And as it is testified in the 23. Psalme Psal 23 4.1 though he should walke through the valley of the shadow of death yet would he feare no euill because the Lord is his shepheard whose rod and staffe doe comfort him Also by Salomons determination Prouerb 18. â—0 the name of the Lord is a strong Tower the righteous runneth vnto it and is exalted Jerusalem as it is in Zacharie Zech. 2.4.5 may be inhabited without walles if the Lord bee vnto her a wall of fire round about her and the glorie in the middes of her And if the Lord be with Judah in the siege against Jerusalem then shall Jerusalem bee a cup of poyson to all the people round about Zech. 12.2 3. yea it shall be an heauie stone for all people All that lift it vp shal be torne though all the people of the earth be gathered together against it And when as Saneherib inuaded the land of Jury with a most populous and puissant armie to make an absolute conquest of it the substance 2 Chron 32.7 8. of Hezekiah his militarie oration was this Be strong and couragious feare not neither be afraid for the king of Ashur neither for al the multitude that is with him for there be more with vs then is with him With him is an arme of flesh that is the power of man but with vs is the Lorde our God for to help vs to fight our battailes Howbeit though Saluation be of the Lord yet the ordinarie meanes of preseruation appointed by God are not to bee neglected 2. Sam. 1.18 Wherefore Dauid was no sooner entred into his kingdome but hee gaue commandement that the children of Judah should be taught to shoot least they should haue beene ouermatched by their enemies the Philistines in that art of warfare 2. Sam. 15.31 And when Absalom rebelled against him he did not onely pray earnestly that God would turne the Counsel of Ahitophel into foolishnes but also hee sent his friend Hushai the Archite into the armie of Absalom to be his discouerer from thence of all principal and dangerous plots designes vers 34.35 36.37 and that he might skilfully bring the Counsell of Ahitophel to naught the which hee deemed more perillous vnto him then all Absaloms forces 2. king 9.16 28 10.11.14 King Salomon also that he might not want the sinewes of warre nor the ornaments of peace vsed traffike with his Nauie by the way of the red Sea to fetch gold froÌ„ Ophir in abundance verse 27. wherby he was enabled to giue siluer in Ierusalem as stones 1. king 10.16 17 And his armory glistered with 200. targets 300. shieldes of beaten gold Also he prepared 1400. Chariots 12000. 1. king 10.26 2 chron 9.25 horsemen and 40000. horses for seruice which were bestowed in the Chariot cities and with himselfe at Jerusalem And I cannot but wonder at the exceeding great warlike preparation 2. Chron. 17.13 to the end which Iehosaphat made against all dangers the 2. of the Chronicles and the 17. chapter Such discouerie of the Counsels and plots of forraine enemies 2. king 6 8. to the 14. as Elisha made by diuine inspiration vnto Jehoram must now be supplied by intelligencers abroad How could Dauid haue auoyded the furie of Saul if he had not receaued from Jonathan and Michol i. Sam. 19.1 2. 20. information of his cruell purposes and escaped by flight And indeede this was the ouersight of Gedalah the gouernour and it cost him his life in the end Ier. 40 4.14 15 16. 41.12 for that he would not beleeue the report of Johanan who tolde him that Jshmael meant to murther him by the instigatioÌ„ of Baalis the king of the Ammonites Let vs enter into consideratioÌ„ how expedient it is necessarie to haue to cherish in a kingdom and common-wealth not onely valourous men but also wise meÌ„ Iust men such as be feruent in prayer and intercession for the publike good those that bee forward to execute lawes against malefactours As for valorous men howe should the Jsraelites haue beene deliuered out of the hands of the Midianites had it not beene for the sword of the Lord and of Gideon They had still laine vnder the yoke of Cushan Rishathaim Iud. 7 20 King of Mesopotamia vnlesse Othniel had beene raised vpp a sauiour vnto them Iud. 3.8.9 Ehud saued them out of the handes of the Moabites vers 15. And Shamgar and Samson from the Philistines vers 31. Barak likewise deliuered them from Iabin Iud. 14 15. 16 the King of Canaan Iud. cap. 4. and Jphtah from the Ammonites And the Lord wrought a great Saluation for all Jsrael Iud. cap. 12. when Dauid slewe Goliah the Philistine 1. Sam. 19.5 Concerning wise men how necessarie they be in euerie state Salomon implyeth when hee saith in Ecclesiastes I haue seene this wisedom vnder the sunne Eccles 9.13.14 15.16.18 and it is great vnto me A little Cittie and few men in it and a great King came against it and compassed it about builded fortes against it and there was founde therein a poore and wise man and hee deliuered the Citie by his wisedome So was the City of Abel preserued froÌ„ the rage of Joab by the wisedome of one woman 2. Sam. 20.13 to the 23. who perswaded the Citizens to deliuer the head of the rebellious traytour Sheba the sonne of Bichri And touching Iust men I haue learned of Eliphaz the Temanite in the booke of Job Iob 22.30 that the innocent shall deliuer the Iland and it shall be preserued by the purenesse of his hands so that if but ten iust men had beene founde in Sodom Gen. 18.32 the Cittie should haue beene spared for their sakes Gen. 19 22 20 21. Neither would the Angell destroy Sodom till Lot was departed thence into a place of safety the which at his request was kept from destruction Act. 27.22.23 And in a most stormy tempest vpon the midland sea God gaue vnto Paul the liues of all that sayled with him When King Joash saide with teares in his eyes to Elisha lying vpon his death bed 2 King 13.14 O my Father my father the Chariot of Israel the horsemen of the same he signified that the Kingdome had beene more prospered by his prayers then by force of armes And God in his iust wrath had vtterly consumed the Israelites in the case of the golden Calfe Psal 106.23 had not Moses his chosen stood in the breach before him to turne away his anger Num. 16.41 to the end And they had at another time altogether perished for murmuring vpon the execution of rebellious Corah Dathan and Abiram and not Aaron made an atonement for them Miserable then and wretched was the state of the Iewes Ier. 7.16 when as Jeremie was commanded not to pray for them
returne and build the desolate places yet saith the Lorde of Hostes they shall build but I will destroy it Malach. 1.4 and they shall call them the border of wickednesse and the people with whom the Lord is angrie for euer And it shall bee saide of them and their workes as Habacuk speaketh Beholde is it not of the Lord of Hostes that the people shall labour in the verie fire Hab. 2.13 the people shall euen wearie themselues with verie vanitie They and their deuises shall consume like a snayle that melteth and like the vntimely fruite of a woman that hath not seene the sunne Psa 58.8.9 As raw flesh is taken out of the pot before the water feele the fire of thornes so shall God destroy their enterprises before they can be effected yea they shall be as the grasse on the house toppes Ps 129.6.7 which withereth afore it commeth foorth wherof the mower filleth not his hand neither the gleaner his lap Psa 7.14 Then they may indeed trauaile with wickednesse hauing conceaued mischiefe but they shall bring forth a lye they may purpose to hatch the cockatrice egges but they shall onely weaue the Spiders webbe And hereof wee haue a stronge and stedfast hope Isay 59.5 because that as well the destruction of the wicked as the Saluation of the Godly proceedeth from the Lord whose blessing is vppon his people accordinge to the latter part of this text And thy blessing is vppon thy people Beholde and consider the humilitie modestie and sinceritie of Dauid For if danger be imminent to the state then hee casteth all the imputation thereof vpon himselfe saying 2. Sam. 24.17 I haue sinned yea I haue done wickedly but these sheepe what haue they done let thine hand I pray thee be against me and against my fathers house But on the other side when as he is here deliuered from extreame danger behold he ascribeth his deliuerance to Gods fauour toward his people saying to Almightie God with eyes and heart lifted vp to heauen And thy blessing is vppon thy people Also when Dauid was falsely accused by Chush Psal 7.6.7 one of Sauls kinsmen he called vnto God for helpe framing his prayer in this wise Arise O Lorde in thy wrath and lift vp thy against the rage of mine enemies and awake for me according to the iudgement that thou hast appointed So shall the congregation compasse thee about for their sakes returne on high that is declare thy power for thy Churches sake Vpon whome falleth Gods blessing verely vpon Gods people Therefore we must first shew our selues to be Gods people then we may expect the encrease and continuance of Gods blessing For the accomplishing whereof Matth. 3.16 let our light so shine before men that they may see our good workes 1. Pet. 2.9 Tit. 2.14 and glorifie our father which is in heauen acknowledging vs to be a chosen generation a royal priesthood an holy Nation a peculiar people zealous of good workes shewing forth the vertues of him that hath called vs out of darknes into his maruailous light Psa 21 3.6 And then we may haue an assured hope that God will preuent our King with liberall blessings set him as blessings for euer making him a perpetuall example of his fauour to this presentage to all posteritie Then I say we may conceaue good hope that God wil endue all of vs with conuenient blessings both spirituall and temporall so that wee may liue in the feare of GOD and die in his fauour to bee partakers of the ioyes of Heauen prepared for vs by the mediation of our Sauiour Iesus Christ to whome with the father and the holy ghost be all honour and glorie both now and for euermore Amen FINIS
A SERMON Preached before the Kings Maiestie at White Hall vpon the ninth of Februarie 1605. By the Reuerend Father in God Anthonie Rudd Doctor in Diuinitie and Lord Bishop of Saint Dauids LONDON Printed by Humfrey Lownes for Clement Knight 1606. TO THE READER HAuing gotten the Coppie of this Sermon heere following and read it ouer once or twise I thought it not vnmeete to aduenture to publish it for the common good of others which shall vouchsafe to pervse it Febr. 26. 1605. Thine in the Lord. T. S PSALME 3.8 Saluation belongeth vnto the Lord and thy blessing is vpon thy people THis Psalme was Dauids meditation when he was forced to flie before his vnnaturall Sonne Absalom who tooke vp armes to depriue him of the kingdome and mightily for a time preuailed against him Heerein first hee falleth into an admiration of the great number of his enemies conspiringe his destruction but falsely perswadinge themselues that God had forsaken him Vers 1.2 Secondly he expresseth what confidence he put in God and what assurance he had by him against all the assaults and attempts of his aduersaries vers 3.4.5.6 Thirdly he maketh petition for helpe grounding his hope vpon Gods former protection Vers 7 Fourthly he concludeth the Psalme with this Epiphonema Saluation belongeth vnto the Lord and thy blessing is vppon thy people Verse 8 In which words hee ascribeth vnto the Lord the power of sauing them which be in peril and that goodnesse whereby he prouideth for the safetie of his people and heapeth vppon them innumerable benefits and blessings Now imagin with me that Dauid sitting aloft in his Chaire of estate looketh downe to his subiects saying Saluation belongeth vnto the Lord And then casting vppe his eyes to Heauen by an Apostrophe to God saith thus And thy blessing is vppon thy people When Jonas had cried out of the belly of Hell and the Lord had heard his voice Ionae 2.2.6.9 and brought his life from the pit then he pronounced definitiuely that Saluation is of the Lord. And wheÌ„ Salomon had considered aduisedly of martial affaires from the beginning to the ending thereof Prou. 21.31 he resolutely concluded that the horse is prepared against the day of battaile but SaluatioÌ„ is of the Lord. By Saluation heere is vnderstood temporall preseruation from worldly troubles and perils of the which I expound that in the 36 Psalme Psa 36 6. Thou Lord doost saue man and beast And thereof Saint Paul meaneth when he saith to Timothie that the liuing God 1 Tim 4.10 is the Sauiour of all men specially of those that beleeue Seeing then that Saluation is of the Lord vaine is the hope of them that without or against God put their trust in any worldly meanes When Pharaoh pursued the Jsraelites he reposed his vndoubted hope of victorie in his Chariots Horses and great Hoste of valiant armed men but when the Lord came forth as a man of warre against him then he and all his were cast into the Sea the deepthes couered them Exod. 14. 15.3.4.5 and they sanke to the bottom as a stone Who will set vp his rest vpoÌ„ huge bignes strength of bodie after that the Anakims were destroyed vnder the conduct of Joshua Iosh 11.21.22 1. Sam. 17.50.51 2. Sam â—1 15.40 To the end and Goliah with the other sonnes of Haraphah fell by the hands Dauid and his worthies Leagues with forraine Princes are but a broken staffe of reede without the Lord for that wee read of the Edomites in Obadiah Obad. verse 7. that the men of their confederacie drave them to the borders As for riches and treasures Prouerbs 11.4 Salomon hath giuen this verdit of them Prouerb 23.5 that they auaile not in the day of wrath but euen when men should stand in greatest neede of them then they take them to their winges as an Eagle and flie vnto the Heauens Food and victuals are necessarie for the sustentation of mans life Ezech 4.16 Amos. 4 6. but God in his anger can easily break the staffe of bread and giue cleannesse of teeth in all our Citties If fortifications would haue serued the turn then might the Cananites haue beene safe in their Cities Deut 9.1 which were great walled vp to Heauen What can Counsell pollicie wordly wisdom effecte of themselues Iob. 12 20. seeing that Job hath obserued that God taketh at his pleasure speech from the Counsellers and iudgement from the auncient And this is one of Salomons Maximaes Prou. 21.30 that there is no wisedome neither vnderstanding nor Counsell against the Lord. In the time of sickenesse without the Lord nothing auaileth the Phisitian as in the cause of Asa 2. Chron. 16. â—â— 2. king 1.1.2 nor yet the God of Ekron as in the case of Azariah And that we may know that noe mortall man nor all the sonnes of men put together can saue vs without the Lorde therefore wee are aduised by the Prophet Jsay to cease froÌ„ the man whose breath is in his Nostrelles Isay 2.22 for wherein is hee to bee esteemed Ionae 2.8 Jonas hath vttered all this in fewe wordes saying They that waite vppon lyinge vanities that is which depende vppon any thinge saue God alone forsake their owne mercie 1. they refuse their owne felicitie and that goodnesse which they should otherwise receaue of GOD. Wherefore let euerie one of vs Psal 73 2â— take first into his heart and then into his mouth the words of the Psalmist sayinge to Almightie GOD. Whome haue I in heauen but thee And I haue desired none in earth with thee Thus hitherto it appeareth that Saluation belongeth to the Lord onely And by that which next ensueth it shall be manifest that Gods helpe alone is sufficient for vs. For when the Lord in Jsayes times perceaued all things to be out of order both in the Church and the Common-wealth namely that iudgement was turned backeward Isay 59.14 15. â—6 iustice stood farre of that truth was fallen in the street and equitie could not enter and that hee which refrained from euill made himselfe a praye and therewithall that noe man offered himselfe to rectifie those abuses then Gods own arme did saue it and his righteousnes it selfe did sustaine it Isay 63 1.3 4 5 And when as the day of vengeaÌ„ce against the Edomites came into the heart of the Lord and the day of his redeemed was come then he trod the wine presse alone his owne arme helped him and his wrath it selfe sustained him And when as Isay said Isay 26.1 Saluation shall God set vp for walles and bulwarkes his meaning was to signifie that Gods protection and defence should be sufficient for vs Psal 3.6 3. whereupon it is that Dauid in this present Psalme will not be afraide of ten thousand of the people that should beset him round about because God is his buckler and the lifter vp of his head
It is the Lordes mercies that wee were not consumed because his compassions faile not And all this Saluation came vnto vs from the Lord for the Gospels sake which wee professe least our enemies by their good successe in this attempt should haue taken occasion to haue blasphemed the name of God saying where is now the God of the Protestants But indeede one motiue of the conspiratours to encrease their hope of good successe in this wicked enterprise was this conceit that they supposed that God had giuen vs ouer for our sins as may appeare by those words of the vndated letter formerly named God man haue concurred to punish the wickednes of this time This selfe same opinion encouraged Dauids aduersaries in this present Psalme Psal 3 2. as is collected by the words of the second verse Manie say to my soule there is no helpe for him in God And likewise in the 71. Psalme Dauids enemies spake of him and they that laid wait for his soule tooke their Counsell together saying God hath forsaken him persue take him for there is none to deliuer him This also was the cunning and machiauellian tricke of Saneherib which he practised to terrifie Hezekiah with all when he said Am I now come vp without the lord to this land to destroy it The Lord said vnto me Isay 36.10 goe vp against this land destroye it Thus the late complotters pretended the name of GOD to deceaue withall as though God had ordained them to be the rodde of his wrath in punishing of vs and that the staffe in their hand had beene his indignation against vs. Isay 10.5 But let them aunswer this questiō of Esdras Are the deeds of Babylon better then they of Zion 2. Esdras 3.31 Wee deserued destruction I confesse but not by the hands of them whose life is noe better whose religion is far worse then ours I may say of Rome nowe as Jsai sometime spake of Ierusalem How is the faithful Citie become an Harlot Isay 1.21.22 thy siluer is become drosse thy wine is mixt with water God had not sold vs into their hands 1. King 21.25 because they had solde themselues to worke wickednesse in the sight of the Lorde as did Ahab Psa 73.1 And seeing that their purpose was defeated by diuine prouidence and we were deliuered from the snare which they priuily layd for vs therefore we may say and sing yet God is good vnto Jsrael euen to the pure in heart Verely if we had beene altogether destitute of Good men as they falsely imagined we had assuredly perished with fire-worke from below as Sodom for want of ten iust men in it was destroyed with a raine of brimstone from aboue But yet some Lot praysed be God remaineth in the Citie among vs to keepe vs from burning yet some Paul sayleth in the shippe with vs to keepe vs from drowning Gen. 19.14 verse 22. Act 27.24.25 Psal 106.23 yet some Moses is founde standinge in the breach to turne away Gods wrath from vs. And there is yet some Aaron left to make an atonement for vs. Yet I saie some Noes Num. 16.46 to the 51. Ezech. 14.14.16.20 Ier 15.1 or Jobs or Samuels or Daniels haue their being amongst vs whose praiers are effectuall for themselues and vs likewise And so we finde saluation from the Lord. Good Lord what lenitie went before on the behalfe of the Kings Maiestie and the state and what crueltie was like to haue ensued on the partes of the conspiratours Heereby we see by experience the truth of that which we reade in the Prophet Isaie Isay 26 10. let mercie be shewed to the wicked yet hee will not learne righteousnesse in the land of vprightnesse will he doe wickedlie and will not behold the Maiestie of the Lorde Though Dauid played with his hand vpon the harpe before Saule to mitigate the rage of the euill spirite that was vpon him 1. Sam. 19.9.10 yet Saule intended to smite Dauid to the wall with the speare which he held in his hand 1. Sam. 24.4 to the 9 26.7.8.9.20 Yea though Dauid spared the life of Saul when he had him twise in his hands to stabbe him or to dispose of him at his pleasure yet for all that Saul continually pursued him as one would seeke a flea or hunt a Partriche in the mountaines Thus the traytours would haue recompenced the Kings lenitie with extreame crueltie for if they had prospered in their most mischieuous intendement they meant to haue killed the dāme with the yong They purposed to meete vs as a beare robbed of her whelpes Deut. 22.6 Prou. 17.12 Hab. 1.8 wee should haue found felt them more fierce then the wolues in the euening As they of Damascus threshed Gilead with threshing instruments of yron and as they of Tyrus shut the whole captiuitie in Edom Amos 2.3.9.11.13 and as Edom pursued his brother with the sworde casting of all pittie and his anger spoyled him euermore and his wrath watched him alway and as the children of Ammon ript vp the women with child of Gilead that they might enlarge their owne border euen so for al the world would these tygerlike men haue dealt with vs. Adonibezek cut of the thumbs of the hands and feet of his captiues and made them to gather bread vnder his table Iud. 1.7 yet hee suffred them to liue And Naash the Ammonite would make no couenant with them of Jabesh Gilead 1. Sam. 11.2 except he might thrust out their right eies and so bring that shame vppon Jsrael yet was he content that they should enioy their liues But if these blood-thirstie men some wherof are alreadie cut of by iustice not hauing liued out halfe their dayes had come to the full period of their hearts desire should haue beene hearde soundinge in our eares but kill and slay Prouerb 12.10 Thus euen the mindes of the wicked are cruell but still Saluation is of the Lord. These vnderminers of the state said happily of vs one to another let vs breake their bonds and take their cordes from vs Psal 2.3 but hee that dwelleth in the heauen did laugh the Lorde had them in dirision They said perhaps among themselues by imitation of the 83. Psalme Come let vs cutte them of from beeing a Nation and let the name of the Caluinists bee noe more in remembraunce Let vs take their habitations for our possession Psa 83 4 12.13 16 18. But our God hath made them like vnto a wheele and as the stuble before the wind he hath filled their faces with shame that they may knowe that hee which is called Jehouah is alone euen the most high ouer all the earth They resemble Ephraim and the inhabitants of Samaria which saide in the pride and presumption of their heart The bricks are fallen but we wil build it with hewen stones Isay 9.9.10.11.12 the wild figge trees are cut