it is come to passe that though there be many legions of Deuils and euery one more strong than many legions of men and more malicious than strong yet the little flocke of Gods Church liueth and prospereth I haue euer with me inuisible friends and enemies The consideration of mine enemies shall keepe me from securitie and make me fearefull of doing ought to aduantage them The consideration of my spirituall friends shall comfort me against the terrour of the other shall remedie my solitarinesse shall make me warie of doing ought indecently grieuing me rather that I haue euer heretofore made them turne away their eyes for shame of that whereof I haue not beene ashamed that I haue no more enioyed their societie that I haue beene no more affected with their presence What though I see them not I beleeue them I were no Christian if my faith were not as sure as my sense 96 There is no word or action but may be taken with two hands either with the right hand of charitable construction or the sinister interpretation of malice and suspicion and all things doe so succeed as they are taken I haue noted euill actions well taken passe currant for either indifferent or commendable Contrarily a good speech or action ill taken scarce allowed for indifferent an indifferent one censured for euill an euill one for notorious So fauour makes vertues of vices and suspicion makes vertues faults and faults crimes Of the two I had rather my right hand should offend It is alwaies safer offending on the better part To construe an euill act well is but a pleasing and profitable deceit of my selfe but to misconstrue a good thing is a treble wrong to my selfe the action the author If no good sense can be made of a deed or speech let the blame light vpon the author If a good interpretation may be giuen and I chuse a worse let me be as much censured of others as that misconceit is punishment to my selfe 97 I know not how it comes to passe that the minde of man doth naturally both ouerprize his owne in comparison of others and yet contemne and neglect his owne in comparison of what he wants The remedie of this latter euil is to compare the good things we haue with the euils which we haue not and others groane vnder Thou art in health and regardest it not Looke on the miserie of those which on their bed of sicknesse through extremitie of paine and anguish intreat death to release them Thou hast cleare eye-sight sound lims vse of reason and passest these ouer with slight respect Thinke how many there are which in their vncomfortable blindnesse would giue all the world for but one glimpse of light how many that deformedly crawle on all foure after the manner of the most loathsome creatures how many that in mad phrensies are worse than brutish worse than dead thus thou mightest bee and art not If I be not happy for the good that I haue I am yet happy for the euils that I might haue had and haue escaped I haue deserued the greatest euill euery euill that I misse is a new mercy 98 Earth which is the basest element is both our mother that brought vs forth our stage that beares vs aliue and our graue wherein at last we are entombed giuing to vs both our originall our harbour our Sepulcher She hath yeelded her backe to beare thousands of generations and at last opened her mouth to receiue them so swallowing them vp that she still both beareth more and lookes for more not bewraying any change in her selfe while she so oft hath changed her brood and her burden It is a wonder we can be proud of our parentage or of our selues while we see both the basenesse and stabilitie of the earth whence we came What difference is there Liuing earth treads vpon the dead earth which afterwards descends into the graue as senselesse and dead as the earth that receiues it Not many are proud of their soules and none but fooles can be proud of their bodies While wee walke and looke vpon the earth we cannot but acknowledge sensible admonitions of humility and while we remember them we cannot forget our selues It is a mother-like fauour of the earth that she beares and nourishes me and at the last entertaines my dead carkase but it is a greater pleasure that she teacheth me my vilenesse by her owne and sends me to heauen for what she wants 99 The wicked man carrieth euery day a brand to his hell till his heape be come to the height then he ceaseth sinning and begins his torment whereas the repentant in euery fit of holy sorrow caries away a whole faggot from the flame and quencheth the coales that remaine with his teares There is no torment for the penitent no redemption for the obstinate Safetie consisteth not in not sinning but in repenting neither is it sinne that condemnes but impenitence O Lord I cannot bee righteous let me be repentant 100 The estate of heauenly and earthly things is plainly represented to vs by the two lights of heauen which are appointed to rule the night and the day Earthly things are rightly resembled by the Moone which being neerest to the region of mortalitie is euer in changes and neuer lookes vpon vs twice with the same face and when it is at the full is blemished with some darke blots not capable of any illumination Heauenly things are figured by the Sunne whose great and glorious light is both naturall to it selfe and euer constant That other fickle and dimme starre is fit enough for the night of misery wherein we liue here below And this firme and beautifull light is but good enough for that Day of glory which the Saints liue in If it be good liuing here where our sorrowes are changed with ioyes what is it to liue aboue where our ioyes change not I cannot looke vpon the body of the Sunne and yet I cannot see at all without the light of it I cannot behold the glory of thy Saints O Lord yet without the knowledge of it I am blinde If thy creature be so glorious to vs here below how glorious shall thy selfe be to vs when we are aboue this Sunne This Sunne shall not shine vpward where thy glory shineth the greater light extinguisheth the lesser O thou Sunne of righteousnesse which shalt onely shine to me when I am glorified doe thou heat enlighten comfort me with the beames of thy presence till I be glorified AMEN FINIS HEAVEN VPON EARTH OR OF TRVE PEACE AND TRANQVILLITIE of Minde 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 HENRY Earle of Huntingdon Lord Hastings Hungerford Botreaux Molines and Moiles his Maiesties Lieutenant in the Counties of Lâ—icester and Rutland my singular good Lord All increase of true Honour and HEAVEN begun vpon EARTH RIGHT HONORABLE I Haue
of iudgement that he prepare himselfe by examination Q. Whereof must a man examine himselfe A. Whether hee find in himselfe first Competent knowledge secondly A true though weake Faith thirdly Vnfained repentance for his sinnes fourthly Charity and readinesse to forgiue fiftly An hungring desire to this Sacrament fixtly A thankfull heart for Christ and it Q. What is Prayer A. A calling vpon God through Christ for a supply of all our wants and praising him for all his blessing FINIS Contemplations VPON THE PRINCIPALL PASSAGES OF THE Holy Storie The first Volume IN FOVRE BOOKES By I.H. D.D. LONDON Printed for THO PAVIER MILES FLESHER and Iohn Haviland 1625. TO THE HIGH AND MIGHTIE PRINCE HENRY PRINCE OF WALES HIS HIGHNESSES VNWORTHY Seruant dedicates all his labours and wishes all Happinesse MOst Gracious Prince THis worke of mine which if my hopes and desires faile mee not time may hereafter make great I haue presumed both to dedicate in whole to your Highnesse and to parcell out in seueralls vnto subordinate hands It is no maruell if Bookes haue this freedome when we our selues can and ought to be all yours while we are our owne and others vnder you I dare say these Meditations how rude soeuer they may fall from my Pen in regard of their subiect are fit for a Prince Here your Highnesse shall see how the great patterne of Princes the KING of HEAVEN hath euer ruled the World how his Substitutes earthly Kings haue ruled it vnder him and with what successe either of glorie or ruine Both your Peace and Warre shall finde here holy and great examples And if Historie and obseruation be the best Councellors of your youth what storie can bee so wise and faithfull as that which God hath written for Men wherein you see both what hath beene done and what should be VVhat obseruation so worthy as that which is both raised from God and directed to him If the proprietie which your Highnesse iustly hath in the VVorke and Author may draw your Princely eyes and heart the rather to these holy Speculations your Seruant shall bee happier in this fauour then in all your outward bountie as one to whom your spirituall progresse deserues to bee dearer then his owne life and whose daily suit is that God would guide your steps aright in this slippery Age and continue to reioyce all good hearts in the view of your gratious proceedings Your Highnesses humbly deuoted Seruant IOS HALL Contemplations THE FIRST BOOKE The Creation of the World Man Paradise Cain and Abel The Deluge BY IOS HALL D. of Diuinitie and Deane of WORCESTER LONDON Printed for THOMAS PAVIER MILES FLESHER and John Haviland 1624. TO THE RIGHT HONOVRABLE THOMAS EARLE OF EXCETER ONE OF HIS MAIESTIES MOST Honorable Priuy Councell All Grace and Happinesse RIght Honorable I Knew J could not bestow my thoughts better then vpon Gods owne Historie so full of edification and delight which I haue in such sort indeuoured to doe that J shall giue occasion to my Reader of some Meditations which perhaps hee would haue missed Euery helpe in this kinde deserues to be precious J present the first part to your Honour wherein you shall see the World both made and smothered againe Man in the glory of his Creation and the shame of his fall Paradise at once made and lost The first Man killing his seede the second his brother Jf in these I shall giue light to the thoughts of any Reader let him with mee giue the praise to him from whom that light shone forth to me To whose grace and protection I humbly commend your Lordship as Your Honours vnfainedly deuoted in all obseruance and dutie IOS HALL Contemplations THE FIRST BOOKE The Creation WHAT can I see O God in thy creation but miracles of wonders Thou madest somthing of nothing and of that something all things Thou vvhich wast without a beginning gauest a beginning to Time and to the World in time It is the praise of vs men if vvhen we haue Matter wee can giue fashion thou gauest a being to the Matter without forme thou gauest a forme to that Matter and a glory to that Forme If wee can but finish a slight and vnperfect Matter according to a former patterne it is the height of our skill but to begin that which neuer was whereof there was no example whereto there was no inclination wherein there was no possibilitie of that which it should be is proper only to such power as thine the infinite power of an infinite Creator with vs not so much as a thought can arise without some Matter but here with thee all Matter arises from nothing How easie is it for thee to repaire all out of something which couldest thus fetch all out of nothing wherein can wee now distrust thee that hast proued thy selfe thus Omnipotent Behold to haue made the least Clod of nothing is more aboue vvonder then to multiply a World but now the Matter doth not more praise thy power then the Forme thy wisdome what beauty is here vvhat order what order in working vvhat beauty in the worke Thou mightest haue made all the World perfect in an instant but thou wouldest not That Will which caused thee to create is reason enough why thou didst thus create How should we deliberate in our actions which are so subiect to imperfection since it pleased thine infinite perfection not out of neede to take leasure Neither did thy wisdome herein proceede in time onely but in degrees At first thou madest nothing absolute first thou madest things which should haue being vvithout Life then those which should haue life and being lastly those which haue Being Life Reason So we our selues in the ordinary course of generation first liue the life of Vegetation then of Sense of Reason afterwards That instant wherein the Heauen and the Earth were created in their rude Matter there was neither Day nor Light but presently thou madest both Light and Day Whiles we haue this example of thine how vainely do we hope to be perfect at once It is well for vs if through many degrees vvee can rise to our consummation But alas vvhat was the very Heauen it selfe without Light how confused how formlesse like to a goodly Body vvithout a Soule like a soule without thee Thou art Light and in thee is no darknesse Oh how incomprehensibly glorious is the light that is in thee since one glimpse of this created light gaue so liuely a glory to all thy workmanship This euen the brute Creatures can behold That not the very Angels That shâ—nes forth onely to the other supreme World of immortalitie this to the basest part of thy creation There is one cause of our darknesse on earth and of the vtter darknesse in Hell the restraint of thy light Shine thou O God into the vast corners of my soule and in thy light I shall see light But whence O God was that first light the Sunne was not made till the fourth
and simple to confound the wise and mighty Yet God did this worke by Moses Moses hewed and God wrote Our true Moses repaires that Law of God which we in our nature had broken He reuiues it for vs and it is accepted of God no lesse then iâ— the first Characters of his Law had been still entyre We can giue nothing but the Table it is God that must write in it Our hearts are but a bare boord till God by his finger ingraue his Law in them Yea Lord we are a rough Quarry hew thou vs out and square vs fit for thee to write vpon Well may wee maruell to see Moses after this ouersight admitted to this charge againe Who of vs would not haue said Your care indeed deserues trust you did so carefully keepe the first Tables that it would doe well to trust you with such another burden It was good for Moses that hee had to doe with God not with men The God of mercy will not impute the slips of our infirmitie to the preiudice of our faithfulnesse He that after the misse-answer of the one Talent would not trust the euill seruant with a second because he saw a wilfull neglect will trust Moses with his second Law because he saw fidelitie in the worst error of his zeale Our charity must learne as to forgiue so to beleeue where we haue beene deceiued Not that wee should wilfully beguile our selues in an vniust credulitie but that we should search diligently into the disposition of persons and grounds of their actions perhaps none may bee so sure as they that haue once disappointed vs. Yea Moses brake the first therefore hee must hew the second If God had broken them he would haue repayred them The amends must be where the fault was Both God and his Church looke for a satisfaction in that wherein we haue offended It was not long since Moses his former fast of forty dayes When hee then came downe from the hill his first question was not for meat and now going vp againe to Sinai he takes not any repast with him That God which sent the Quailes to the Host of Israel and Manna from Heauen could haue fed him with dainties He goes vp confidently in a secure trust of Gods prouision There is no life to that of faith Man liues not by bread onely The Vision of God did not onely satiate but feast him What a blessed satiety shall there be when we shall see him as he is and he shall be all in all to vs since this very fraile mortality of Moses was sustained and comforted but with representations of his presence I see Moses the Receiuer of the Law Elias the Restorer of the Law Christ the fulfiller of the old Law and Author of the new all fasting forty daies and these three great fasters I find together glorious in mount Tabor Abstinence merits not For Religion consists not in the belly either full or empty What are meates or drinkes to the Kingdome of God which is like himselfe spirituall But it prepares best for good duties Full bellies are fitter for rest not the body so much as the soule is more actiue with emptinesse Hence solemne prayer takes euer fasting to attend it and so much the rather speeds in Heauen when it is so accompanied It is good so to dyet the body that the soule may be fatned When Moses came downe before his eyes sparkled with anger and his face was both interchangeably pale and red with indignation now it is bright with glory Before there were the flames of fury in it now the beames of Maiesty Moses had before spoken with God why did not his face shine before I cannot lay the cause vpon the inward trouble of his passions for this brightnesse was externall Whither shall wee impute it but to his more intyrenesse with God The more familiar acquaintance wee haue with God the more doe wee partake of him He that passes by the fire may haue some gleames of heat but he that stands by it hath his colour changed It is not possible a man should haue any long conference with God and be no whit affected Wee are strangers from God it is no wonder if our faces be earthly but he that sets himselfe apart to God shall finde a kind of Maiestie and awfull respect put vpon him in the mindes of others How did the heart of Moses shine with illumination when his face was thus lightsome And if the flesh of Moses in this base composition so shined by conuersing with God forty dayes in Sinai What shall our glory bee when clothed with incorruptible bodies we shall conuerse with him in the highest Heauens Now his face onely shone afterwards the three Disciples saw all his body shining The nature of a glorified body the clearer Vision the immediate presence of that fountaine of glory challenge a far greater resplendence to our faces then his O God we are content that our faces bee blemished a while with contempt and blubred with teares how can wee but shine with Moses when wee shall see thee more then Moses The brightnesse of Moseses face reflected not vpon his owne eyes He shone bright and knew not of it He saw Gods face glorious he did not thinke others had so seene his How many haue excellent graces and perceiue them not Our owne sense is an ill iudge of Gods fauours to vs Those that stand by can conuince vs in that which we deny to ourselues Here below it is enough if we can shine in the eies of others aboue we shall shine and know it At this instant Moses sees himselfe shine then he needed not God meant not that hee should more esteeme himselfe but that he should bee more honoured of the Israelites That other glory shall bee for our owne happinesse and therefore requires our knowledge They that did but stand still to see anger in his face ranne away to see glory in it Before they had desired that God would not speake to them any more but by Moses and now that God doth but looke vpon them in Moses they are afraid and yet there was not more difference betwixt the voyces then the faces of God and Moses This should haue drawne Israel to Moses so much the more to haue seene this impression of Diuinity in his face That which should haue comforted affrights them Yea Aaron himselfe that before went vp into the Mount to see and speake with God now is afraid to see him that had seene God Such a feare there is in guiltinesse such confidence in innocencie When the soule is once cleared from sin it shall run to that glory with ioy the least glimpse whereof now appales it and sends it away in terror How could the Israelites now chuse but thinke How shall wee abide to looke God in the face since our eyes are dazeled with the face of Moses And well may we still argue If the Image of God which he hath set in the
I need not be so mopish as not to beleeue rather the language of the hand than of the tongue He that saies well and doth well is without exception commendable but if one of these must be seuered from the other I like him well that doth well and saith nothing 52 That which they say of the Pelican that when the Shepherds in desire to catch her lay fire not farre from her nest which she finding and fearing the danger of her young seekes to blow out with her wings so long till she burne her selfe and makes her selfe a prey in an vnwise pitty to her young I see morally verified in experience of those which indiscreetly medling with the flame of dissention kindled in the Church rather increase than quench it rather fire their owne wings than helpe others I had rather bewaile the fire afarre off than stirre in the coles of it I would not grudge my ashes to it if those might abate the burning but since I see this is daily increased with partaking I will behold it with sorrow and meddle no otherwise than by praiers to God and intreaties to men seeking my owne safety and the peace of the Church in the freedome of my thought and silence of my tongue 53 That which is said of Lucillaes faction that anger bred it pride fostered it and couetousnesse confirm'd it is true of all Schismes though with some inuersion For the most are bred through pride whiles men vpon an high conceit of themselues scorne to goe in the common road and affect singularitie in opinion are confirmed through anger whiles they stomacke and grudge any contradiction and are nourished through couetousnesse whiles they seeke abilitie to beare out their part In some others againe couetousnesse obtaines the first place anger the second pride the last Herein therefore I haue beene alwaies wont to commend and admire the humilitie of those great and profound wits whom depth of knowledge hath not lead to by-paths in iudgement but walking in the beaten path of the Church haue bent all their forces to the establishment of receiued truths accounting it greater glorie to confirme an ancient veritie than to deuise a new opinion though neuer so profitable vnknowne to their predecessors I will not reiect a truth for meere noueltie Old truths may come newly to light neither is God tied to times for the gift of his illumination but I will suspect a nouell opinion of vntruth and not entertaine it vnlesse it may be deduced from ancient grounds 54 The eare and the eie are the minds receiuers but the tongue is onely busied in expending the treasure receiued If therefore the reuenues of the minde bee vttered as fast or faster than they are receiued it cannot bee but that the minde must needs bee held bare and can neuer lay vp for purchase But if the receiuers take in still with no vtterance the minde may soone grow a burthen to it selfe and vnprofitable to others I will not lay vp too much and vtter nothing lest I be couetous nor spend much and store vp little lest I be prodigall and poore 55 It is a vaine-glorious flatterie for a man to praise himselfe An enuious wrong to detract from others I will therefore speake no ill of others no good of my selfe 56 That which is the miserie of Trauellers to finde many Oasts and few friends is the estate of Christians in their pilgrimage to a better life Good friends may not therefore be easily forgone neither must they bee vsed as suits of apparell which when wee haue worne threed-bare wee cast off and call for new Nothing but death or villanie shall diuorce mee from an old friend but still I will follow him so farre as is either possible or honest and then I will leaue him with sorrow 57 True friendship necessarily requires Patience For there is no man in whom I shall not mislike somewhat and who shall not as iustly mislike somewhat in mee My friends faults therefore if little I will swallow and digest if great I will smother them howeuer I will winke at them to others but louingly notifie them to himselfe 58 Iniuries hurt not more in the receiuing than in the remembrance A small iniurie shall goe as it comes a great iniurie may dine or sup with me but none at all shall lodge with me Why should I vex my selfe because another hath vexed me 59 It is good dealing with that ouer which we haue the most power If my state will not be framed to my minde I will labour to frame my minde to my estate 60 It is a great miserie to be either alwaies or neuer alone societie of men hath not so much gaine as distraction In greatest companie I will bee alone to my selfe in greatest priuacie in companie with God 61 Griefe for things past that cannot be remedied and care for things to come that cannot be preuented may easily hurt can neuer benefit me I will therefore commit my selfe to God in both and enioy the present 62 Let my estate bee neuer so meane I will euer keepe my selfe rather beneath than either leuell or aboue it A man may rise when he will with honour but cannot fall without shame 63 Nothing doth so befoole a man as extreme passion This doth both make them fooles which otherwise are not and shew them to bee fooles that are so Violent passions if I cannot tame them that they may yeeld to my ease I will at least smother them by concealement that they may not appeare to my shame 64 The minde of man though infinite in desire yet is finite in capacitie Since I cannot hope to know all things I will labour first to know what I needs must for their vse next what I best may for their conuenience 65 Though time be precious to me as all irreuocable good things deserue to be and of all other things I would not be lauish of it yet I will account no time lost that is either lent to or bestowed vpon my friend 66 The practises of the best men are more subiect to errour than their speculations I will honour good examples but I will liue by good precepts 67 As charitie requires forgetfulnesse of euill deeds so patience requites forgetfulnesse of euill accidents I will remember euils past to humble me not to vex me 68 It is both a miserie and a shame for a man to bee a Bankrupt in loue which hee may easily pay and be neuer the more impouerished I will be in no mans debt for good will but will at least returne euery man his owne measure if not with vsurie It is much better to bee a Creditor than a Debtor in any thing but especially of this yet of this I will so bee content to bee a Debtor that I will alwaies bee paying it where I owe it and yet neuer will haue so paid it that I shall not owe it more 69 The Spanish Prouerbe is too true Dead men and absent finde no friends
to feele and complaine of smart And if men haue deuised such exquisite torments what can spirits more subtile more malicious And if our momentanie sufferings seeme long how long shall that be that is eternall And if the sorrowes indifferently incident to Gods deare ones vpon earth be so extreme as sometimes to driue them within sight of despairing what shall those be that are reserued onely for those that hate him and that he hateth None but those who haue heard the desperate complaints of some guiltie Spyra of whose soules haue beene a little scorched with these flames can enough conceiue of the horror of this estate it being the policy of our common enemy to conceale it so long that we may see and feele it at once lest we should feare it before it be too late to be auoided SECT XVII Remedy of the last and greatest breach of peace arising from death NOw when this great Aduersary like a proud Giant comes stalking out in his fearefull shape and insults ouer our fraile mortalitie daring the world to match him with an equall Champion whiles a whole host of worldlings shew him their backs for feare the true Christian armed onely with confidence and resolution of his future happinesse dares boldly encounter him and can wound him in the forehead the wonted seat of terror and trampling vpon him can cut off his head with his owne sword and victoriously returning can sing in triumph O death where is thy sting An happy victory Wee die and are not foiled yea we are conquerours in dying we could not ouercome death if we died not That dissolution is well bestowed that parts the soule from the body that it may vnite both to God All our life here as that heauenly Doctor well tearmes it is but a vitall death Augustine How aduantâ—gious is that death that determines this false and dying life and begins a true one aboue all the titles of happinesse The Epicure or Sadduce dare not die for feare of not being The guiltie and loose worldling dares not die for feare of being miserable The distrustfull and doubting semi-Christian dares not die because he knowes not whether hee shall be or be miserable or not be at all The resolued Christian dares and would die because he knowes he shall be happy and looking merrily towards heauen the place of his rest can vnfainedly say I desire to be dissolued I see thee my home I see thee a sweet and glorious home after a weary pilgrimage I see thee and now after many lingring hopes I aspire to thee How oft haue I looked vp at thee with admiration and rauishment of soule and by the goodly beames that I haue seene ghessed at the glory that is aboue them How oft haue I scorned these dead and vnpleasant pleasures of earth in comparison of thine I come now my ioyes I come to possesse you I come through paine and death yea if hell it selfe were in the way betwixt you and mee I would passe through hell it selfe to enioy you Tull. Tuscul Callimach Epigram And in truth if that Heathen Cleombrotus a follower of the ancient Academie but vpon onely reading of his Master Platoes discourses of the immortalitie of the soule could cast downe himselfe head-long from an high rocke and wilfully breake his necke that he might be possessed of that immortalitie which he beleeued to follow vpon death how contented should they be to die that knew they shall be more than immortall glorious Hee went not in an hate of the flesh August de Haeres as the Patrician Heretickes of old but in a blinde loue to his soule out of bare opinion We vpon an holy loue grounded vpon assured knowledge He vpon an opinion of future life we on knowledge of future glory He went vnsent for we called for by our Maker Why should his courage exceed ours since our ground our estate so farre exceeds his Euen this age within the reach of our memorie bred that peremptory Italian which in imitation of old Romane courage left in that degenerated Nation there should be no step left of the qualities of their Ancestors entring vpon his torment for killing a Tyrant cheered himselfe with this confidence My death is sharpe Mors acerba Fama perpetua my fame shall be euerlasting The voice of a Romane not of a Christian My fame shall be eternall an idle comfort My fame shall liue not my soule liue to see it What shall it auaile thee to be talkt of while thou art not Then fame onely is precious when a man liues to enioy it The fame that suruiues the soule is bootlesse Yet euen this hope cheered him against the violence of his death What should it doe vs that not our fame but our life our glory after death cannot die He that hath Stephens eies to looke into heauen cannot but haue the tongue of the Saints Come Lord How long That man seeing the glory of the end cannot but contemne the hardnesse the way But who wants those eies if he say and sweares that he feares not death beleeue him not if he protest this Tranquillitie and yet feare death beleeue him not beleeue him not if he say he is not miserable SECT XVIII THese are enemies on the left hand There want not some on the right The second ranke of the enemies of peace which with lesse profession of hostilitie hurt no lesse Not so easily perceiued because they distemper the minde not without some kinde of pleasure Surfet kils more than famine These are the ouer-desiring and ouer-ioying of these earthly things All immoderations are enemies as to health so to peace He that desires Hippocr Aphoris wants as much as he that hath nothing The drunken man is as thirstie as the sweating traueller Hence are the studies cares feares iealousies hopes griefes enuies wishes platformes of atchieuing alterations of purposes and a thousand like whereof each one is enough to make the life troublesome One is sicke of his neighbours field whose mis-shapen angles disfigure his and hinder his Lordship of entirenesse what he hath is not regarded for the want of what hee cannot haue Another feeds on crusts to purchase what he must leaue perhaps to a foole or which is not much better to a prodigall heire Another in the extremitie of couetous folly chuses to die an vnpitied death hanging himselfe for the fall of the market while the Commons laugh at that losse and in their speeches Epitaph vpon him as on that Pope He liued as a Wolfe and died as a Dogge One cares not what attendance hee dances at all houres on whose staires he sits what vices he soothes what deformities he imitates what seruile offices he doth in an hope to rise Another stomackes the couered head and stiffe knee of his inferiour angry that other men thinke him not so good as he thinkes himselfe Another eats his owne heart with enuy at the richer furniture and better
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
How many vaine men hast thou seene that haue gone into the field to seeke death in hope to finde an honour as foolish as themselues How many poore creatures hast thou mulcted with death for thine owne pleasure And canst thou hope that that God will make a by-way and a Posterne for thee alone that thou maiest passe to the next world not by the gates of death not by the bottome of the graue What then doest thou feare O my soule There are but two stages of death The Adiunct the bed and the graue This latter if it haue senslesnesse yet it hath rest The former if it haue paine yet it hath speedinesse and when it lights vpon a faithfull heart meets with many and strong antidotes of comfort The euill that is euer in motion is not fearefull That which both time and eternitie finde standing where it was is worthy of terrour Well may those tremble at death which finde more distresse within than without whose consciences are more sicke and neerer to death than their bodies It was thy Fathers wrath that did so terrifie thy soule O my Sauiour that it put thy body into a bloudy sweat The mention and thought of thy death ended in a Psalme but this began in an agonie Then didst thou sweat out my feares The power of that agonie doth more comfort all thine than the Angels could comfort thee That very voice deserued an eternall separation of horrour from death where thou saidst My God my God why hast thou forsaken me Thou hadst not complained of being left if thou wouldest haue any of thine left destitute of comfort in their parting I know not whom I can feare while I know whom I haue beleeued how can I be discouraged with the sight of my losse when I see so cleere an aduantage The Contrary What discomfort is this to leaue a fraile body to bee ioyned vnto a glorious head To forsake vaine pleasures false honours bootlesse hopes vnsatisfying wealth stormie contentments sinfull men perillous tentations a sea of troubles a gallie of seruitude an euill world and a consuming life for Freedome Rest Happinesse Eternitie And if thou wert sentenced O my soule to liue a thousand yeeres in this body with these infirmities how wouldest thou be wearie not of being only but of complaining Whiles ere the first hundred I should bee a childe ere the second a beast a stone ere the third and therefore should be so farre from finding pleasure in my continuance that I should not haue sense enough left to feele my selfe miserable And when I am once gone what difference is there betwixt the agedst of the first Patriarchs and mee and the childe that did but liue to be borne saue onely in what was and that which was is not And if this body had no weaknesse to make my life tedious yet what a torment is it that while I liue I must sinne Alas my soule euery one of thy knowne sinnes is not a disease but a death What an enemie art thou to thy selfe if thou canst not bee content that one bodily death should excuse thee from many spirituall to cast off thy body that thou maiest be stripped of the ragges yea the fetters of thy sinne and cloathed with the Robes of glorie Yet these termes are too hard Thou shalt not bee cast off O my body rather thou shalt be put to making this change is no lesse happy for thee than for thy partner This very skinne of thine which is now tawnie and wrinkled shall once shine this earth shall bee heauen this dust shall bee glorious These eyes that are now wearie of being witnesses of thy sinnes and miseries shall then neuer be wearie of seeing the beautie of thy Sauiour and thine owne in his These eares that haue beene now tormented with the impious tongues of men shall first heare the voice of the Sonne of God and then the voices of Saints and Angels in their songs of Alleluia And this tongue that now complaines of miseries and feares shall then beare a part in that diuine harmonie The comparisons In the meane time thou shalt but sleepe in this bed of earth hee that hath tried the worst of death hath called it no worse very Heathens haue termed them cousins and it is no vnusuall thing for cousins of bloud to carrie both the same names and features Hast thou wont O my body when the day hath wearied thee to lie downe vnwillingly to thy rest Behold in this sleepe there is more quietnesse more pleasure of visions more certaintie of waking more cheerefulnesse in rising why then art thou loth to thinke of laying off thy ragges and reposing thy selfe Why art thou like a childe vnwilling to goe to bed Hast thou euer seene any bird which when the cage hath beene opened would rather sit still and sing within her grates than flie forth vnto her freedome in the woods Hast thou euer seene any prisoner in loue with his bolts and fetters Did the Chiefe of the Apostles when the Angell of God shined in his Iayle and strooke him on the side and loosed his two chaines and bade him Arise quickly and opened both the woodden and Iron gate say What so soone yet a little sleepe What madnesse had it beene rather to slumber betwixt his two Keepers than to follow the Angell of God into libertie Hast thou euer seene any Mariner that hath saluted the sea with songs and the Hauen with teares What shall I say to this diffidence O my soule that thou art vnwilling to thinke of rest after thy toile of freedome after thy durance of the Hauen after an vnquiet and tempestuous passage How many are there that seeke death and cannot finde it meerely out of the irksomenesse of life Hath it found thee and offered thee better conditions not of immunitie from euils but of possession of more good than thou canst thinke and wouldest thou now flie from happinesse to be rid of it What Is it a name that troubles thee what if men would call sleepe death The Names wouldst thou be afraid to close thine eies what hurt is it then if he that sent the first sleepe vpon man whilest hee made him an helper send this last and soundest sleepe vpon mee whiles he prepares my soule for a glorious Spouse to himselfe It is but a parting which we call death as two friends when they haue lead each other on the way shake hands till they returne from their iourney If either could miscarry there were cause of sorrow now they are more sure of a meeting than of a parture what folly is it not to be content to redeeme the vnspeakable gaine of so deare a friend with a little intermission of enioying him He will returne laden with the riches of heauen and will fetch his old partner to the participation of this glorious wealth Goe then my Soule to this sure and gainefull traffique and leaue my other halfe in an harbour as safe
for thy selfe An excellent vertue for Blessed is the man that findeth wisdome Pr. 3.14 Pr. 16.16 Pr. 3.15 Pr. 3.16 Pr. 3.17 Pr. 3.18 Pr. 15.14 Pr. 18.15 Pr. 19.2 Pr. 10.14 Pr. 13.16 Pr. 14.18 Pr. 2.10 Pr. 2.11 Pr. 2.12 Pr. 2.13 Pr. 15.24 Pr. 8.20 Pr. 16.23 Pr. 10.12 and getteth vnderstanding The merchandise thereof is better than siluer and the gaine thereof is better than gold It is more precious than pearles and all the things that thou canst desire are not to be compared to her Length of daies is in her right hand and in her left hand riches and glory Her waies are waies of pleasure and all her paths prosperity She is a tree of life to them that lay hold on her and blessed is he that receiueth her The fruits of it are singular for first A wise heart doth not onely seeke but get knowledge without which the minde is not good and the care of the wise learning And not get it only but lay it vp and not so onely but workes by it and yet more is crowned with it Besides knowledge here is safety When wisdome entreth into thy heart and knowledge delighteth thy soule then shall counsell preserue thee and vnderstanding shall keepe thee and deliuer thee from the euill way and from the man that speaketh froward things and from them that leaue the waies of righteousnesse to walke in the waies of darknesse and as from sinne so from iudgement The way of life is on high the prudent to auoid from hell beneath Thirdly good direction 1. For actions Wisdome causeth to walke in the way of righteousnesse and in the mids of the paths of iudgement 2. For words The heart of the wise guideth his mouth wisely and addeth doctrine to his lips Pr. 19.25 Pr. 8.21 So that the words of the mouth of a wise man haue grace yea he receiues grace from others Either instruct or reproue the Prudent and he will vnderstand knowledge Ec. 8.11 Pr. 3.35 Pr. 16.22 Not to speake of wealth she causeth them that loue her to inherit substance and silleth their treasures shee giueth not onely honour for the wisdome of a man doth make his face to shine and the wise man shall inherit glory but life Vnderstanding is a well-spring of life to him that hath it and he that findeth mee saith Wisdome findeth life Pr. 8.34 Pr. 4.5 Pr. 4.6 Pr. 4.7 Pr. 4.8 and shall obtaine fauour of the Lord. Wherefore get wisdome get vnderstanding forget not neither decline from the words of my mouth Forsake her not and she shall keepe thee loue her and she shall preserue thee Wisdome is the beginning get wisdome therefore and aboue all possessions get vnderstanding Exalt her Pr. 4.9 and she shall exalt thee She shall bring thee vnto honour if thou embrace her shee shall giue a goodly ornament to thine head yea shee shall giue thee a crowne of glory §. 3. Of Prouidence What she is What her obiects What her effects Ec. 8.5 PRouidence is that whereby the heart of the wise fore-knoweth the time and iudgement Ec. 8.6 the time when it will be the iudgement how it will be done both which are appointed to euery purpose vnder Heauen Ec. 8.7 Not that man can foresee all future things No he knoweth not that that shall be For who can tell him when it shall bee not so much as concerning himselfe Ec. 9.12 Neither doth man know his time but as the fishes are taken with an euill net and as the birds which are caught in the snare so are the children of men snared in the euill time when it falleth on them suddenly yea the steps of a man are ruled by the Lord Pr. 20.24 Pr. 22.3 how should a man then vnderstand his owne way But sometimes he may The prudent man seeth the plague a farre off and fleeth and as for good things Pr. 30.2 5. With the Pismire he prouideth his meat in Summer working still according to fore-knowledge Ec. 11.4 yet not too strictly and fearefully for he that obserueth the wind shall not sow and he that regardeth the clouds shall not reape §. 4. Of Discretion what it is what it worketh for our acts for our speeches Pr. 16.20 Pr. 16.23 Pr. 14.15 Ec. 3.1 DIscretion is that whereby a man is wise in his businesses and whereby the heart of the wise guideth his mouth wisely and addeth doctrine to his lips For actions The Prudent will consider his steps and make choice of his times for To all things there is an appointed time and a time for euery purpose vnder heauen Ec. 3.2 Ec. 3.3 4. Ec. 3.8 Pr. 24.5 Pr. 14.24 a time to plant and a time to plucke vp that which is planted a time to slay and a time to heale c. a time of warre and a time of peace from hence it is that the wise man is strong and rich for by knowledge shall the Chambers bee fild with precious things which he knowes how to employ well The crowne of the wise is their riches from hence Pr. 13.15 that his good vnderstanding maketh him acceptable to others For speeches Pr. 15.2 Pr. 10.13 Pr. 10.12 Pr. 25.11 Pr. 15.23 Pr. 20.15 Pr. 14.3 Pr. 12.18 Pr. 16.24 The tongue of the wise vseth knowledge aright and in the lips of him that hath vnderstanding wisdome is found and his words haue grace both 1. for the seasonablenesse A word spoken in his place is like apples of gold with pictures of siluer and how good is a word in due season 2. for the worth of them The lips of knowledge are a precious iewell lastly for their vse The lips of the wise shall preserue them and their tongue is health and with health pleasure Faire words are as an hony-combe sweetnesse to the soule and health to the bones §. 5. The extremes Ouer-wise Foolish Who he is What kindes there bee of Fooles the meere foole the rash foole the wicked foole What successe HEre are two extremes On the right hand Make not thy selfe ouer-wise Ec. 7. wherefore shouldest thou be desolate On the left Neither be foolish Ec. 7.19 Pr. 21.16 Pr. 17.16 Pr. 15.2 why shouldest thou perish not in thy time The foole is that man that wandreth out of the way of wisdome which hath none heart that is is destitute of vnderstanding either to conceiue or to doe as he ought Of which sort is 1. The meere foole That foole Pr. 14.24 Pr. 17.16 Pr. 24.7 Pr. 29.20 Pr. 29.11 Pr. 19.2 Pr. 29.20 Pr. 1.7 Pr. 14.9 Pr. 13.19 Pr. 15.21 Pr. 10.3 Pr. 13.16 Pr. 27.22 Pr. 26.11 who when he goeth by the way his heart faileth whose folly is foolishnesse in whose hand there is a price in vaine to get wisdome which is too high for him to attaine lastly in whom are not the lips of knowledge 2. The rash foole that is hasty in his matters that powreth out all his
with both and neither I flatter you not this of yours is the worst of all tempers heat and cold haue their vses luke-warmnesse is good for nothing but to trouble the stomacke Those that are spiritually hot finde acceptation those that are starke cold haue a lesser reckoning the meane betweene both is so much worse as it comes neerer to good and attaines it not How long wilt you halt in this indifferency Resolue one way and know at last what you doe hold what you should Cast off either your wings or your teeth and loathing this Bat-like nature be either a bird or a beast To dye wauering and vncertaine your selfe will grant fearfull If you must settle when begin you If you must beginne why not now It is dangerous deferring that whose want is deadly and whose opportunity is doubtfull God cryeth with Iehu Who is on my side who Looke at last out of your window to him and in a resolute courage cast downe this Iezabel that hath bewitched you Is there any impediment which delay will abate Is there any which a iust answer cannot remoue If you had rather wauer who can settle you But if you loue not inconstancy tell vs why you stagger Bee plaine or else you will neuer bee firme What hinders you Is it our diuisions I see you shake your head at this and by your silent gesture bewray this the cause of your distaste Would God I could either deny this with truth or amend it with teares But I grant it with no lesse sorrow then you with offence This earth hath nothing more lamentable then the ciuill jarres of one faith What then Must you defie your mother because you see your brethren fighting Their dissension is her griefe Must she lose some sonnes because some others quarrell Doe not so wrong your selfe in afflicting her Will you loue Christ the lesse because his coat is diuided Yea let mee bodly say The hemme is torne a little the garment is whole or rather it is fretted a little not torne or rather the fringe not the hem Behold here is one Christ one Creed one Baptisme one Heauen one way to it in summe one religion one foundation and take away the tumultuous spirits of some rigorous Lutherans one heart our differences are those of Paul and Barnabas not those of Peter and Magus if they be some it is well they are no more if many that they are not capitall Shew me that Church that hath not complained of distraction yea that family yea that fraternity yea that man that alwayes agrees with himselfe See if the Spouse of Christ in that heauenly mariage song doe not call him a young Hart in the mountaines of diuision Tell me then whither wil you go for truth if you will allow no truth but where there is no diuision To Rome perhaps famous for vnitie famous for peace See now how happily you haue chosen how well you haue sped Loe there Cardinall Bellarmine himselfe a witnesse aboue exception vnder his owne hand acknowledgeth to the world and reckons vp 237 contrarieties of doctrine among the Romish Diuines VVhat need we more euidence O the perfect accordance of Peters See! worthy to be recorded for a badge of truth Let now all our aduersaries scrape together so many contradictions of opinions amongst vs as they confesse amongst themselues and be you theirs No they are not more peaceable but more subtle they haue not lesse dissension but more smothered They fight closely within doores without noyse all our frayes are in the field would God wee had as much of their cunning as they want of our peace and no more of their policy then they want of our truth Our strife is in ceremonies their 's substance ours in one or two points theirs in all Take it boldly from him that dares auouch it there is not one point in all Diuinity except those wherein we accord with them wherein they all speak the same If our Church displease you for differences theirs much more vnlesse you will be either wilfully incredulous or wilfully partiall vnlesse you dislike a mischiefe the lesse for the secrecy VVhat will you doe then VVill you be a Church alone Alas how full are you of contradictions to your selfe how full of contrary purposes how oft doe you chide with your selfe how oft doe you fight with your selfe I appeale to that bosome which is priuy to those secret combats beleeue me not if euer you find perfect vnity any where but aboue either goe thither and seeke it amongst those that triumph or be content with what estate you finde in this warfaring number Truth is in differences as gold in drosse wheat in chaffe will you cast away the best mettall the best graine because it is mingled with this offall VVill you rather bee poore and hungry then bestow labour on the farme or the furnace Is there nothing worth your respect but peace I haue heard that the interlacing of discords graces the best musick and I know not whether the very euill spirits agree not with themselues If the body be sound what though the coat be torne or if the garment be whole what if the lace be vnript Take you peace let me haue truth I cannot haue both To conclude Embrace those truths that we all hold and it greatly matters not what you hold in those wherein we differ and if you loue your safety seeke rather grounds whereon to rest then excuses for your vnrest If euer you looke to gaine by the truth you must both chuse it and cleaue to it Meere resolution is not enough except you will rather lose your selfe then it To Sir EDMVND LVCY EPIST. VI. Discoursing of the different degrees of heauenly glory and of our mutuall knowledge of each other aboue AS those which neuer were at home now after much heare-say trauelling toward it aske in the way What manner of house it is what seat what frame what soile so doe we in the passage to our glory we are all pilgrimes thither yet so as that some haue lookt into it afarre through the open windowes of the Scripture Goe to then whiles others are enquiring about worldly dignities and earthly pleasures let vs two sweetly consult of the estate of our future happinesse yet without presumption without curiositie Amongst this infinite choice of thoughts it hath pleased you to limit our discourse to two heads You aske first if the ioyes of the glorified Saints shall differ in degrees I feare not to affirme it There is one life of all one felicity but diuers measures Our heauen beginnes here and here varies in degrees One Christian enioyes God aboue another according as his grace as his faith is more and heauen is still like it selfe not other aboue from that beneath As our grace begins our glory so it proportions it Blessednesse stands in the perfect operation of the best faculties about the perfectest obiect that is in the vision in the fruition of God All
citie garment house without them it cannot be well and perfect yet which of our aduersaries will say we haue no discipline Some they grant but not the right as if they said Your Citie hath a bricke wall indeed but it should haue one of hewne stone your Vineyard is hedged but it should be paled and ditched while they cauill at what we want we thanke God for what we haue and so much wee haue in spight of all detraction as makes vs both a true Church and a worthy one But the maine quarrell is against our Ministerie and forme of worship let these be examined this is the circle of their censure No Church therefore no Ministery and no Ministerie therefore no Church vnnaturall sonnes that spit in the face of those spirituall Fathers that begot them and the Mother that bore them What vvould they haue Haue we not competent gifts from aboue for so great a function Are wee all vnlearned vnsufficient Not a man that knowes to diuide the word aright As Paul to the Corinths Is it so that there is not one wise man amongst vs No man will affirme it some of them haue censured our excesse in some knowledge none our defect in all What then Haue wee not a true desire to doe faithfull seruice to God and his Church No zeale for Gods glory Who hath been in our hearts to see this Who dare vsurpe vpon God and condemne our thoughts Yea wee appeale to that onely Iudge of hearts whether he hath not giuen vs a sincere longing for the good of his Sion he shall make the thoughts of all hearts manifest and then shall euery man haue praise of God If then we haue both ability and will to doe publike good our inward calling which is the maine point is good and perfect for the outward what want we Are wee not first after good tryall presented and approued by the learned in our Colledges examined by our Church-gouernors ordain'd by imposition of hands of the Eldership allowed by the Congregations we are set ouer doe wee not labour in word and doctrine doe we not carefully administer the Sacraments of the Lord Iesus haue we not by our publike meanes wonne many soules to God what should we haue and doe more All this and yet no true Ministers we passe very little to bee iudged of them or of mans day but our Ordainers you say are Antichristian surely our censurers are vnchristian tho we should grant it some of vs vvere baptized by Hereticks is the Sacrament annihilated and must it be redoubled How much lesse Ordination vvhich is but an outward admission to preach the Gospell God forbid that we should thus condemne the innocent more hands vvere laid vpon vs then one and of them for the principall except but their perpetuall honour and some few immateriall rites let an enemie say what they differ from Super-intendents and can their double honour make them no Elders If they haue any personall faults why is their calling scourged Looke into our Sauiours times vvhat corruptions were in the very Priesthood It vvas now made annuall which was before fixed and singular Christ saw these abuses and was silent here was much dislike and no clamour we for lesse exclaime and separate euen personall offences are fetcht into the condemnation of lawfull courses God giue both pardon and redresse to this foule vncharitablenesse Alas how ready are we to tosse the fore-part of our Wallet whiles our own faults are ready to breake our necks behind vs all the world sees and condemnes their Ordination to be faulty yea none at all yet they cry out first on vs craftily I thinke left we should complaine that Church-gouernors should ordaine Ministers hath bin the constant practice of the Church from Christs time to this houre I except onely in an extreame desolation meerely for the first course that the people should make their Ministers was vnheard of in all ages and Churches till Bolton Browne and Barrow and hath neither colour nor example Doth not this comparison seeme strange and harsh Their Tradesmen may make true Ministers our Ministers cannot who but they would not be ashamed of such a position Or who but you would not thinke the time mis-spent in answering it No lesse friuolous are those exceptions that are taken against our worship of God condemned for false and idolatrous whereof Volumes of Apologies are written by others we meet together pray reade heare preach sing administer and receiue Sacraments wherein offend we How many Gods doe we pray to or to whom but the True God In what words but holy whom do we preach but the same Christ vvith them what point of faith not theirs What Sacraments but those they dare not but allow Where lyes our Idolatry that we may let it out In the manner of performing in set Prayers Antichristian Ceremonies of crossing kneeling c. For the former what sinne is this The original and truth of prayer is in the heart the voice is but as accidentall if the heart may often conceiue the same thought the tongue her seruant may often vtter it in the same words and if dayly to repeat the same speeches bee amisse then to entertaine the same spirituall desires is sinfull to speake once vvithout the heart is hypocriticall but to speake often the same request with the heart neuer offendeth What intolerable boldnesse is this to condemne that in vs which is recorded to haue been the continuall practice of Gods Church in al successions Of the Iewes in the time of Moses Dauid Salomon Iehosaphat Ezekiah Ieremie Of the ancient Christian assemblies both Greeke and Latine and now at this day of all reformed Churches in Christendome yea which our Sauiour himselfe so directly allowed and in a manner prescribed and the blessed Apostles Paul and Peter in all their formall salutations which were no other then set prayers so commonly practised for the other lest I exceed a Letter tho wee yeeld them such as you imagine worse they cannot bee they are but Ceremonious appendances the body and substance is sound Blessed be God that we can haue his true Sacraments at so easie a rate as the payment if they were such of a few circumstantiall inconueniences how many deare children of God in all ages euen neere the golden times of the Apostles haue gladly purchased them much dearer and not complained but see how our Church imposes them not as to binde the conscience otherwise then by the common bond of obedience not as actions wherein Gods worship essentially consisteth but as themselues Ceremonies comely or conuenient not necessarie whatsoeuer is this a sufficient ground of separation How many moderate and wiser spirits haue we that cannot approue the Ceremonies yet dare not forsake the Church and that hold your departure farre more euill then the cause You are inuited to a feast if but a Napkin or Trencher be mis-placed or a dish ill carued do you run from the Table and not
bosome a shrine of God 2 Cor. 12. Know yee not that Christ Iesus is in you saith S. Paul Wheresoeuer God dwels there is his Temple Wilt thou pray in the Temple pray in thy selfe saith Austen Here is the Altar of a cleane heart from which the sweet incense of our praiers as a pleasant perfume is sent vp into the nostrils of God Here are the pure candles of our faith euer burning before God night and day neuer to be extinguished Here is the spirituall Shew-bread the bread of life standing euer ready vpon the Table of the soule Here doth the Arke of the heart in the inwardest of the breast keepe the law of God and that Manna that came downe from heauen Here God dwels and here he is worshipped Behold what need wee care whither we goe while we carry the God of heaven with vs He is with vs as our companion as our guide as our guest No impotency of person no crosse of estate no distance of place no opposition of men no gates of hell can separate him from vs Hee hath said it I will not leaue nor forsake thee We are all now parting one from another and now is loosing a knot of the most louing and entire fellowship that euer met in the Court of any Prince our sweet Master that was compounded of all louelinesse infused this gracious harmony into our hearts now we are saluting our last and euery one is with sorrow enough taking his owne way how safe how happy shall we be if each of vs shall haue God to go with him Certainly my deare fellowes we shall neuer complaine of the want of Masters of friends while we finde our selues sure of him nothing can make vs miserable while we are furnished with him Shall wee thinke hee cannot fare ill that hath money in his purse and shall we thinke he can miscarry that hath God in his heart How shall not all comfort all happinesse accompany that God whose presence is the cause of all blessednesse He shall counsell vs in our doubts direct vs in our resolutions dispose of vs in our estates cheere vs in our distresses prosper vs in our liues and in our deaths crowne vs. And if such felicity follow vpon Gods dwelling with vs in these smokie cottages of our mortality where we through our vnquiet corruptions will not suffer our selues to haue a full fruition of God what happinesse shall there be in our dwelling with God in those eternall Tabernacles of rest and glory Beloued there is no losse no miserie which the meditation of heauen cannot digest we haue liued in the eye of a Prince whose countenance was able to put life into any beholder How oft hath that face shined vpon vs and we haue found our heart warme with those comfortable beames Behold we shall liue with that God in whose presence is the fulnesse of ioy wee haue liued in the soeciety of worthy men yet but men subiect to all passions infirmities self-respects which of vs all can haue escaped without some vnkindnesses detractions emulations Earthly Courts can be no more without these than these can be without corruption there we shall liue in the company of innumerable Angels and the spirits of iust and perfect men Reuel 19.3 neither can there be any iar in these Halleluiahs which we shall all sing to God We haue liued to see the magnificence of earthly Princes and to partake of it in their buildings furnitures feasts triumphs in their wealth pompe pleasures But open your eyes and see the new Ierusalem the City of the great King of Saints and all these sublunary vanities shall bee contemned Here you shall see a foure-square Citie the wals of Iasper the foundations garnished with all precious stones Twelue gates of twelue pearles The houses and streets of pure gold like shining glasse A Chrystall riuer runs in the midst of it and on the banks of it growes the tree of life euer greene euer fruitfull this is for the eye The eare shall be filled with the melody of Angels euer singing Holy holy holy Lord God Almighty The taste shall be satisfied with Manna the food of Angels with the fruit of the tree of life with that new wine which our Sauiour hath promised to drinke with vs in his Kingdome These are the dimme shadowes of our future blessednesse At thy right hand ô God are pleasures for euermore and such pleasures as if they could be expressed or conceiued were not worthy of our longings nor able to satisfie vs Oh that wee could so much the more long to enioy them by how much lesse we are able to comprehend them When S. Paul made his Farewell-Sermon to the Ephesians he fetcht teares from the eyes of his auditors so full of holy passion was his speech especially with that one clause And now behold I know Act. 20.25 that henceforth you all through whom I haue gone preaching the kingdome of God shall see my face no more A sad clause indeed You shall see my face no more The minde of man cannot endure to take a finall leaue of any thing that offends it not but the face of a friend of a companion hath so much pleasure in it that we cannot without much sorrow thinke of seeing it our last But what if we shall meet here no more what if we shall no more see one anothers face Brethren we shall once meet together aboue we shall once see the glorious face of God and neuer looke off againe Let it not ouer-grieue vs to leaue these Tabernacles of stone since wee must shortly lay downe these Tabernacles of clay and enter into Tabernacles not made with hands eternall in the heauens Till then farewell my deare brethren farewell in the Lord Goe in peace and liue as those that haue lost such a Master and as those that serue a Master whom they cannot lose And the God of peace goe with you and prosper you in all your wayes and so fix this Tabernacle in you vpon earth that you may be receiued into those Tabernacles of the new Ierusalem and dwell with him for euer in that glory which he hath prouided for all that loue him AMEN FINIS NOAH'S DOVE BRINGING AN OLIVE OF PEACE TO THE TOSSED ARKE OF CHRISTS CHVRCH A SERMON PREACH'T IN LATINE IN THE CONVOCATION HELD IN SAINT PAVLES CHVRCH TO THE CLERGIE OF ENGLAND AND ESPECIALLY THAT OF THE PROVINCE OF CANTERBVRIE By IOS HALL Deane of Worcester Done into English by R. H. SIC ELEVABITVR FILIVS HOMINIS Io 3. ANCHORA FIDEI LONDON ¶ Printed by IOHN HAVILAND for HANNA BARRET 1624. TO THE RIGHT HONOVRABLE MY SINGVLAR GOOD LORD EDVVARD Lord DENNY Baron of WALTHAM all health and Happinesse RIGHT HONOVRABLE I Might well perceiue by the Author that this Sermon was neuer intended to be published in any other Language than that wherein it was first spoken being in respect of the matter in a sort appropriate to that Auditory wherein it was
vvas gone forth had frequent visions of his Maker So whiles in our affections we remaine here below in our Cofers wee cannot haue the comfortable assurances of the presence of God but if wee can abandon the loue and trust of these earthly things in the conscience of our obedience now God shall appeare to vs and speake peace to our soules and neuer shall we finde cause to repent vs of the change Let mee therefore conclude this point with that diuine charge of our Sauiour Lay not vp for your selues treasures on earth where moth and rust doc corrupt and theeues breake thorow and steale but lay vp for your selues treasure in heauen Thus much of the Negatiue part of our charge Wherein wee haue dwelt so long that we may scarce soiourne in the other But trust in God Trust not but Trust The heart of man is so conscious of his owne weaknesse that it will not goe vvithout a prop and better a weake stay then none at all Like as in matter of policy the very state of Tyrannie is preferred to the want of a King The same breath therfore that withdraws one refuge from vs substitutes a better and in stead of Riches which is the false god of the world commends to vs the true and liuing God of heauen and earth Euen as some good Carpenter raises vp the studs and in stead of a rotten groundsell layes a sound The same trust then must we giue to God which wee may not giue to riches The obiect onely is changed the act is not changed Him must wee esteeme aboue all things to him must we looke vp in all on him must we depend for all both protection and prouision from his goodnesse and mercy must we acknowledge all and in him must we delight with contempt of all and this is to Trust in God It was a sweet dirty of the Psalmist which we must all learne to sing Bonum est confidere in Domino It is good to trust in the Lord Good in respect of him and good for vs. For him It is one of the best pieces of glory to be trusted to as with vs Ioseph holds Potiphar cannot doe him a greater honour then in trusting him with all And his glory is so precious that he cannot part with that to any creature all other things hee imparts willingly and reserues nothing to himselfe but this Being life knowledge happinesse are such blessings as are eminently originally essentially in God and yet Being he giues to al things Life to many Knowledge to some kindes of creatures Happinesse to some of these kinds as for Riches he so giues them to his creature that hee keepes them not at all to himselfe but as for his Glory whereof our trust is a part hee will not endure it communicated to Angell or man not to the best ghost in heauen much lesse to the drosse of the earth Whence is that curse not without an indignation Cursed bee the man that trusts in man that maketh flesh his arme yea or spirit either besides the God of Spirits Whom haue I in heauen but thee Herein therefore doe wee iustice to God when we giue him his owne that is his glory our confidence But the greatest good is our own God shewes much more mercy to vs in allowing and inabling vs to trust him then we can doe iustice in trusting him For alas hee could in his iust iudgement glorifie himselfe in our not trusting him in taking vengeance of vs for not glorifying him Our goodnesse reaches not to him but his goodnesse reaches downe to vs in that our hearts are raised vp to confidence in him For what safety what vnspeakable comfort is there in trusting to God When our Sauiour in the last words of his Diuine Farewell Sermon to his Disciples would perswade them to confidence Iob 16. vlt. he sayes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and so doth the Angell to Paul in prison a a word that signifies boldnesse implying that our confidence in God causeth boldnes and courage and what is there in all he world that can worke the heart to so comfortable and vnconquerable resolution as our reposall vpon God The Lord is my trust whom then can I feare In the Lord put I mâ— trust how say ye then to my soule Flee hence as a bird to the hils Yea how oft doth Dauid inferre vpon this trust a non confundar I shal not be ashamed And this case is generall That they that but their trust in the Lord are as mount Sion that cannot be moued Faith can remoue mountaines but the mountaines that are raised on faith are vnremoueable Here is a stay for you O ye wealthy great worthy of your trust If ye were Monarchs on earth or Angels in heauen ye could be no way safe but in this trust How easie is it for him to inrich or impouerish you to hoyse you vnto the seats of honor or to spurne you down What mynes what Princes can raise you â—â— to wealth against him without him Hee can bid the winds and Seas fauour your vessels he can bid them sinke in a calm The rich and the poore meet together God is the maker of both Pro. 22. Ye may trade and toyle and carke and spare and put vp and cast about and at last sit you downe with a sigh of late repentance and say Except the Lord build the house they labour in vaine that build it It is in vaine to rise early and lye down late and eat the bread of sorrow Vnto how many of you may I say with the Prophet Haggai Ye haue sowne much and bring in little ye eat and haue not enough ye drink but ye are not filled ye cloâ—th you but ye â—e not warme and hee that earneth much puts his gaines into a broken 〈◊〉 And whence is all this Ye looked for much and loe it came to little when yee brought it home I did blow vpon it saith the Lord of Hosts Behold how easie a thing it is for the God of heaâ— onto blast all your substance yea not onely to diminish but to curse it 〈…〉 and to make you weary of it and of your selues Oh cast your selâ—e◠〈…〉 those Almighty hands Seeke him in whom onely you shall fiâ—d 〈…〉 happinesse Honour him with your substance that hath honored you with it Truâ—â— in riches but trust in God It is motiue enough to your trust that he is a God all arguments are in folded in that one yet this Text giues you certaine explicit inforcements of this confidence Euery one of these reasons implying a secret kind of disdainfull comparison betwixt the true God and the false perswade you to trust in God Riches are but for this world the true God is Lord of the other and beginnes his glory where the glory of the world ends therefore trust in him Riches are vncertaine the true God is Amen the first and the last euer like himselfe therefore trust in
yea without dimention of matter was truly admirable Doubtlesse he went oft about it and viewed it on all sides and now when his eie and mind could vntâ—â— with no likely causes so far off resolues I will goe see it His curiosity led him neeres and what could hee see but a bush and a flame which he saw at first vnsatisfied It is good to come to the place of Gods presence howsoeuer God may perhaps speak to thy heart though thou come but for nouelty Euen those which haue come vpon curiosity haue beene oft taken Absence is without hope If Moses had not come he had not beene called out of the bush To see a fire not consuming the bush was much but to heare a speaking fire this was more and to heare his owne name out of the mouth of the fire it was most of all God makes way for his greatest messages by astonishment and admiration as on the contrary carelesnesse caries vs to a meere vnproficiency vnder the best meanes of God If our hearts were more awfull Gods messages would be more effectuall to vs. In that appearance God meant to call Moses to come yet when he is come inhibits him Come not hither We must come to God we must not come too nere him When we meditate of the great mysteries of his word we come to him we come too neere him when we search into his counsels The Sun and the fire say of themselues Come not too neare how much more the light which none can attaine vnto We haue all our limits set vs The Gentiles might come into some outter courts not into the inmost The Iewes might come into the inner Court not into the Temple the Priests and Leuites into the Temple not into the Holy of Holies Moses to the Hill not to the Bush The waues of the Sea had not more need of bounds then mans presumption Moses must not come close to the bush at all and where he may stand he may not stand with his shooes on There is no vnholinesse in clothes God prepared them for man at first and that of skins lest any exception should be taken at the hides of dead beasts The rite was significant What are the shooes but worldly and carnall affections If these be not cast off when we come to the holy place we make our selues vnholy how much lesse should we dare to come with resolutions of sinne This is not onely to come with shooes on but with shooes bemired with wicked filthinesse the touch whereof pro-the pauement of God and makes our presence odious Moses was the Sonne of Amram Amram of Kohath Kohath of Leui Leui of Iacob Iacob of Isaac Isaac of Abraham God puts together both ends of his pedigree I am the God of thy father and of Abraham Isaac Iacob If he had said onely I am thy God it had beene Moses his duty to attend awfully but now that he sayes I am the God of thy Father and of Abraham c. He challenges reuerence by prescription Any thing that was our Ancesters pleases vs their Houses their Vessels their Cotâ— armour How much more their God How carefull should Parents be to make holy choices Euery president of theirs are so many monuments and motiues to their posterity What an happinesse it is to be borne of good Parents hence God claimes an interest in vs and wee in him for their sake As many a man smarteth for his fathers sinne so the goodnesse of others is crowned in a thousand generations Neither doth God say I was the God of Abraham Isaac Iacob but I am The Patriarkes still liue after so many thousand yeares of dissolution No length of time can separate the soules of the iust from their Maker As for their body there is still a reall relation betwixt the dust of it and the soule and if the being of this part be more defectiue the being of the other is more liuely and doth more then recompence the wants of that earthly halfe God could not describe himselfe by a more sweet name then if his I am the God of thy father and of Abraham c. yet Moses hides his face for feare If he had said I am the glorious God that made heauen and earth that dwell in light inaccessible whom the Angels cannot behold or I am God the auenger iust and terrible a consuming fire to mine enemies here had beene iust cause of terror But why was Moses so frighted with a familiar compellation God is no lesse awfull to his owne in his very mercies Great is thy mercy that thou mayst be feared for to them no lesse maiesty shines in the fauours of God then in his iudgements and iustice The wicked heart neuer feares God but thundring or shaking the earth or raining fire from heauen but the good can dread him in his very sunne-shine his louing deliuerances blessings affect them with awfulnesse Moses was the true son of Iacob who when he saw nothing but visions of loue mercy could say How dreadfull is this places I see Moses now at the bush hiding his face at so milde a representation hereafter we shall see him in this very Mount betwixt heauen and earth in Thunder Lightning Smoke Earth-quakes speaking mouth to mouth with God bare faced and fearlesse God was then more terrible but Moses was lesse strange This was his first meeting with God further acquaintance makes him familiar and familiarity makes him bold Frequence of conuersation giues vs freedome of accesse to God and makes vs powre out our hearts to him as fully and as fearlesly as to our friends In the meane time now at first he made not so much haste to see but he made as much to hide his eies Twice did Moses hide his face once for the glory which God put vpon him which made him so shine that he could not bee beheld of others once for Gods owne glory which hee could not behold No maruell Some of the creatures are too glorious for mortall eies how much more when God appeares to vs in the easiest manner must his glory needs ouercome vs Behold the difference betwixt our present and future estate Then the more Maiesty of appearance the more delight when our sin is quite gone all our feare at Gods presence shall be turned into ioy God appeared to Adam before his sin with comfort but in the same forme which after his sin was terrible And if Moses cannot abide to looke vpon Gods glory when he descends to vs in mercy how shall wicked ones abide to see his fearfull presence when he sets vpon vengeance In this fire he flamed and consumed not but in his reuenge our God is a consuming fire First Moses hides himselfe in feare now in modesty Who am I None in all Aegypt or Midian was comparably fit for this embassage Which of the Israelites had bin brought vp a Courtier a Scholler an Israelite by blood by education an Aegyptian learned wise valiant
the iourney and curse of the couetous prophet if God had not stayed him How oft are wicked men cursed by a diuine hand euen in those sins which their heart stands to It is no thank to lewd men that their wickednesse is not prosperous Whence is it that the world is not ouer-run with euill but from this that men cannot be so ill as they would The first entertainment of this message would make a stranger thinke Balaam wife and honest Hee will not giue a sudden answer but craues leasure to consult with God and promises to returne the answer he shall receiue Who would not say This man is free from rashnesse from partiality Dissimulation is crafty able to deceiue thousands The words are good when he comes to action the fraud bewaries it selfe For both he insinuates his own forwardnesse and casts the blame of the prohibition vpon God and which is worse deliuers but halfe his answer he sayes indeed God refuses to giue them leaue to goe He sayes not as it was He charges me not to curse them for they are blessed So did Balaam deny as one that wisht to be sent for againe Perhaps a peremptory refusall had hindered his further sollicitation Concealement of some truths is sometimes as faulty as a deniall True fidelity is not niggardly in her relations Where wickednesse meets with power it thinkes to command all the world and takes great scorne of any repulse So little is Balac discouraged with one refusall that he sends so much the stronger message Mo Princes and more honorable Oh that wee could be so importunate for our good as wicked men are for the compassing of their owne designes A deniall doth but whet the desires of vehement suitors Why are we faint in spirituall things when we are not denied but delayed Those which are themselues transported with vanity and ambition thinke that no heart hath power to resist these offers Balacs Princes thought they had strooke it dead when they had once mentioned promotion to great honour Selfe-loue makes them thinke they cannot be slaues whiles others may be free and that all the world would be glad to runne on madding after their bait Nature thinks it impossible to contemn honor and wealth and because too many soules are thus taken cannot beleeue that any would escape But let carnall hearts know there are those can spit the world in the face and say Thy gold and siluer perish with thee and that in comparison of a good conscience can tread vnder foot his best proffers like shadowes as they are and that can doe as Balaam said How neere truth and falshood can lodge together Here was piety in the lips and couetousnesse in the heart Who can any more regard good words that heares Balaam speake so like a Saint An housefull of gold siluer may not peruert his tongue his heart is won with lesse for if he had not already swallowed the reward and found it sweet why did he againe sollicit God in that which was peremptorily denyed him If his mind had not beene bribed already why did he stay the messenger why did he expect a change in God why was he willing to feed them with hope of successe which had fed him with hope of recompence One prohibition is enough for a good man Whiles the delay of God doth but hold vs in suspence importunity is holy and seasonable but when once he giues a resolute deniall it is prophane saucinesse to sollicit him When we aske what we are bidden our suites are not more vehement then welcome but when we begge prohibited fauours our presumption is troublesome and abhominable No good heart will endure to be twice forbidden Yet this opportunity had obtained a permission but a permission worse then a deniall I heard God say before Go not nor curse them Now he sayes Goe but curse not Anon he is angry that he did not goe Why did he permit that which he forbade if he be angry for doing that which he permitted Some things God permits with an indignation not for that he giues leaue to the act but that he giues a man ouer to his sinne in the act this sufferance implies not fauour but iudgement so did God bid Balaam to goe as Salomon bids the yong man follow the wayes of his owne heart It is one thing to like another thing to suffer Moses neuer approued those legall diuorces yet he tolerated them God neuer liked Balaams iourney yet he displeasedly giues way to it as if he said Well since thou art so hot set on this iourney be gone And thus Balaam tooke it else when God after professed his displeasure for the iourney it had beene a ready answer Thou commandedst me but herein his confession argues his guilt Balaams suite and Israels Quailes had both one fashion of grant in anger How much better is it to haue gracious denials then angry yeeldings A small perswasion hartens the willing It booted not to bid the couetous prophet hasten to his way Now he makes himselfe sure of successe His corrupt hart tels him that as God had relented in his licence to goe so he might perhaps in his licence to curse and he saw how this curse might blesse him with abundance of wealth hee rose vp earely therefore and saddled his Asse The night seemed long to his forwardnesse Couetous men need neither clocke nor bell to awaken them their desires make them restlesse O that we could with as much eagernesse seeke the true riches which onely can make vs happy We that see onely the out-side of Balaam may maruell why he that permitted him to goe afterward opposes his going but God that saw his heart perceiued what corrupt affections caried him hee saw that his couetous desires and wicked hopes grew the stronger the neerer he came to his end An Angell is therefore sent to with-hold the hasty Sorcerer Our inward disposition is the life of our actions according to that doth the God of spirits iudge vs whiles men censure according to our externall motions To goe at all when God had commanded to stay was presumptuous but to goe with desire to curse made the act doubly sinfull and fetcht an Angell to resist it It is one of the worthy imployments of good Angels to make secret opposition to euill designes Many a wicked act haue they hindered without the knowledge of the agent It is all one with the Almighty to worke by Spirits and men It is therefore our glory to be thus set on worke To stop the course of euill either by disswasion or violence is an Angelicall seruice In what danger are wicked men that haue Gods Angels their opposites The Deuill moued him to goe a good Angell resists him If an heauenly Spirit stand in the way of a Sorcerers sinne how much more ready are all those spirituall powers to stop the miscariages of Gods deare children How oft had we falne yet more if these Guardians had not
courses are quite contrary to the Commandements of God Vpon the act done God passed the sentence of restraining Moses with the rest from the promised Land Now he performes it Since that time Moses had many fauors from God All which could not reuerse this decreed castigation That euerlasting rule is grounded vpon the very essence of God I am Iehouah I change not Our purposes are as our selues fickle and incertaine His are certaine and immutable some things which he reueales he alters nothing that he hath decreed Besides the soule of Moses to the glory whereof God principally intended this change I finde him carefull of two things His Successor and his Body Moses moues for the one the other God doth vnasked He that was so tender ouer the welfare of Israel in his life would not staken his care in death He takes no thought for himselfe for hee knew how gainfull an exchange he must make All his care is for his charge Some enuious natures desire to be missed when they must goe and wish that the weakenesse or want of a successor may be the foyle of their memory and honour Moses is in a contrary disposition It sufficeth him not to find contentment in his owne happinesse vnlesse hee may haue an assurance that Israel shall prosper after him Carnall minds are all for themselues and make vse of gouernment onely for their owne aduantages But good hearts looke euer to the future good of the Church aboue their owne against their owne Moses did well to shew his good affection to his people but in his silence God would haue prouided for his owne He that called him from the sheepe of Iethro will not want a gouernour for his chosen to succeed him God hath fitted him whom he will choose Who can be more meet then he whose name whose experience whose graces might supply yea reuiue Moses to the people He that searched the Land before was fittest to guide Israel into it Hee that was indued with the Spirit of God was the fittest deputy for God He that abode still in the Tabernacle of Ohel-moed as Gods attendant was fittest to bee sent forth from him as his Lieutenant But oh the vnsearchable counsell of the Almighty Aged Caleb and all the Princes of Israel are past ouer and Ioshua the seruant of Moses is chosen to succeed his master The eye of God is not blinded either with gifts or with blood or with beauty or with strength but as in his eternall elections so in his temporary hee will haue mercy on whom he will And well doth Ioshua succeed Moses The very acts of God of old were allegories where the Law ends there the Sauiour begins we may see the Land of Promise in the Law Onely Iesus the Mediator of the New Testament can bring vs into it So was he a seruant of the Law that hee supplies all the defects of the Law to vs Hee hath taken possession of the promised Land for vs he shall cary vs from this Wildernesse to our rest It is no small happinesse to any state when their gouernours are chosen by worthinesse and such elections are euer from God whereas the intrusions of bribery and iniust fauour or violence as they make the Common-wealth miserable so they come from him which is the author of confusion Woe be to that state that suffers it woe be to that person that workes it for both of them haue sold themselues the one to seruitude the other to sinne I doe not heare Moses repine at Gods choyce and grudge that this Scepter of his is not hereditarie but he willingly layes hands vpon his seruant to consecrate him for his successor Ioshua was a good man yet he had some sparkes of Enuy for when Eldad and Medad prophesied he stomakt it My Lord Moses forbid them Hee that would not abide two of the Elders of Israel to prophecie how would hee haue allowed his seruant to sit in his throne What an example of meekenesse besides all the rest doth he here see in this last act of his master who without all murmuring resignes his chaire of State to his Page It is all one to a gracious heart whom God will please to aduance Emulation and discontentment are the affections of carnall mindes Humility goes euer with regeneration which teaches a man to thinke what euer honor be put vpon others I haue more then I am worthy of The same God that by the hands of his Angels caried vp the soule of Moses to his glory doth also by the hand of his Angels cary his body down into the velley of Moab to his sepulture Those hands which had taken the Law from him those eyes that had seene his presence those lips that had conferred so oft with him that face that did so shine with the beames of his glory may not be neglected when the soule is gone He that tooke charge of his birth and preseruation in the Reedes takes charge of his cariage out of the world The care of God ceaseth not ouer his owne either in death or after it How iustly do we take care of the comely burials of our friends when God himselfe giues vs this example If the ministery of man had beene vsed in this graue of Moses the place might haue been knowne to the Israelites but God purposely conceales this treasure both from Men and Deuils that so he might both crosse their curiosity and preuent their superstition If God had loued the adoration of his seruant relikes he could neuer haue had a fitter opportunity for this deuotion then in the body of Moses It is folly to place Religion in those things which God hides on purpose from vs It is not the property of the Almighty to restraine vs from good Yet that diuine hand which lockt vp this treasure and kept the key of it brought it forth afterwards glorious In the transfiguration this body which was hid in the valley of Moab appeared in the hill of Tabor that wee may know these bodies of ours are not lost but layd vp and shall as sure bee raised in glory as they are layd downe in corruption We know that when he shall appeare wee shall also appeare with him in Glory Contemplations THE EIGHTH BOOKE Rahab Jordan diuided The siege of Jericho Achan The Gibeonites BY IOS HALL D. of Diuinitie and Deane of WORCESTER TO THE TRVLY NOBLE AND WORTHILY HONOVRED GENTLEMAN MASTER ROBERT HAY ONE OF THE ATTENDANTS OF HIS MAIESTIES BED-CHAMBER A SINCERE FRIEND OF VERTVE AND LOVER OF LEARNING J. H. WITH APPRECATION OF ALL HAPPINESSE DEDICATES THIS PART OF HIS MEDITATIONS Contemplations THE EIGHTH BOOKE Of RAHAB IOshua was one of those twelue searchers which were sent to view the Land of Canaan yet now he addresses two Spyes for a more particular Suruey Those twelue were onely to enquire of the generall condition of the people and Land these two finde out the best entrance into the next part of the Countrey and into their