present all other thing necessary for man doe accompany it and follow Our Lord and God therefore who is the onely giuer of wise and perfect counsell doth briefely and shortly knit all these things together in the Gospell and his holy word First Seeke the kingdome of God and the righteousnesse thereof and all other things shall be administred vnto you Mat. 6. Therefore our Lord Iesus said thus to his Disciples Luk. 10. Blessed are your eyes which see the things that you see for I say vnto you that many Kings and Prophets haue desired to see the things which you see and haue not seene them and to heare the things which you heare and haue not heard them Againe Luk. 11. Blessed are they that heare the word of God and keepe it And this one thing aboue all other things is most necessary Mary hath chosen the better part which shall not be taken from her I dare therefore confidently affirme out of the word of God that those Kings shall flourish and inioy a happy estate which doe wholy giue and submit themselues and their kingdomes vnto Iesus Christ the onely begotten Sonne of God who is King of Kings and Lord of Lords acknowledging him to be the most mighty Prince and greatest Monarch of all and themselues to be his seruants and subiects in all their affaires and businesses not following their owne minde and iudgements nor the traditions and lawes of men contrary to the statutes of God nor good intentions hauing no good warrant out of the word of God but in all things submitting themselues vnto Christ the king of the Church and endeuouring to subdue all their people to the lawes of this king and so doing they their people and their kingdomes shall flourish For so the Lord himselfe hath spoken Deut. 17.18 When the King shall sit in the throne of his kingdome and shall set before him the example of this Law in this booke let it be with him and let him reade in it all the dayes of his life Vers 20. And let him not depart from this commandement either to the right hand or to the left that he may prolong his dayes in his kingdome he and his sonnes in the middest of Israel So likewise Deut. 28. from vers 1. vnto the sixt Againe Let not this booke of the Law depart out of thy mouth but meditate in it day and night that thou mayst carefully doe as it is written therein then shalt thou prosper in thy waies and all shall goe well with thee Iosu 1.8 Whereby it appeareth that the felicitie and prosperitie of Kings Princes People and kingdomes doe depend vpon the word of God and haue promises of blessings both in this life and in the life to come And now we will proue it by examples Saul the first King of Israel was so long happy and a conquerour of his enemies as he obeyed the word of God but when he yeelded to his good intentions contrary to Gods word and commandement Samuel said vnto him Thou hast plaid the foole thou hast forsaken the word of the Lord and the Lord hath forsaken thee that thou shouldest not be King of Israel 1 Sam. 15.26 Now how great the misery of Saul was afterward the storie doth euidently declare Dauid succeeded him next in the Kingdome who was most happy in his kingdome But how greatly he esteemed the word of God it may appeare in the booke of the Psalmes especially in the 119. Psalme for from his priuate euils from his euill actions committed against the word of God and from the vnnaturall insurrection of his Son Absolon against him he had learned how great a sinne and how pernicious an euill it was to decline from the word of God Salomon the Sonne of Dauid the most wise and most excellent King of all the world did so long inioy prosperitie and was commended of the Lord as he did reuerently obey the word of God but when he once began to reiect the word of God the Lord by and by said vnto him Because this was in thy heart that thou hast not kept my couenant and my statutes which I haue commanded thee I will rent thy Kingdome from thee and giue it to thy Seruant 1 King 11.11 And this presently came to passe after the death of Salomon The kingdome was rent into two parts ten Tribes followed Ieroboam the Seruant of Salomon and two Tribes onely cleaued to Roboam the Sonne of Salomon who for the contempt of Gods word and following strangers was ouerwhelmed with many euils 2 Chron. 12.5 Therefore Shemaiaeh the Prophet said vnto Roboam and to the Princes of Iudah Thus saith the Lord You haue forsaken me therefore I doe also forsake you leauing you to the hands of Shishacke Likewise Abia the Sonne of Roboam ouercame the armie of Israel though more in number and greater in strength because he trusted in the word of the Lord. 2 Chro. 13.15 So Asa prospered in peace and tranquility forty yeares because he suppressed Idolatry and superstition and restored the sincere religion of God 2 Chro. 14. So Iehosaphat 2 Chron. 17. This is also diligently noted in the liues of the rest of the Kings as in Ioram in Ochosia 4 King 9. In Ioas 2 Chro. 23.24 In Amasia 2 Chro. 25. In Osia 2 Chro. 26. In Iothan 2 Chro. 27. In Achaz ibidem In Ezechiah In Manasses and the rest vntill the carying away into captiuitie both of the house of Israel and of Iuda for so long did they flourish and prosper as they did cleaue to the word of the Lord but when they contemned and forsooke the word of the Lord they fell into great misery and ruine Therefore hence we may collect that the ground foundation and continuance of all happinesse peace and prosperitie of Kings and Kingdomes doth consist in the word of God and the obedience thereunto and on the other side the ruine and confusion of Kings and Kingdomes is in the contempt and forsaking of the word of God And why so because the Lord saith They that honour me I will honour but they that despise me I will despise 1 Sam. 2.30 But leauing these examples which doe abundantly confirme this truth Let vs consider of some moderne and late examples whereof we haue beene eye-witnesses How did God blesse our late noble Queene Elizabeth that againe he might seale the truth of this doctrine to all the world Blessed is that Prince whose God is the Lord. Psal 144.15 How plentifully did God blesse her and her people aboue all Kings and Nations with peace and plenty according to the Prayer in the Psalme for Ierusalem Psal 122. For she and we her people did inioy such peace and such plenty as our forefathers neuer knew nor Chronicles doe record to haue beene in the time of our auncestours in times past Our Land did yeelde abundance of all things which grew at home and forraigne Nations did minister plenty of other commodities growing abroad So that
wee behold the common Swearer breaking forth into outragious oathes When we see some prophane the holy Sabaoth of the Lord When we looke vpon the common Drunkard or vpon any other notorious sinner committing sinne with a high hand and acting it with greedinesse making no conscience of sinning let vs be moued with compassion towards them that know not what they doe they little thinke of the iudgements that hang ouer their heads if they repent not Now as the beholding of a man in some sharpe fit of sicknesse or the looking vpon some grieuous sore or festered wound extreamely payning the patient doth draw compassion from vs euen so should wee be moued to pittie the miserable estate of grieuous sinners who are sicke and wounded with sinne and yet doe not feele it And if we should and ought to be moued with compassion towards the obstinate for their great miseries that shall befall them how much more ought we to pittie the godly in their distresses crosses and afflictions Dilige iure bonos miseresce malis Boetius whereof we are many times eye-witnesses Here then the Stoikes and all that are without naturall affection are to be reproued Colos 3.12 Rom. 12.15 They that are Gods elect haue put vpon them the bowels of mercy they weepe with them that weepe they remember them that are in bonds Heb. 13.3 Pro. 12.10 as if they were bound with them and them that are in affliction as if they were afflicted in the body But the wicked haue cruell hearts they giue themselues to case and pleasure as Amos teacheth Amos 6.6 and remember not the affliction of Ioseph And wept AS our Lord Iesus approached vnto Ierusalem so he beheld the Citie and beholding it he wept for it We reade that Christ wept thrise First when he raised vp Lazarus for when he came to the place where they had laid him Saint Iohn saith And he wept Ioh. 11.35 Secondly he wept ouer Ierusalem as here we reade Thirdly in his Passion as the Apostle saith which in the dayes of his flesh did offer vp Prayers and Supplications with strong cryings and teares vnto him that was able to saue him from death Christs loue and was also heard in that which he feared Heb. 5.7 The teares of Christ expresse the affection of his loue as doth a Father weeping ouer his disobedient and dissolute sonne for the miserie that he fore-seeth will come vpon him for his inordinate life He delighteth in mercie rather then in iudgement He delighteth not simply no not in the destruction of the wicked he would haue all men to be saued and to come to the knowledge of his truth 1 Tim. 2.4 Ezek. 18.32 The vse He desireth not the death of a sinner If then Christ weepe for the misery and destruction of the wicked much more will his eares be open vnto the sighes and groanes to the Prayers and Supplications of his poore members who turne vnto him with true contrition and sorrow of heart and call vpon him with a liuely faith This should be remembred of vs that it may comfort and incourage vs to approach vnto the throne of his grace in time of necessitie that we may receiue mercy and finde grace Againe if the teares of Christ doe not moisten and mollifie our dry and hard hearts if they doe not moue vs and draw vs vnto Repentance he in the end will punish our obstinacie and hardnesse of heart and though we cry then hee will not regard our weeping because we despised his teares Let vs in the feare of God meditate on this godly motion that it may leade vs vnto true and speedy Repentance Doest thou not know that this loue of Christ should leade thee to repentance The teares of Christ also expresse vnto vs the dolour and griefe of Christ Christs dolor For being sent of his Father to gather the lost sheepe of the house of Israel and seeing their obstinacie and stubbornenesse despising his word reproaching his miracles and reiecting his grace he could not refraine from weeping he burst forth into teares This was the cause why he being touched with compassion shewed his loue and his griefe weeping for the imminent destruction of Ierusalem For when he considered that Ierusalem was ordained of God to be the holy seate in the which the couenant of euerlasting saluation should abide the sanctuary from whence saluation should come to the whole world it could not be but that he must needes greatly lament the destruction thereof when also he saw the people to perish miserably by their owne ingratitude and malice which was adopted to the hope of eternall life it is no maruell if he could not refraine from teares Now this affection in Christ was not counterfeit it was not fained farre be it from vs to admit any such thought but it was true Heb. 4.15 for we haue not an high Priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities but he was in all things tempted in like sort as we yet without sinne wherefore in all things it became him to be made like vnto his brethren for he tooke the seede of Abraham that he might be mercifull and a faithfull high Priest in things concerning God that he might make reconciliation for the sinnes of the people for in that he suffered and was tempted Heb. 2.17.18 he is able to succour them that are tempted This affection then of true sorrow in Christ for Ierusalem is a notable testimony and a sure proofe of his humanitie and manhood and is sufficient to conuince and confute Marcion and other Heretiques denying that he was a true and naturall man And in this sorrow of our Lord Iesus Christ expressed by his weeping for Ierusalem we haue a true patterne of naturall affections weeping for Ierusalem a stubborne Citie a disobedient Citie an vnfaithfull Citie O should not this moue vs O should not this draw vs to compunction O should not this pull vp the sluces and floodgates of our eies giue them free passage to gush out with teares Our Lord Iesus wept and can our eyes be dry to heare it Quis talia fandoi temperet à lacrimis Virgill the Heathen Poet describing the lamentable destruction of Troy that was sacked by the Graecians after ten yeares Seege saith who speaking of these things can refraine from teares So say I who is it that readeth or heareth how our Lord Iesus wept and can passe away with dry eyes Now these teares of Christ did intimate that the sinnes of Ierusalem were greater and the calamities and punishments imminent and hanging ouer her head were more grieuous then Ierusalem did thinke or vnderstand for it is a great matter that good men speake with teares The sequell did verifie this in the destruction of Ierusalem Our Lord Iesus weepeth for the sinnes of Ierusalem and for the punishments and calamities that should come vpon her The vse 2 Pet. 2.7.8
whatsoeuer from the East to the West whatsoeuer was vnder heauen was brought home vnto vs whereby our Land hath beene greatly inriched The peace of our Country is meruailous in so long and continuall troubles of our neighbour Countries round about vs and in so many consultations and deuises of the Church of Rome for the disturbance of our peace and the ruine of our Countrie Moreouer God did giue vnto her Maiestie such honour and renowne that she sat as a Iudge and an honourable Arbitratour in the causes and controuersies of the mightiest Monarches and Potentates of Europe and of all her Neighbours Now what was the cause of so great peace of so great treasure and of so great honour Verily the Word of God which her highnesse receiued embraced and promoted to the vttermost of her power Now after all these though the Papists deuised and plotted her death and many were suborned and hired by the Pope a man of sinne a maintainer of rebellion and murther wherein he sheweth of what spirit he is yet God brought her to the graue in peace by naturall death full of dayes And after her God hath giuen vnto vs a wise gracious and Religious King our King Iames whom God brought into the Land so peaceably to the astonishment of forraigne Nations and to the great admiration of vs all and he to the great comfort of all Christians loueth the Gospell and word of GOD maintaineth it to his vttermost power and commendeth the true worship of God to all his people And how hath God protected him both in Scotland and here in England against the wicked Papists who with bloudy and murthering hearts deuised such a diuellish and inhumane stratagem to ouerthrow him and his issue and to destroy the flourishing state of England so that if God had not beene on our side both his Maiestie his royall and hopefull progeny and all we that loue the Gospell had beene swallowed vp and made a prey to their teeth Happy therefore we if we know our happinesse blessed are we if we know the things that concerne our peace But now they are hid from thy eyes OVr Lord Iesus first sent his Prophets to Ierusalem at length he came in his owne person for Ierusalem killed and stoned his Prophets therefore he commeth and in the middest of Ierusalem Math. 23. among all the people he doth many miracles which the Prophets foretold should be wrought by the Messias when he came he preacheth the Gospell to them wherewith hee laboured to gather them together as a Henne doth her Chickens and wherein her happinesse consisted Math. 23. as we haue heard yet all these things were hidden from the eyes of Ierusalem as our Sauiour Iesus Christ here saith This is not spoken to extenuate or lessen the fault of Ierusalem but rather in reproach her wonderfull blockishnesse is noted that she did not see God present For how could Ierusalem be ignorant of Gods will which daily had the promises of saluation in her mouth and to whom the Law was often repeated Could the Iewes be ignorant of Christ who was many yeeres conuersant among them shewing forth his sauing power not onely in teaching but in working many wonderfull workes and miracles among them Therefore our Lord Iesus in these words doth note their blockishnes and wilfull blindnesse wherewith being hindred they could not see God offering himselfe vnto them nor yet obserue his mercy nor manifest arguments of his wrath Christ therefore here doth teach that the Citizens of Ierusalem were authors of their owne destruction as also healeth a scandall which rose from their voluntary and wilfull ignorance For without doubt many were detained and kept backe by the example of Ierusalem from embracing Christ and receiuing his Gospell which they saw were reiected of them who bare the chiefe estimation of doctrine and wisedome He therefore doth admonish that their incredulity and contumacy should not offend any who being wilfully blinded with their owne pride and blockishnesse did draw vpon themselues Gods wrath and their owne destruction Let vs now apply this vnto our selues and diligently consider whether it be not our case Our Lord Iesus by the preaching of his Gospell hath manifested vnto vs his loue hath reuealed vnto vs his kindnesse hath with his Gospell giuen vnto vs a long peace and innumerable blessings but men are so besotted with the vanities of the world and so blinded with the pleasures of this life that they winke with their eyes that they cannot see and stop their eares like the deafe Adder that they cannot heare the sweet voyce of Christ calling and alluring them For it cannot be but men maliciously blinde themselues seeing the grace of God that bringeth saluation to all men hath appeared teaching men to deny vngodlinesse and worldy lusts 〈◊〉 to liue soberly iustly and godly in this present world Tit. 2.11 Tit. 2.11 Therefore if men now are blinde Deu. 30.11 Rom. 10.6.7.8 if they be ignorant of so great fauours of God whereof we haue beene eye-witnesses and haue tasted of the good word of God there is no excuse to be pretended But we may say to them as Paul said to the Corinthians If 〈◊〉 Gospell be hid it is hid to them that are lost in whom the God of this world hath blinded the mindes that is of Infidels that the light of the glorious Gospell of Christ which is the Image of God should not shine vnto them 2 Cor. 4.3.4 This is a great iudgement wherewith God doth punish the wicked contemners of his word when the eyes of their minde are blinded that they see not God present not taste his mercies nor feare the punishments that are imminent and neere at hand The Scriptures teacheth vs that no ignorance is excusable for he that knoweth not his Maisters will Luk. 12.48 shall be beaten though with few stripes because ignorance is not of creation but of deprauation and corruption of nature But he that knoweth his Maisters will and doth it not shall be beaten with many stripes because he cannot excuse himselfe therefore wilfull ignorance voluntary blindnesse is inexcusable and shall be the more seuerely punished Here then that grose errour of the Papists is conuinced who affirme without wit or blushing that ignorance is the mother of deuotion Math. 22.29 but it may better be called the mother of errour and destruction because it leadeth men to perdition and eternall punishments for if eternall life consist in the knowledge of God and of Iesus Christ Ioh. 17.3 then eternall death abideth them which know not God nor his sonne Iesus Christ If the wise man ought not to glory in his wisedome nor the strong man in his strength nor the rich man in his riches but should glory that he knoweth and vnderstandeth the Lord to exercise mercy righteousnesse and iudgement Ier. 9.23.24 Then whosoeuer is ignorant of God and his will and knowes not Christ the Sonne of God should lament and be sorry that these things are hid from his eyes