies the Prophet Dauid what pleaseth him in heauen and earth and in the depths which hee could not doe if he were not free Now confessing him to be free wee must acknowledge him to bee both iust and mercifull or else his liberty is abridged and besides a Cloud is cast ouer his power his Omnipotency is obscured seeing he must either suffer what he would not or not doe what he should Lib. 5. de ciu Dei cap. 10. Now Dicitur omnipotens faciendo quod vult non patiendo quod
obedience Submissiue reuerence Prou. 16.31 for age is a crowne of glory especially if it bee found in the way of righteousnesse a glorious Crowne by others so to be conceiued but howsoeur so it is in it selfe considered to which all respect must be rendred the rendring whereof draweth the affections of all to delight in it It is like faire weather in the height of haruest no lesse comfortable than profitable no lesse profitable than comfortable comfortable to them that receiue it profitable to them that yeeld it both comfortable and profitable to them that see it to them who receiue it it is like the song of the Swanne before her death the warmth of the fire to a cold benummed body sweet words to a departing friend and the vnderpropping to a declining wall For this stirreth vp their fire that lay vnder the dead ashes through age almost extinguished this addeth more oyle to their Lamps so as they shine more comfortably in themselues more brightly to others benefit though welnigh consumed To them that yeeld it it is a lawrell to adorne their heads with honour and a treasure to enrich their hearts with grace purchasing the applause of men and procuring that praise which is of God To them that see it it is the rauishing of their affections with ioy the filling of their minds with pleasure and their mouthes with praise ministring matter either for imitation or instruction Now this leafe of this Rose whose beauty doth so inchant the eie is not presented in true manner without the feare of God as the Lord himselfe will witnes Thou shalt rise vp before the hoary head Leu. 19.32 and honour the person of the old man and dread thy God A silly Ideot may rise vp before the hoary head and yet not consider that grauity is a representation of his Makers wisdome a Heathen wise man may honor the person of the aged and yet not take notice that old age pourtraieth out in a speciall manner the Lords eternity a morall Christian may both rise vp and honour the graue man and in doing thereof meditate that the Lord is onely wise and the ancient of daies and yet faile to performe it in a due manner and therefore hee addeth and dread thy God as if this gaue the other duties their life and lustre and surely this honour giuen in a true and reuerent manner groweth in no garden-plot but onely where the feare of God is planted so as we may know it by the first property of the Rose which is if it feede the sight and breed submissiue reuerence The other property is odore olfactum afficere to delight the smell with the sweetnesse of the sauour in sincere obedience For what is our rising vp before the hoary head if our heart lye groueling What is the honouring of the aged person with our affections if not testified by our actions heart and hand concurring in this honour to our Superiours is as acceptable as Incense vnto God and as the sweetest perfume vnto man the one so highly esteemeth sincere obedience to Superiours that he maketh it by way of motiue a patterne for his peoples practise Ier. 35. Col. 3.22 and by it puts them in minde of their duty towards him with the other it is of such powerfull operation that what paines soeuer they take for those of whom they are ouerseers Heb. 13.17 the same is turned to pleasure and they are glad when they can promoue their good Such is the property of this Rose but can it be plucked in euery hedge or found in euery field ah no it is of Heauens sowing and is not to be had saue in that heart nor seene saue in that hand which the feare of God directeth When Ioseph propounded a condition to his brethren who knew him not promising life vpon the obseruation of that condition by performing whereof hee in some sort was to become their inferiour because their debter preoccupateth and preuenteth what they might obiect Thou art the chiefe vnder Pharaoh euen as the Lord of the whole Land of Aegypt if one of vs be left as a Prisoner and he miscarry through too much misery who will call thee to account dare accuse thee of cruelty or can cause thee to answer for his life If hee continue aliue though a prisoner till our returne when wee haue brought our youngest brother whose company is our fathers comfort whose health his happinesse and whose death which God preuent will cut the thred of his aged life which God preserue if thou determinest to keepe the one in bonds and bind the other to a like condition let vs complaine thou art Pharaohs eare we shall not be heard let vs pleade thou art Pharaohs mouth our doome shall be harsh let vs vpon the sentence craue pardon and humbly beg a mitigation of the penalty thou art Pharaohs hand and our burthen shall continue heauy Wee haue made thee acquainted with the greatnesse of our pinching famine is it not in thy power to exact one after another till we all be thy seruants or else to withhold thy helpe But how doth Ioseph remoue these mists and cleere their minds of these misconceits What signe could hee hang out that they might know the truth of his heart or what pawne doth hee tender whereby they might cast themselues vpon his trust What earnest doth hee giue to binde that bargaine and assure them of his honest dealing by no better token can mans faith be manifested by no signe his sincerity made more knowne by no pledge his truth more plainely demonstrated for it was his feare of God which he engaged Gen. 42.18 Doe this and liue saith he for I feare God Intimating that whereuer this grace is grafted trust may certainly be reposed and vnblameable dealing assuredly expected The same may be collected from the speech of Iethro giuing aduice to Moses to select some among the people to beare with him the burthen of their affaires for in prescribing the persons which would bee fit to be so emploied he describes their properties to be foure Men of courage Exod. 18.22 fearing God men dealing truly hating couetousnesse Which wee anatomizing may behold the feare of God lying in the midst as the heart in man and though it incline to one side yet from thence issueth life both to that side and euery part beside For if there bee fearing of God the might or malice of man cannot preuent if there be fearing of God neither the glistring of gold nor a bountifull bribe can corrupt for the feare of God begets courage and courage hateth to be captiued by couetousnesse And where courage triumpheth and couetousnesse is hated there dealing truly is harboured wheresoeuer then is the feare of God there true dealing may be found Why did Cornelius chuse a souldier which feared God to attend vpon him Acts 10.2 surely he dreamed of his greater diligence why did the same Cornelius select that souldier