their owne hearts and their mischiefe light upon their owne heads Let His eare still heare His desire upon His enimies and His eye still see the fall of the wicked that rise up against Him Be He as David we as Cushi they as Absalon GOD by whom this prayer was allowed receive and graunt it GOD by whom this prophesie was inspired make it good and fulfill it as this day so for ever Even for ever and ever for His CHRIST 's sake A SERMON Preached before the KING'S MAIESTIE AT HOLDENBIE on the V. of AVGVST A. D. MDCVIII I. SAM CHAP. XXVI VER VIII IX Dixitque ABISAI ad DAVID c Then said ABISHAI to DAVID GOD hath closed thine enemie into thine hand this day now therefore J pray thee let me smite him once with a speare to the earth and J will not smite him againe And DAVID said to ABISHAI Destroy him not For who can lay his hand on the LORD 's Annointed and be guiltlesse The Summe THERE is sombody heer in this text in danger to be destroyed and the partie is the LORD 's Annointed King Saul The matter is come to hard hold Destroy him and destroy him not Abisai would have it done David at no hand he cries Ne perdas But the end was Saul was saved Thus lyeth the case heer in the text And was not the very same the case of this day There was sombody in as great danger to be destroyed this day It was Christus Domini God 's Annointed heer before us The case was come to the very same plunge Perdas ne perdas a King or no King Some were of Abisai's mind GOD was faine to supplie David's there was none els But blessed be GOD all ended in Ne perdas And againe blessed be GOD who then also verified the latter part of the verse that Nonâ— shall seek to lay hands on the Lord 's Annointed but they shal be found and handled as guilty persons For so they were and their blood was upon their owne heads Both cases suiting so well 〈…〉 might well serve for this day â—â—ere is in the former verse a motion made by Abisai for a blow at Saul thus The Division See c. There be three perillous motives in it 1 Inimicum He is your enemie 2 Conclusâ—â— heer is an opportunitie 3 Sine me the act shall not be yours lett me alone I will take it upon me There is in the latter David's utter dislike of the motion thus Destroy not c. Wherein first there is a double charge to the contrarie 1 One ad oculum Destroy him not 2 The other rising out of the reason yet plaine enough He had sayd Destroy him not Not that Quis enim misit manum for a lesse matter then that you may not do 〈◊〉 lay your hands not so much which is as it were a surcharge to the former or if I may so say a second edition of Ne perdas No talke of destroying so farre from that as no stirring the hand toward it 1. Then upon this double charge followeth a double reason two retentives as it were against the first motion 1 He is the Lord 's Annointed that may stay you if you be a good subject 2. Be you good subject or no if that will not this must You shall not be guiltlesse If not guiltlesse then guiltie and what becomes of them that be guiltie we all know That is do it not if you do it shall bring you to guiltie or not guiltie if you lay your hand you shall hold up your hand for it it is as much as your life is worth 3. Thirdly it is not indeed Non eris insons For if it had been so it might have been thought to have reached to Abisai to this particular and no further But he chose rather to utter it by Quis For by asking Quis Who shall He plainly implyeth Ne quis unquam that none ever may Not he not Abisai nay not any So there is a double charge 1 Destroy not 2 lay not your hand A double retentive 1 He is God's Annointed 2 You shall not be guiltlesse 3 and a Quis upon all to bind all and to shew the charge is generall without exception 1. In all which there is a protection for Saul the first King and all after him not onely from perditio destroying giving of the blow but from missio manus stirring of the hand 2. There is a neck-verse for Abisai and all undertakers in that kind they are all cast they are all found guiltie yeâ— they come to the barre they are attainted every one 3. There is an Euge for David who sheweth himselfe through all 1 In his charge destroy not a good subject 2 In his reason He is God's Annointed a good Divine 3 In his sentence Non cris insons a good Iudge 4 In his challenge Quis mitter a stout champion to any that shall maintaine the contrarie 4. But 〈◊〉 that besides this reason in the text of inimicum tuum there have been othâ—â—â—â—asons framed in our dayes to the same end and all of them in Saul the partie in the text we will take them in too to rule this case once for all For Saul's case will be found to have in it all that can be alleadged why any King should be if any King might be touched All I say wil be found in him But he for all them may not be touched therefore none may 5. And this done we will come as the duety of the day requireth to lay these cases case to case ours of the day to this in the text Where we shall see that we have as great cause nay of the twaine the greater cause of gratulation for the happy Ne perdas of this day I. Abisai's Motion THis is Abisai's motion There be three motives in it 1 The partie is your enemie 2 GOD hath sent you opportunitie 3 I will take it upon me Enmitie makes us willing to take revenge opportunitie able and if another will do the act the rather for that for then we shall beare no blame Three shrewd motives where they meet and heer they meet all in one Let us weigh them which I do the more willingly because all three meet also in this day's attempt 1 Enmitie that was the colour an old wrong so there were in both the same pretense 2 And the same advantage in both For the King was shutt up indeed and that literally 3 And he that was at Church he should not have done it not he Abisai should have done it he in the chamber Of these motives then 1. The first motive Inimicum tuum 1 A deadly enemie Chap. 18.15 He is an enemie But not every enemie is to be destroyed but they that would destroy us All enmitie is not deadly feud Saul's was nothing would serve him but David's life and many wayes he sought it indirectly 1 By matching him with his owne daughter and laying on him
but there must needs be as great nay Festum magis duplex for the King heer If for Her a stranger for their owne naturall Liege much more Was so with them In diebus illis and with us to be In diebus hijs Or rather in die hoc For there it was plurall more daies went to it then one many dayes in doing heer it was dispatched sooner No diebus heer begun acted ended all in a day nay halfe a day betweene noone and night And this shall be the first that it was not long in doing Short as it was yet may I take upon me there is as great odds between this day and them as is between the fifth of August ours and the fifteenth of Adar that is December theirs that is between a long and a short a Summer's and a Winter's-day There is not in all the Scriptures a book that expresseth so plentifull joy for the saving of a Prince as doth this of Esther the whole ninth Chapter in a manner is spent in it There is gaudium and laetitia and hilaritas and convivium and tripudium I cannot tell how many times over Chap. 9.21 and the day christened by the name of Dies festus a Festivall day There is joy in Sufan the Cittie there is joy in the villages there is joy in the hundred twentie seven every Province of them joy all over and all this allowed nay a Statute made to keepe it So a day of joy to all posteritie and all this Chronicled so A joy in the Chronicles what would you more Hence have we warrant for this day of ours and for all and every of them on this day of ours the same joy full out the same that was for that in every degree let be for this and more for this as this is more as hath been shewed as by the season of the year the day is longer the Sunne brighter the skie cleerer the weather fairer in August then December As this case more famous GOD 's might and mercie more mervailous More fit for a Chronicle more worthy to be engrossed in the great roll ours then theirs And in one we shall be above them that we begin our joy in the House of GOD whereas they in Persia had none to begin it in Heer do we begin it as GOD would have us begin it in the House of prayers with prayers A prayer for Bigthan and Tharez we cannot either these of the Text or those of the day But a prayer that by their examples both Ruina praecedentium may be admonitio sequentium the destruction of those that are gone before may be the instruction of all those that shall come after This the first part and if this will not be the second So may they ever finde that so seeke If seeke as they sought find as they found A prayer for Mardochai that for his so sitting in the gate he may sit in a better place that so many may follow him in his good example A prayer for the King But first a praise the principall cause we come hither for Praised be GOD ever that saved in Persia Assuerus from his two that saved in Scotland Your Majestie from your two the Saviour of Kings Maximè fidelium Then the prayer That those daies and these daies may never faile him nor he ever see other No more Bigthans good Lord but Mardochai's for them That Mardochai may never faile him but if he do that Thou wouldst not no more then this day Thou didst but ever save ever deliver ever preserve him and make them that seeke his ruine find their owne Either hang aloft as these in the Text or lye on the floore as those of the day And even so let the end of this be the beginning of the other even of the joy of the whole day For the day for it for this happie event on it for the King the Subject of it To the cause of it and of all our joy GOD the Father by which and through CHRIST in the unitie of the Holy Spirit be all blessing honour praise glorie and thanksgiving this day and all daies for ever and ever A SERMON Preached before the KING'S MAIESTIE AT VVINDSORE On the V. of AVGVST Ann. Dom. MDCXXII I. SAM CHAP. XXIV VER V. And the men of David said unto him See the day is come whereof the Lord said unto thee Behold I will deliver thine enemie into thine hand and thou shalt doe to him as it shall seeme good to thee Then David arose and cutt of the lappe of Saul's garment privily 6. And afterward David was touched in his heart because he had cut of the lapp which was on Saul's garment 7. And he sayd unto his men the LORD keepe me from doing that thing unto my Master the LORD' 's Annointed to lay my hand upon him For he is the Annointed of the LORD 8. So David overcame his servants with these words and suffered them not to rise against Saul So Saul rose up out of the cave and went away ECCE Dies venit Behold the day is come So beginns the text so say David's men And Behold the Day is come so may we beginne and as truly so say of this Day as ever did they of that The first words agree well So doe the last Abijt Rex viam suam the King rose up and went his way so ends the text and so ended this day too And not onely the first and last words but the middst and all fall out as fitly For indeed what is the whole Text but a report of a King in danger to have been made away and that closely in a cave and a motion made to that end and a knife drawen and David's men up against him and all Yet see the goodnesse of GOD the King did well enough for all that and went his way without any hurt done him And comes not this home to the day Saul at Engedi in the cave there may he not seeme as I may say a type of His Majestie at Saint Iohnston shutt up to use Saul's words in the close corner there Instead of a knife was there not a dagger drawen there and somewhat els and more sought then a corner of his cloake And as David's men rose heer So rose there not a popular tumult there And yet being in that extremitie was he not delivered out of their bloody hands and did not all end as the text ends The King rose up and went his way And this our meeting now in this publique solemne manner is to no other end but to rejoice togither in the presence of GOD and to render unto him our anniversarie sacrifice of praise and thanks that Eccedies venit Behold the day is come wherein he scaped so faire and went his way so happily And shall we not withall put our incense to our sacrifice that is add our prayers to our praises that as this day there was so still and ever a way may be made him
to escape all his dangers King Saul heer in the Text was the first King that ever the people of GOD had In him the first would GOD have all succeeding Kings to read their destinie that as they are placed high so their high place is no exemption from danger a provoking it rather Heere now Saul is in danger in the vale Engedi Once before had we him in as great a ploonge 1. Sam. 26.8 and that was in the hill Hachila Abisai would faine have had a blow at him and but one blow But David came then betweene with his Ne perdas That did not so well fitt our turne It was night then Saul was in his bed asleep That was not our case this heer comes neerer This fell on the day Saâ—l was awake So was His Majestie We may say Ecce dies Behold it was day and that day is now come Betweene them both they make up thus much that sleeping or waking by night or by day in Hachila the high lands in Engedi the low valleis out of danger they goe not if the hand of God be not over them as heer over Saul it was The Division First and last we may recapitulate the whole Text into one word It is all but a Deliverie Ecce tradam in manus a Delivâ—rie into their hands Ecce abijt a Deliverie out of them Which two make the two maine parts of the Text. The former the Deliverie into lasts to the last verse And in the end of the last comes the latter the deliverie out of The King rose up out of the cave went his way Ecce tradam in manus is of two sorts 1 Into David's hands and 2 Into his men's hands Or thus Saul's danger heere is double 1 One the danger of David's mens motion 2 the other of their Commotion for rising they were and David suffered them not to rise 1. In their Motion 1 What was moved to David by his men and 2 what David did upon it That which was moved was mittere manum to lay hands on the King That he did upon it was he went and layd his hand on Saul's mantle and cutt of an end of it and that was all This the fact then the Censure of this fact When David had done this what he thought of it 1What he and 2 what his men He thought not well of it he did penance for it his heart smitt him for doing but so much His men thought not well of it neither but ex alio capite they for not doing more then so 2. What followed of this The neglect of their motion turned his men to a Commotion they were rising against Saul if they had not beene stayd The second danger this farr the worse of the twaine The rising of David's men then the drawing of David's knife Thus farr the Epitasis Then followes the Catastrophe For the issue was David's men were stayed by him and kept from rising David's victorie And how by certaine words speaking Those words are in the third Verse David's Spell I may call them And upon all this followed the King was saved twise saved from both dangers thankes be to GOD and away he went safe without any harme Onely lost a peece of his mantle and I would never greater losse might come to him Thus lye the parts in this order which when all is done we must crave leave to reflect upon and review againe to shew that the Ecce of this our Day is farr above the Ecce of that of theirs Now by the speciall providence of GOD it so fell out that all this was not passed and done in silence There was arguing the point reasoning on both sides The whole text is but a kinde of Dialogue between David's men and him what was to be done with Saul their enemie now they had him in the cave kill him or let him goe And it fell out well that this point was thus argued For out of this their debate might those two wretched men this day have learned if they had had grace and may all true men and good subjects learne what to doe or not to doe in liâ—â— case For a cleer resolution heer is to be held for ever taken out of David's Absit heer God forbidd that ever any should lay his hands on the Lord 's Annointed Yeâ— though he should catch him in a cave or as good as a cave as this day he was Nay further GOD so providing heer falls a matter in upon the By of Saul's mantle that removes it from the maine Saul's person quite Saul's person David touched not went but to his mantle And even for going but to that did his heart smite him Which by a minore ad maius puts this question past all question as being a protection for the King's robe and if for it for his person much more And let me say two things of this text to you One that as Saul was the first King so this the first case that ever was wherein the making away of a King was put to the question So the leading case as they call it to all the rest Resolved heer by David and we cannot resolve our selves by a better and resolved once resolved for ever No more Quaere's of it now The other that it is the onely case this that ever I read of in Scripture of Dixit Diminus alledged for killing a King of killing Kings by Divinitie The more worthy it is your attention the neerer it comes to the late phrensie of this Age of ours And two uses there be of it as the chiefe persons in it are two 1 In Saul to lett Kings see their danger 2 In David to let subjects see their duety To let Kings see their danger that they may look up continualy to their Deliverer out of evill hands In David to lett subjects see their duety and the extent of their duety as to themselves â—o to others Two dangers were like to befall Saul heer From David first His men perswaded him to dispatch Saul perswaded him but prevailed not He did it not So Saul scaped once Second when that would not do they were upon rising themselves to lâ—â—ve done it David disswaded them disswaded them and prevailed They did it 〈◊〉 neither There he scaped twise In which two David is two wayes our example to learne us the two duties I spâ—ke of 1Would not do it himselfe 2 would not suffer others to do it Would 〈◊〉 perswaded by others to it did disswade others from it I will say with our Savioâ—â— â—ade tu fac similiter Let every good subject go and do likewise Neither do it Luc. 10.37 noâ— sâ—ffer it to be done And he shal be according to David's who was a man according 〈◊〉 Gâ—d's owne heart I. The first deliveriâ— Ecce tradam in maâ—â—â— SAVL was now in the cave What David's men would have had him doe to Saul Even what was good in his eyes a good mannerly terme
never marvaile at it Go not after the men 〈◊〉 after the Master David himselfe Well yet I must needs say for these good fellowes heer they goe roundlyer to 〈◊〉 â—oint then doth Suarez or any of them that have beene blundering about this 〈◊〉 of late They be all triflers to David's men heer For upon the matter all 〈◊〉 â—ave beene hable to say is it hath beene done King Eglon was killed Iud 3.21 2. King 11.16 so 〈◊〉 Athaliah Neither of them a true lawfull Prince as GOD would have it 〈◊〉 both So nothing to the matter But say they had beene lawfull yet all 〈◊〉 but Homo fecit it is not Deus dixit Never a dixit Deus comes from them 〈◊〉 but poore Pasce oves which sure is a full unlikely text to perswade a man 〈…〉 a butcher and cut his sheep's throtes One Absit of David's heere Ioh. 21.16 One 〈◊〉 das One quis erit innocens hable to dash twenty such and all they can say to 〈◊〉 Not one of them comes of to the point as doe these in the text with dixit 〈◊〉 GOD'S expresse word for it There is no remedie we must stay a little at this at dixit Dominus What He 〈◊〉 we may nay we must doe To his dixit there is no contradixit If GOD 〈…〉 let all flesh keepe silence Zach. 2.13 〈◊〉 not trouble you with when GOD spake this or where Extant it is not Yet seeing David traverses it not denies not but that GOD spake it we will take it for good that they truly alledged GOD. For it is not unlikely that at some time when David was in some great distresse GOD might send to him by the hanâ—s of Nathan or Gad his Seers He should take a good heart to him he should be so farr from being delivered into Saul's hands as the day should come Saul should be delivered into his to do with him what seemed good in his eyes Well then take it GOD said all this and all this might GOD say and yet Saul not touched Ye shall see as little force in this Dominus dixit as in their Homofecit Neither of them to the purpose they are brought You shall see withall what it is when Sword-men will be medling with Dominus dixit with our profession what trim consequences we shal have to make What seems good in David's eyes and to murther Saul to be all one And withall that it is good for Kings to be learned and to be learned in GOD 's Law For had not David been the better Divine he might well have beene overtaken and made beleeve there is a way to destroy Kings even by the word of GOD. To scan them a little Dixit Dominus GOD said What said He The day should come well it is come that GOD would deliver Saul into his hands well that is done too And David should do to him what What seemed good in his eyes What is that To destroy Saul No indeed Bonum in oculis will beare no such matter We might dispatch all in a word all is put upon David's eyes and in his eyes it seemed not good But to touch them shortly Facies ei quod bonum est in oculis tuis First facies ei heer enjoynes nothing leaves him but to himselfe that is all can be made of it Nay they desire no more but so to be left And when one is so left what then may he do what he list Suppose he list to do that which is evill or forbidden Adam will tell you no That consequence we all payfull deer for It undid him and us all GOD 's so leaving us gives not any leave to do any thing that evill is putts but power in our hands to try how we will use it For when power is so put Ipsa ratio dictat even by the rule of reason we are so to use it as we take the better and leave the worse ever and reach not our hand to the forbidden tree When GOD leaves a man to do that which is good in his eyes he had best wipe his eyes see they dazle not If they do that may be bonum in oculis which is not bonum indeed They be not all one these two 1 Bonum in oculis and 2 Bonum Take heed of that That which is evill may seem good to an evill eye And no man is so fond to think God would have any evill done Not bonum in oculis but in oculis tuis Therefore he saith not bonum in oculis and stayes there but he adds tuis in oculis tuis For much is as the partie whose the eyes are For as the partie is so is his eye And the partie heer is David God would not have said this to every one To David He did and He knew what He did and that Saul was safe enough for all that He knew his eye was single and good that nothing that was evill in God's eyes would seeme good in his He would never have said so much to Saul of David nor to David's men of Saul Never have said to David Quod bonum est in oculis tuorum If it had been what seemed good in their eyes In oculis tuis not tuorum Saul had been gone No He had not so good a conceipt of their eyes of David's He had To him therefore He said it and he deceived not God's expectation Pepercit tibi oculus meus saith he at the XI Verse All then resolving into David's eyes it seemed good in his eyes to spare Saul And this is sure they have not David's eyes in their heads to whom it seemes otherwise For to do what seemed good in his eyes was to do Saul no harme Looke to tuis then that the eyes be David's and all is well Then seeing David's eyes are so cleer and so good how were it to be wished David would see with no other eyes but his owne would still do what is good in his owne not in his men's eyes So this was their Eleâ—ch It seemed good in their bloud shotten eyes to lay hands on Saul and they strongly imagined what seemed good in their bloud-shotten eyes would have seemed so in his too The sequele shewes it did not Why stand we any longer thâ—n upon it but leaving the Motion let us now see how it moved him what he did upon it â—ome think it moved him till he came to the very push b What David did upon this motion and then GOD strook 〈◊〉 and his heart strooke him and so his mind changed Others thinke that 〈◊〉 him not a whit for the blow came after all was done Yet as if it had 〈◊〉 he moved upon it Somewhat to satisfie them he would seeme to doe 〈◊〉 So up he rose and toward Saul he made 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as softly and as secretly as he 〈◊〉 And when he came at him close behind him out went his knife as if he meant 〈…〉 His
men I dare say hoped to some other end Stay heere And he that 〈◊〉 David thus in this wise comming close behind the King's back with his 〈◊〉 drawen in his hand would he not have taken him for Ravaillac What 〈◊〉 I promise you this was not Bonum in oculis no very good sight And then 〈◊〉 Saul was his mortall enemie and even now at this very instant time come 〈◊〉 to seek his life and seeing them thus in a blind cave and David hard at his back 〈◊〉 a â—aked knife would he not have given Saul for dead past for ever abijt 〈◊〉 suam Well when all came to all First it seemed not good in David's eyes to use 〈◊〉 sword but his knife Why a knife will doe mischiefe enough 2. Then to 〈◊〉 to worke with it not punctim but caesim not with the point but with the edge 〈◊〉 thrust not cutt onely Yet that will hurt too 3. But cutt what Neither 〈◊〉 nor skinn not them Nay not his shirt or doublet his mantle onely and but a 〈◊〉 of it 4. And it was no great peece neither he cutt no skirt It was 〈◊〉 it was not missed Saul's followers spied it not till David came after them 〈…〉 them held it up and shewed it them and then they looked well and saw a peece 〈…〉 but not before The word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ala signifieth a wing and those we 〈…〉 but additionalls no part of the entire garment The garment is whole 〈…〉 So it was not into the whole cloth neither he cutt His knife he drew 〈◊〉 drew no blood with it went not to Saul himselfe his person but to his mantle 〈◊〉 but an edge of that and away he goes and so may Saul goe his way for eny 〈◊〉 David hath done him And this lo is all came of the motion and more then thâ—â— seemed not good in David's eyes What and is it but this This and no more No more but a shred of his mantle c His censure of it â—nd is that all All yea and too much of that too For now it followes in the secâ—nd verse when David reflected upon what he had done how this he had done seemed 〈◊〉 his eyes It seemed good to them to do but thus much or rather thus little and after it â—as done it seemed not good to him not this little he had done neither but it even 〈◊〉 good to him to repent when he had done it as little as it was or as it seemeth 〈◊〉 to be Repent Yea that he had done no more Nay that he had done thus 〈◊〉 had cutt his mantle had cutt at all That which any would thinke was highâ—â— to be commended in him he went no further you shall see him doe penance for it 〈◊〉 as iâ— he had gone too farr as if he should not have gone so farr as that Will ye see David doe penance indeed for it Penance I say in all the parts the â—â—â—ooâ—emen make of it 1 Contritio cordis in this verse his heart smitt him for it Coâ—fessio oris in the next The Lord keepe me from doing more this was too much 〈◊〉 â—octio operis in the last verse in making amends by not suffering his men to rise 〈◊〉 converting them from so sinfull a purpose And besides in leaving behind him ad 〈◊〉 rei memoriam a monument of all this a Psalme 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is a golden Psalme 〈…〉 calls it the LVII Psalme made as the Inscription shewes at this his being in 〈…〉 Of it and there both in word and deed of saying destroy him not which is the 〈◊〉 the Psalme Though ye get Saul in a cave yet destroy him not Other 〈◊〉 there be of the same title but the LVII that is the first of them all 〈…〉 upon this occasion and at this time and place 1 His contrition Percussit cor 〈◊〉 For his Contrition It is said after he had done it his heart smitt him and told him why Even but for making a hole in Saul's mantle It is strange that his heart that one would thinke should have spâ—oong for joy that he did no more but that falls to strike and to beat him for doing but that instead of exultation that he had done well done the King no harme a palpitation a pang or passion of feare takes him lest he had done more then he could well answer And it is the more strange the great valiant David one of the nine Worthies whom neither the beare daunted nor the lion who without all â—eare encountred the giant great Golias and smitt him downe whose heart served him fainted not then heere for doing I wote not what a shredd of Saul's mantle it serves him not but beates and throbbs as in feare it is usuall for the heart to doe Bonarum mentium est saith Gregorie Good minds will sometimes feare and acknowledge a fault where none is Peradventure David doth so is more scrupulous then needs Nay indeed For to doe but this to the garment of any private man such as our selves to cutt or to marre it is a trespasse I take it and will beare an action And if so then must it needs be a higher a more heynous offense to offer it to any the King's robes to mangle or deface them in any sort The materiall part of it cannot sure be justified Onely the formall part as in Schooles we speake non tam quid quam quo animo that may in some sort seeme to qualifie his act and helpe to excuse him that he did it with no other minde nor to no other end but by the little shredd taken of to make it appeare he did not so much as he could have done if his minde had been so badd to Saul as Doëg and such as he would faine make him beleeve teste vel segmento hoc which he gave in by way of evidence verse 12. When I cutt of this lapp I killd thee not as going a little farther I might have done Might have done but did not Might have gone otherwise to worke with a sword and not a knife with the point and not the edge thrust and not cutt or if cutt taken away a collop of his flesh as well as a corner of his cloke Yet for all this though his heart were privy to no evill entent it smitt him though For in cases touching the King so neere it is not enough to say I meant not that but this So a fault it was and as for a fault his heart smitt him There is no smiting but for a fault Specially not of the heart For the heart strikes not us but it is it selfe stricken first And if you aske who strikes it that doth GOD for this of the heart is nothing els but the reverberation of GOD 's stroke His knock at our hearts to fore-thinke us of what we have done amisse when we have cutt where we should not And it is no light fault the heart
was baptized and did pray the heaven was opened And the H. Ghost came downe upon him in a bodily shape like a Dove c. p. 674. IX Ioh 20.22 He breathed on them and said Receive the Holy Ghost p. 686. X. Luk. 4.18.19 The Spirit of the Lord is upon me because He hath annointed me that I should preach c. p. 698. XI Act. 2. v. 17. to the 22. But this is that which was spoken by the prophet Ioel And it shall be in the last daies saith God I will poure out of my Spirit upon all flesh c. p. 710. XII Act. 10. v. 34.35 Then Peter opened his mouth and said Of a truth I perceive that God is no accepter of persons c. p. 723. XIII 1. Ioh. 5.6 This is that Iesus Christ that came by water and blood c. And it is the Spirit that beareth witnesse c. p. 755. XIV Iam. 1. v. 16.17 Every good thing and every perfect Gift is from above c. p. 745. XV. 1. Cor. 12. v. 4.5.6.7 Now there are diversities of gifts but the same spirit c. p. 755. Sermons preached upon the V. of August I. 2. Sam. 18.32 And Cushi answered The enemies of my Lord the King c be as that young man is p. 773. II. 1. Sam. 16. v. 8.9 Then said Abisai to David God hath closed thine enemie into thine hand this day c. p. 784. III. 1. Chr. 16.22 Touch not mine Annointed p. 795 IV. Psal. 89 v. 20.21.22.23 I have found David my servant c. p 815. V. Ps. 21. v. 1. to the 4. The King shall reioyce in thy strength ô Lord c. p. 830. VI. Esth. 2. v. 21.22 In those daies when Mardochei sate in the King's gate two of the King's Eunuchs Bigthan and Teresh were wroth c. p. 844. VII 1. Sam. 24. v. 5.6.7.8 And the men of David said unto him See the day is come whereof the Lord said unto thee c. p. 859. VIII Gen. 49. v. 5.6.7 Simeon and Levi brethren in evill c. p. 870. Sermons preached upon the V. of November I. Psal. 18. v. 23.24 This is the Lords doing c. This is the day which the Lord hath made c. p. 889. II. Psal. 126. v. 1.2.3.4 When the Lord brought againe the captivitie of Sion we were like them that dreame c. p. 901. III. Luk 9 v. 54.55.56 And when his Disciples Iames and Iohn saw it they said Lord wilt thou that we command that fire come downe c. p. 911 IV. Lament 3.22 It is the Lords mercies that we are not consumed c. p. 923. V. Prov. 8.15 By me Kings reigne p. 933. VI. Prov. 24. v. 21.22.23 My Sonne feare thou the Lord and the King and meddle not with them that are given to change p. 945. VII Psal. 145.9 His mercies are over all his works p. 959. VIII Esai 37.3 The children are come to the birth ther is not strength to bring forth p. 971. IX Luk. 1. v. 74.75 That we being delivered c. might serve him without feare c. p. 983. X. Esth 9.31 To confirme those daiâ—s of Purim according to their seasons c. p. 997. Sermons upon severall occasions I. At the Spital 1. Tim 6. v. 17.18.19 Charge them that are rich c. p. 1. II. Of the worshipping of imaginations upon the II. Commandement p. 25. III. Ier. 4.2 Thou shalt sweare The Lord liveth in truth in iudgement in righteousnesse p. 34. IV. Ioh. 20.23 Whose-soever sinnes ye remitt they are remitted c. p. 49. V. Ier. 23.6 This is the Name whereby they shall call upon him The Lord our righteousnesse p. 67. VI. Matt. 22.21 Give to Caesar the things which are Caesar's p. 87. VII Num. 10. V. 1.2 Of the right of calling Assemblies p. 99. VIII On the Coroâ—ation day Iudges 17.6 In those daies there was no King in Israel c. p. 115. IX Iam. 1.22 And be ye doers of the Word and not hearers onely c. p. 129. X. At the opening of the Parliament Psal. 82.1 God standeth in the Congregation of Princes c. p. 143. XI Psal. 106. v. 29.30 Thus they provoked him to anger c and the Plague was great among them c. p. 159. A Sermon preached at the Funerall of Lancelot late Bishop of Winchester by the Bishop of Elie. SERMONS OF The Nativitie PREACHED VPON Christmasse Day Academiae Cantabrigiensis Liber A SERMON Preached before the KINGS MAIESTY AT WHITE-HALL on Tuesday the XXV of December A.D. MDCV. being CHRIST-MASSE day HEBR. CHAP. II. VER XVI For He in no wise tooke the Angells But the Seede of ABRAHAM He tooke AND even because this day He tooke not the Angells Nature vpon Him but took our Nature in the seede of Abraham therefore hold wee this Day as a high Feast therefore meet we thus every yeare in a holy Assembly even for a solemne memorial that He hath as this day bestowed vpon vs a dignity which vpon the Angells He bestowed not That He as in the Chapter before the Apostle setteth him forth that is the brightnesse of His Fathers glorie Heb. 1. â— the very Character of his substance the Heire of all things by whom He made the world He when both needed it His taking vpon him their nature and both stood before him Men and Angells the Angells He tooke not but Men he tooke was made man was not made an Angell that is did more for them then he did for the Angells of Heaven Elsewhere the Apostle doth deliver this very point positively and that not without some vehemency Without all question Great is the mysterie of Godlines God is manifested in the flesh 1. Tim 3.16 Which is in effect the fame that is here said but that heere it is delivered by way of comparison For this speech is evidently a comparison If he had thus set it downe Our naturâ— He tooke that had beene positive But setting it downe thus Ours He tooke the Angells He tooke not it is certainely comparative 1. Now the Masters of speech tell vs that there is power in the Positive if it be giuen forth with an earnest asseveration But nothing to that that is in the Comparative It is nothing so full to say I will never forget you as thus to say it Can a mother forget the child of her owne wombe Esa. 49.15 well if she can yet will not I forget you Nothing so forcible to say thus I will hold my word with you Luk. 19.17 as thus Heaven and earth shall passe but my word shall not passe The Comparative expressing is without all question more significant And this heer is such Theirs the Angels nusquam at no hand He tooke but ours he did 2. Now the comparison is as is the thing in nature wherunto it is made If the thing be ordinarie the comparison is according But then is it full of force when it is with no meane or base
〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 though in vaine though our impendam prove a perdam That is it To be hable to turne the sentence and say Though the more I love the lesse I be loved Yet will I bestow yea be bestowed and that most gladly for all that It is hard I confesse but Solus amor erubescit nomen difficultatis Love endureth not the name of difficultie but shameth to confesse any thing too hard or too dangerous for it For verily vnkindnesse is a mighty enemie and the wounds of it deepe Nay there be that of themselves are most kind in all the three degrees before remembred as was King David and as all noble natures are why Selfe-love is nothing in their hands But let them be encountred with vnkindnesse as David was in Nabal they cannot stand the stroke it woundeth deepe and the fester of discontentment more dangerous then it 1. Sam 25.15.21.22 Indeed saith David this fellow I see I have done all in vaine for him for he rewardeth me evill for good So and so doe GOD to me if he be alive to morrow by this time Marke it in him and in others infinite and you shall see whom Selfe-love could not vnkindnesse hath overcome and who passed well along the other three at minùs diligar their Love hath wracked and from kind love beene turned â—o deadly hate But neither can this appall the Apostle or disâ—lodge his love but through all the rest and through this too he breaketh with his Etsi and sheweth he will hold his resolution maugre all vnkindnesse Minus diligar shall not doe it Vnkindnesse must yeeld Love will not And now we are come to the highest and never till now but now we are that further we cannot goe The very highest pitch of well-doing the Heathen man saw in part for he could say Beneficium dare perdere to bestow Love and lose it Seneca is well done but that is not it This is it Bâ—neficium perdere dare to lose the first and yet bestow the second Etsi yea though the first were lost Yea the Love of Loves CHRIST 's owne love what was it Iohn 15.13 Majorem hâc charitatem nemo habet quà m ut vitam quis ponat pro amicis Whereto Saint Bernard reioyneth well Tu majorem habuisti Domire quia tu vitam posuisti etiam pro inimicis Greater love then this hath no man to bestow his life for his friends Yet LORD faith Saint Bernard Thou hadst greater for thou bestowedst thy life for thy verie enemies And to this love it is that Saint Paul aspireth and neere it he commeth that in some sort we may likewise say to him Tu majorem habuisti Paule yes thy love Paul was greater for thou art ready to doe the like not for thine enemies but for thy vnkind friends the next degree to professed enemies 1 To spend 2 To spend and be spent 3 To spend and be spent and that most gladly 4 Not onely Most gladly but most gladly Yea though Thus you have now his double conquest Over the Love of himselfe first and now over Minus diligar an vnkind repulse too And in signe of victorie he setteth up his colours even these foure 1 Impendam 2 Impendar 3 Libentissimè and 4 Etsi But Etsi is the chiefe it is CHRIST 's colour and that no perfect Love that wanteth Etsi II. The Object of his Love Thus we have seen Love in his highest ascendent and heard Love in his Magisterium the hardest and highest and indeed the Master-point of this Art Which setteth us new on worke to passe over into the second part and to enquire what this object may be so amiable whereon Saint Paul hath sett his affection so that for it he will doe and suffer all this and that so willingly without any exception so constantly without any giving over All this is nothing but the zeale of soules Zelus animarum faciet hoc It is for their soules all this For their soules and let their bodies goe 1. Pro animabus for your soules Which first draweth the diameter that maketh the partition between the two Loves The love which Saint Paul found and the love which Saint Paul left at Corinth For he found that which is Scelus corporum the bodies unruly affection and infection too otherwhile if ever in any place there it abounded but he left Zelus animarum the Soule 's perfection Indeed it falleth out somtimes that in carnall love or rather lust then love we may patterne all the former and find as the Wise man speaketh some one destitute of understanding wasting his whole substance hazarding his life and that more willingly then wisely perhapps to gaine nothing but a scorn for his labor and yet persisting in his folly still and all this in tâ—e pâ—ssion of concupiscence to a vain creature pleasing his phansie to the displeasing of GOD and to the percing of his soule one day with deep remorse for it and except it do to the utter ruine both of body and soule We have heer at Corinth a strange example of it Of * LAIS Demosthenes one Ad cuius iacuit Graecia tota fores at whose doors sundry of all sorts waited suing and seeking and as one of them said buying repentance at too deare a rate But what need we saile to Corinth Even in our own Age we have enough fond examples of it of Love set awry and sorted amisse diverted from the soule where it should be bestowed and lavished on the body where a great deale lesse would serve It is Saint Augustine's wish O si excitare possemus homines cum ijs pariter excitari ut tales amatores c. O that we would in this kind stirr up others and our selves with them be stirred up but even to bestow so much love on the immortall soule as we see daily cast away on the corruptible body What but so much and no more Absit ut sic sed utinam vel sic Till it might be more would GOD it were but as much in the meane time Yet more and much more it should be Sed infoelix Populus Dei non habet tantum fervorem in bono quantum mali in malo is Saint Hierome's complaint But the People of GOD unhappy in that point hath not that courage or constancie in the love of the Spirit that the wicked world hath in the lust of the flesh 1. Cor. 6.5 That courage Nay nothing like Ad erubescentiam nostram dico to our shame it must be spoken Looke but to the first point Impendam doth not the body take it wholly up And if we faile in the lowest what shall become of the rest Well Saint Paule's love is and ours must be if it be right pro animabus Soule-love which may serve for the first point of the sequestration 2. The Reason But why Pro animabus what is there in the soule so lovely that all this should
him shrinke from his Trust in GOD or from his Allegiance to Saul his liege-Lord that qualitie also And refused he was not as CHRIST we must not looke for that neither in him nor in any GOD forbid that any ever should be so refused as He. As Christ none but CHRIST No but yet in his degree refused he was though A hard time he had and many hard termes and hard usages he endured for many yeares togither pursued and followed and should have been no Head nay should have had no head if He had been gotten Refused and by whom Even by Saul all his life time and when Saul was dead Abner refused him 2. Sam. 2.8 1. Sam. 29 4. 1. Sam. 17.28 1. Sam. 16.6 and set up another against him And when he was out of his Country in Gath refused there too by the Princes of Achis And even at home by his owne brethren and fathers house Yea Samuel himselfe had given it away the Head-place from him to Eliah and so refused him but for GOD. And these went then for the chiefe Builders in Israël at that time So the Builders refused him But after all this all this not-withstanding this Stone became the Head that is David got the Crowne and was King at last For Head is the King's Name So doth Samuel call the King Chap. 2.38 1. Sam. 15.17 So doth Esay Chap. 7.4 So doth Hose Chap. 1.11 But especially so Daniel in expresse termes Tu es Caput aureum speaking to the King Thou art the Head of gold Head and of the corner that is as some interpret it of Iuda and Israël But that is thought somewhat hard For those two were not two Kingdomes nor ever so reckoned till Râ—boam's time And what if David had not happened to have been first King of one Tribe and after of all should he have lost this name then Should he not have been 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Shall no King be Caput Anguli if he have but one entire kingdome Shall not Salomon as well as David No question but he shall The better part therefore thinke good to give it that sense which never failes in any State and which sundry times ye shall finde pointed at by David himselfe as in the a Verse â— 1â—.12 â— 15 before and in the b Verse 1â— 135. after Yea even heer in c Vâ—rse 2. â— this Psalme at the beginning Domâ—â— Iseaël and Domuâ— Aaron the house of Israël and the house of Aaron that is the two estates Ciâ—ill and Ecclesiasticall which maketh the maine Angle in every Government GOD Himselfe hath severed â—â—em and made these two 〈◊〉 meâ—â—e in one Not 〈◊〉 to maligne and conâ—â—me the other And the happy 〈◊〉 of câ—ase two is the strength of the Head and the strength of the whole 〈◊〉 If it beare but upon one of them it will certainly decay It did so in Saul's 〈◊〉 He liâ—tle regarded the Arke and lesse the Priests David saw Saul's errour 〈…〉 his Psalmeâ— where he singeth Ne per das to a Commonwealth promiseth to 〈…〉 of both pillars and to uphold them both Psal. 75 3. The first Booke of Chronicles is sufficient to prove and perswade any he dealt in both as chiefe over both Not by right of Priest-hood for none he had And that of his Prâ—phesie is as cold Others also did the like Asa Iosâ—phat Ezekias Iosias that were no Prophetts nor ever so accounted In the Law it is Philo's note both Tables meet in the fift Commaundement which is the Crowne-Commaundement as it were in an Angle which Commaundement is placed saith he 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as it were in the middle or confines of both tables that of Religion and this other of Iustice Civill That with the right arme the Prince may support that and with the left this and so uphold both And in the Gospell Christ applieth this very verse to Himselfe as heire of the Vine-yard Heire He was not but as King not as Priest He could not for of that Tribe He was not borne but was called to it as was Aaron Since then heer we finde both and that David was both it is no error I trust to call a King Caput Anguli No more is it to call him Lapidem primarium or angularem choose ye whether The Persian by the light of nature called the King Ahashucrosh that is Sovereigne head The Graecian by the same light called the King 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Base or Corner-stone of his People Shall I add this This word Stone which is heer affirmed of David in this verse is in the new Testament five severall times turned by the Syrian Translator Cepha a 1 Mat. 21.42 2. Mar. 12.10 3. Luc 20.17 thrice in the three Gospells once in the b Act. 4.11 Acts and once in c 1. Pet. 2.7 Saint Peter So that he did not thinke it strange to call King David Cephas So Cepha as well said of David as of Peter And d 2 Sam 5.2 1 Chro 11. Tu pasces as well said to David as Pasce to Peter And e Zach. 4.10 Zorobabel hath in his hand the Line as well as Iosua the high Priest towards the building of the Temple The thing the duty it selfe and the bounds of it let us lay forth and agree of as we can but sure the Name is not to be stood on it cannot be denied Him And now to our selves to whom as This is the day which the Lord hath made 3. The third sense His Maiestie touching CHRIST and His Resurrection so is it likewise the day that He hath made the second time by making on it His Majestie Head of this Kingdome the very Name whereof hath affinitie and carrieth an allusion to the terme Anguli in the sound of it And neither were Your Majestie without your part of refusing in a kinde but did participate somewhat of it with David though in a lesse degree Good and firme and sure though your Right were as any Stone yet allegations were studied to subiect it to question yea to refusing For did no body ever see a proiect drawen wherein some other stone was marked out to have beene Caput Anguli Yes it is well knowen Titles were raised and sett on foote and Bookes written to that end And they tooke themselves for no meane Worke-men that were the devisers of them that both at home and abroad contrived it another way and plotted to have put You by and to have had some other Head-stone of their owne hewing out in Your roome Yea to make Your case yet more like to CHRIST 's case even the High Priest he that claimeth Caiapha's place He and his crue had their hands in it We may no lesse truly say to them then Saint Peter did to Caiaphas Quem vos Whom ye would have cast aside if ye might have had your wills And to that end had your first
this To the Saâ—ctuarie he goeth as to the surest place and from thence fetcheth this terme of the Lord 's Annointed and so makes the matter surer as he thinketh For when all is done from that place it commeth that maketh both their Callings and Persons sacred and holy therefore not without sacriledge to be violated nay not to be touched For such is the nature of holy things not to be touched I say not by any enemie no not in warre For so we see David is displeased with the Philistims for so dealing with Saul Agg. 2.13 2. Sam. 1.21 as if he had not beene annointed with oyle as who say it was their duties to have spared him even in that respect And sure a high terme it is and not slightly to be passed over In another place he calleth them Gods heere CHRISTOS DOMINI So Psal. 82.6 they participate with the name of GOD and with the name of CHRIST Annointed and if they be â—nâ—oâ—nted it is with the Holy Ghost and power from above Act. 10.38 Which all shew a neere alliaâ—ce betweene GOD and them CHRIST and them the Holy Ghost and them so as theâ— are not to be harmed the least way if GOD or CHRIST or the Holy Ghost can keepe them from it And this Retentive is strong enough where there is any sense of Religion But 2. The II. Retenâ—ive Non eâ—it insens it is to be doubted Abisai and some besides him have no great feeling that way and so not caâ—able of tâ—is What care they for Samuel or his horne of oile It must not come out of the Sanctuarie it must come from the Barre and the Bench that must preâ—aile with them Tell them of Non eris insons Guiltie or not guiltie and then you say something We said before there is no more effectuall way to denie then to forbidd and it is as true Nec efficiacior vetandi ratio quà m paenâ propositâ No way of more force to forbidd then set a penaltie on it specially the great penaltie of all 〈◊〉 And yet death a Soldier careth not so much for neither except it be mors sontica a malefactor's death and the chiefe malefactor's the traitor's death to be drawen and dragged from his place as a 1. Reg. 2 2â— Ioab hanged as b Est. 2. â—â— Bigthan His bowells pulled out to suite him to c Act. 1.18 Iudas whose gushed out of themselves To have his heart opened yet being alive as d 2 Sam 18 14 Absalon His head chopped of as e 2. Sam 20.22 Seba and it and his quarters hanged up as f 2. Sam 4.11 Baana and Rechab's were To have g â—sal 109.11 their lands and â—â—vely-hoods seazed on and given to strangers h 10. Their issue miserable for their sakes i 13. To be damnatae memoriae their name and memorie as a curse which three are set doâ—â—e in the hundreth and ninth Psalme the Psalme against trecherie Tell Abisai of 〈◊〉 and this may perhapps stay him And to say truth this was no more then needfull without it all that was said might have beene thought to have had but rationem consilij non praecepti to have beene spoken by way of good honest advise but to have beene no penall or capitall law Gently said of David Ne perdas And well done of Abisai to forbeare but no necessitie in it Therefore he tells them These words Ne perdas are a binding precept and that so as if they be transgressed they will beare an action yea an enditement that who so breaketh them Non erit insons And Non erit insons are judiciall words and this they import That not onely they may be arraigned but that no Quest can acquitt them or finde them not guiltie that by no Booke they can that by this Book they cannot be saved But if they stretch forth their hands against the Lords Annointed their necks must stretch for it and being found guiltie they must be dealt with as those that are so found and upon them must come all that is written in this booke which yer-while we recounted And yet Non erit insons goeth further For suppose some of them should happen not to be brought to the barre it shall not serve for all that Non erit insons still GOD will not hold them guiltlesse He will not so leave them but rather then there should none be holden hold an Assise himselfe and bring them to the end of guiltie persons all the sort of them Heaven shall doe it by lightning a Psal 144.6 as Psal. 144. or the earth doe it by swallowing up as b Num. 16 32. Core or their owne friend shall do it as c 2. Sam. 18 14. Ioab or their owne beast as d 9. Absalon or their owne selvâ—â— hang themselves as e 2. Sam 17.23 Achitophel or burne themselves as f 1. King 16.18 Zimri If they will not say Ne perdaâ— to Christus Domini Christus Domini shall say perdas to them and send them all to their owne place the pit of perdition so many as will not say Ne perdas to the Lord 's Annointed It was not for nought that David said to him II. Sam. 1. How wast thou not afraid to doe it 2. Sam. 1.14 There is sure matter of feare in it every way to stay them feare of GOD in Christus Domini to move David feare of the Gallowes in Noa eris insons to move Abisai 3 Abisai's owne confâ—ssâ—on Verse 9. But upon all this would it not do well if we had Abisai's owne confession given in evidence against himselfe That I suppose would take up the matter quite We have it 2. Sam. 16. There in a case only of loosenesse in the tongue where Shemei let goe certaine railing speeches against David could Abisai say What shall this foule-mouthed curre thus be suffered to speake against the Lord 's Annointed and no remedie he would needs have gone and fetch'd his tongue and head and all Yea after their returne in peace when King David had upon Shemei's submission given him his pardon Abisai pleaded hard to have it called backe and would needs have him die for it and well worthie he was And all was but for misit linguam and Abisai himselfe is heere laying hands violent hands on the Lords Annointed a worse matter by farre So that upon the matter Abisai is judged out of his owne mouth and David justified by him in his Non eris insons There are your two Retentives 1 the first for good Subjects 2 the latter for whomsoever 3. The generalitie of the charge Quis erit insons Now lest any might conceive this is but a case of instance holds in this particular but extends not to all somebodie in some case may doe it for all this therefore is it he carieth it along through all with his Quis to tell us his meaning is That not onely
Abisai but that Nequis perdat Ne quis manum mittat that none at all destroy none lay hands at all that his Ne is generall without exception of any And in this even his manner of denying his figura dictionis the tenor of his speech is such as I dare make a note of it There be diverse wayes of denying one more full and forcible then another but of all the way by interrogative is holden the fullest and most of force To have said None did ever attempt it which was not guiltie this had been a deniall but a calme one But to say Who ever went about it but he was found guiltie there is more life and vigor in it by a great deale Indeed of all Negatives the strongest the most peremptorie is by Quis For it is not a bare Negâ—tive but a Negative with a challenge sending a challenge to any if he can for his life to shew one that was holden innocent in that case They call it the triumphant Negative as bearing it selfe confident that none can rise up against it Who that is shew if ever any such had peace if ever any were reputed innocent As much to say as Never was there any never If there were name him bring him forth but that you cannot therefore Quis fuit insons maketh the case cleere and past all question So you see David told us of Christus Domini as it were in his Ephod as a Prophet Then went he into his long robe and told us Non erit insons as a Iudge And now he is in his armor as a Challenger with Quis unquam to challenge any that holdeth the contrarie And his challenge wil be taken and there be that hold the contrarie in our age and that dare step forth and make a question of it for all this or rather make no question at all of it but can tell David both who may lay his hand on to destroy GOD 's Annointed and who shall acquitt absolve and make them innocent that so do Who shall Quis marrie Quisquis any whosoever being warranted And who shall warrant him That shall the High Priest by his last censure These fellowes would not stick to tell Abisai a cleane contrarie tale to that of David's Destroy not saith he Go to say David what he will or what he can we say Destroy him what if he be Yea though he be the Lord 's Annointed You shall be guiltie then certainly saith David What say they Say they thus You shall not be guiltie you may do it we will absolve you that were too much No but you shall merit by it you ought to do it we will Sainct you for so doing This is not matter of talke we know it hath been done Quis who A Iacobine lay his hand Yea hand and knife and thrust it into the body of GOD 's Annointed Yea annointed with the oyle that came downe from heauen as they tell us sent purposely to annoint the French Kings and make them GOD 's Annointed 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 What and not guiltie Not guiltie yea and hardly scaped from being a Saint if the Cardinall's faith had failed as well as the Pope's did and if they had not kept Saint Peter's successor from erring Be not we fallen into strange times wherein David must be driven to recant and Abisai proove the Prophet and in which as if there were no such verse as this in the Bible the illusion of error is growne so strong with some as they will rather themselves be destroyed then say the Lord 's Annointed is not to be destroyed I will do them no wrong They will say This text is enough Saul's case a ruling caâ—e for Ne pâ—râ—as to condemn this day's attempt it commeth full home to that case It was upon Inimicum tuum in which case of private revenge themselves hold it cleere quòd non as well as we But when they dispense with Ne perdas it is upon other grounds upon misgovernment or to speake as they do tyrannie upon usurping power in matters ecclesiasticall upon bloudy persecution and that of GOD 's Priests and these are not in the text Yes they are in him in the text concerning whom this Ne perdas was given every one and yet Ne perdas stands for all that And this I say howsoever Abisai did looke upon Saul but with a Soldier 's eye and saw nothing in him but an enemie to move him to destroy him if some of these quick and sharp-sighted Abâ—saies had had the looking into him they would have spied in him other manner of matter to have resolved him meet to be made away they would have found him not David's enemie onely but an enemie to GOD and all goodnesse and returne him culpable of all those faults which they use to insist on when they write their bookes to that end And I verily think God in this first example of his first King over his owne people hath purposely suffered them all to fall out and to be found in him even all that should fall out in any King after him to inforce their position that so we might find them answered to our hands Notwithstanding HIS â—â—sgovernment Tyrannâ—e To touch them in order They would easily have quarrelled at Saul's misgovernment Not at the first he then was a mild and a gratious Prince Never came there from any Prince's mouth a more princely speech then the first speech he is recorded to have spoken Chap. 11.5 Quid populo quòd flet What ayles the people to complaine A speech worthie everlasting memorie so they complaine not without cause But within a while he grew so sterne and fierce as no man might speake to him Vpon euery light occasion nay upon no occasion at all his javelin went streight to nayle men to the wall Chap. 20.33 Not David onely but Ionathan his Sonne and Heire apparant and no cause why In the XIII Chapter it is said Saul had then been King a yeare and raigned two yeares in Israël Chap. 13.2 yet it is well knowne his raigne was forty yeares Their own Writers resolve it thus how long soever he raigned he was a King but two yeares All the time after he was somwhat els or somwhat more then a King And they lett not to tell what Psal. 54 3.57.1 applying to Saul that of the Psalme Tyrants that have not God before their eyes seek after my soule And that Vnder thy wings shall be my refuge till this tyrannie be over past Yet for all this tyrannie Ne perdas saith David 2 Vsurping the Priest's office Yet for all this he fell not into the sinne of all sinnes which they stand so much on Vsurping power in things spirituall Yes and that would they have found too Why did he call himselfe Head of the Church Indeed no Samuel did that for him He it was Chap. 15.17 that said When thou wert little in thine owne
eyes the Lord made thee Head of the Tribes of Israël of which the Tribe of Levi was one for that Samuel must answer But Saul went further a great deale yea further then Oza For he tooke upon him to sacrifice in person himselfe Chap. 13.19 to offer burnt offerings upon the very Altar the highest part of all the Priest's Office that is usurped further then ever did any And all this David knew yet it kept him not from saying Ne perdas 3 Shedding the Priest's blood Chap. 22.18 They never have done with persecuting and shedding Priest's bloud was Sauâ—'s fâ—nger in that too In that he passed He putt the High Priest himselfe and LXXXIV more all in one day to the sword and all but upon the single accusation but of â—oëg all protesting their innocencie in the fact and all loyalty to him and all but for a douzen of bread given to David This could not but grieve David exceedingly it was for his sake yet he saith Ne perdas though for all that 4 Being possessed with an evill spirit Chap. 16.14 And one case more I give in for advantage It is well knowne he was a Daemoniak one actually possessed with an evill spirit which is a case beyond all other cases Yet destroy him not Abisai though So that if Abisai in stead of inimicum tuum had said GOD hath shut up 1 this Tyrant 2 this Vsurper 3 this Persecutor 4 this 〈◊〉 partie this what you will David would have said no other then he did Nâ—perdas still I would faine know which of all their destructive cases is heere wanting They be all heere all in Saul all in him at the time of this motion yet all alter not the case David saith still as he said If then all be in Saul all incident all eminent in him nay if his case be beyond all said it must be that David heer saith Though he be any of these though he be all these destroy him not or destroy him and bâ— destroyed destroy him and be the child of perdition 5 There was an High Priest Abiathar I would be loth to deceive you There may seem yet to want one thing Heer was no High Priest to excommunicate him or give warrant to do it yes that there was too For Abiathar scaped that great massacre of Priests by Saul and now he was lawfull High Priest Now he fled to David thence and brought the Ephed with him Chap. 22. last So as by good hap the High Priest was with David now in the Camp and the Ephod too There wanted no just cause you see to proceed against Saul There wanted no lawfull authoritie the High Priest we have There wanted no good will in Abiathar Chap. 23.6 ye may be sure his father and brethren having been murthered by Saul So heer was all or might have been for a word speaking All would not serve David is still where he was saith still Ne perdas knew no such power in the High Priest's censure was not willing to abuse it cannot see Quis any person to doe it nor any cause for which it is to be done Enough to make a ruled case of it for ever That Abisai may not do it nor Abiathar give warrant to it His charge is honest Ne perdas His reason good Christus Domini His sentence just Non erit insons His challenge un-answerable Quis mittet manum And this being cleered come we now to the principall cause of our comming The Text and Day compared Which is in this publique manner to render our yearly solemne thankes to Christus Dominus for the deliverance of our Christus Domini this day a deliverance like this in the text even for his Ne perdas at Perth For it and for both points in it 1 That His Annointed was not destroyed 2 That they that put forth their hand to doe it carried it not away but found the reward due to guilty persons The two cases 1 this in the Text 2 and that of this day are both like in the maine if in circumstances dislike this of ours hath the advantage The fact more foule the deliverance more famous To speake then of malitia diei hujus the malitious practise of this day Had the King beene an enimie yea such an enemie as Saul it had beene no warrant But he was no enemie No but many wayes a gratious Prince to them both I know pretence there was of a wrong Say it had beene one what was done was done by others in the King's minoritie And though done by others yet justly done and no wrong was it at all but wrongfully so called Secondly the King was shut up it is true but not as in the text by GOD but by wicked men who found him not casually as Saul was but trained him guilefuly to the place and there shut him up treacherously It was not suddaine it was a long plott the malice the more the fact the fowler And there he was conclusus derelictus both shutt up by Abisai forsaken of David Thirdly And it was not night nor the King asleepe that he might have passed away without any fright or terror No it was daemon meridianus this a noone-day devill He was broad awake Psal. 91.6 and the feare of death worse then death it selfe I know not how oft and many times before his eyes Fourthly And as beyond it in these so in the Principall beyond it too Both of them lift up Abisai his speare this his dagger to have giuen the fatall blow Abisai but once This twise And certainly neerer it came the King then David would suffer it come to Saul So the danger neerer the deliverie greater And yet there was a Ne perdas in this too and that a strange one Not by David no Iudge if it may not seeme a miracle that GOD then shewed When there was none to say destroy not els GOD opened his mouth that was there set himselfe to be the destroyer to say once and againe ô destroy him not destroy not the King The voyce was David's the hands Abishai's It calls to my minde what long since I read in Herodotus that at the taking of Sardi when one ranne at Croesus the King to have slaine him that a little boy borne dumbe that had never spoken word in all his life with the fright and horror of the sight his tongue loosed and he broke forth and cried 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. O man destroy not the King and so saved his life So writeth he as of a wonder and see if this were not like it But so we see if there were no body els to say it they that are borne dumbe shall say it yea the destroyer himselfe shall say it rather then Ne perdas shall not be said This would not serve though it did to Abisai but they were worse then Abisai that were heere That GOD therefore might have the honour of the day
he passed over to the latter part of the verse and when there was none els to doe it He tooke the matter into his owne hands Himselfe held the assise found him guilty gave order for his excecution sent up one to doe it and one that formerly had beene his speciall friend and if I be not deceived sworne brother as Iâ—ab to bring Absalon to his end that destroyed him for not hearing destroy not And yet the goodnesse of GOD stayed not heere neither but where in the text in Saul's case there was but one blow one danger one delivery In this there were no lesse then three one after another First came Abisai he and his armed man GOD delivered him Then came the other the Master of the mischiefe then bewrayed and as one bewrayed desperately set GOD againe delivered him Then last of all and that was worst of all came the popular tumult whose rage knowes no reason who as they Num. XVI called Core and Dathan the people of the Lord so these little better and even then also did God by his mighty providence turne away the destruction This in the text was soon done a few words and away This of the day it was long first and much adoe yet it was done the longer and the more the more is God to be magnified for it And when all was done there he that was saved was but Saul but heer envie flatters not but if envie it selfe should speak it would say Major Saule hîc a greater then Saul eny For the territorie of the least of your kingdomes was greater then that of his And melior Saule hîc a better then Saul was heere saved better without all comparison So the beginning was as they made account Conclusit Deus inimicum nostrum The end was as it prooved Conclusit Deus inimicos Domini Regis GOD made a conclusion of their wicked premisses and their wretched persons all at once So the conclusion was Ne perdas to the King and Non insons to the children of perdition Now to that GOD that when You were shutt up forsooke You not but delivered You à malitiâ diei hujus à Daemone meridiano that in the depth of all Your danger when there was no tongue on earth could say Ne perdas said it from heaven and sayd it thrice over for that His threefold deliverie render we threefold thankes and praise thrice blessed be His holy Name for it And He grant that this lesson of David's may take deep root in all our hearts that there may never be a Quis in Israël to lift up his hand to the like action all may be quit none found guiltie ever of so foule a crime None on Abisai's side to make any such motion all of David's mind to mislike it to say Ne perdas Ne perdas though it be Saul But for David Neperdas is not enough To Him and such as He is let us with one voyce crie Hosanna not onely not destroy but Hosanna Lord save Lord prosper Lord add dayes to his dayes that his yeares may be as many ages And as this day thou didst so still and still prepare thy loving mercie and truth that they may preserve Him even for ever and ever A SERMON Preached before the KING'S MAIESTIE AT HOLDENBIE on the V. of AVGVST A D. MDCX. I. CHRON. CHAP. XVI VER XXII Nolite tangere Christos meos Touch not mine Annointed HEERE is a Speech but we know not Whose nor to Whom nor yet well concerning Whom onely concerning certaine Persons whom the Speaker whosoever He is calleth His Annointed It behooveth us to know these three who they be The person whose the speech is Persona loquens He that saith Meos Him we finde at the foureteenth verse Ipse est Dominus Deus noster He is the Lord our GOD GOD it is that speaketh heere He that challengeth them for His by calling them Mine The persons to whom in the verse before Non reliquit hominem He leaveth not a man So it is to all in generall but specially to some more quicke of touch then the rest whose fingers are never well till some way or other they be touching whom GOD would not have touched The persons concerning whom whom He stileth His Annointed will fall out to prove the Princes of the earth We must not say it but proove it say it now proove it anon Now as if some body were about to offer them some wrong heere commeth a voice from heaven staying their hands and saying See you touch them not Quos Deus unxit homo ne tangat Whom GOD hath annointed let no man presume to touch Of which it may well be said as the Psalmist saith to us every day Hodiè si vocem To day if ye will heare His voice harden not your hearts and ye may For as this day now ten yeeres from the same Person and the same place a like voice there came concerning His Annointed in whose presence we stand That GOD would not have His Annointed touched this Text is a witnesse and this Day is a witnesse The Text dixit the Day factum est Referred unto the Text next before 1. Sam. 26.9 Touching the same point when time was in this place you heard Ne perdas you shall heare it againe now but from an higher person under a streicter charge and with a larger compasse The person higher for that was David Sedecce major Davide hîc but behold a greater then David is heere This is no voice on earth neither of Prophet nor Apostle we now heare Audivi vocem de coelo We heare a voice from heaven And thence neither of Saint nor Angell but of GOD himselfe To shew His care of them His Annointed He would have none give the charge about them but himselfe Himselfe in person Non alienae vocis organo sed oraculo suae from none other but from His own mouth The charge streicter for there it was Destroy not the worst that could be Heere it is Touch not the least that may be and so even that way amended much The compasse larger That was to Abishai but one man and it was concerning Saul one King onely and therefore it was in the singular Ne perdas This is Nolite and Christos the number altered of a larger extent farre even to All men concerning All his Annointed Nolite in the plurall that is None of you Christos in the plurall that is None of them Them not touched not Any of them You not touch not Any of you Non reliquit hominem He leaveth not a man but forbiddeth All. Now out of this plurall you may deduce any singular Out of Christos any King Out of Nolite any party Out of Tangere any hurt and so not any man to doe any hurt to any His Annointed This Text the first and great Commandement concerning this point A Commandement it is and I may safely say Primum magnum mandatum The first and great
hast thou shortned and cast his Crowne downe to the ground With them indeed it is Praeceptum flebile but with us Cantabile Praise we Him for it And withall pray we also that as this day He did not nor hitherto He hath not so henceforth Malignus ne tangat eum the malignant wicked one may never touch Him 1. Ioh. 5.18 never may any have the will or if have the will never have the power to do Him hurt Suffer Him not to be touched or if suffer him to be touched suffer not their touch to doe him any harme no more then this day it did Make all Nolentes with His Nolite if not come with His Non permisit that he may ever be safe and straight after with His Corripuit that they may ever be taken short that offer it This day He suffered them not nor let Him ever suffer any This day He cut those short so may He ever do them all And ever make this Statute our Song all the daies of our Pilgrimage This is now the tenth yeare and so these the Decennalia of it That as this day it is so it may still be celebrated from ten yeares to ten yeares many ten yeares more Which GOD grant c. A SERMON PREACHED before the KING'S MAIESTIE AT Burleigh neer Okeham On the V. of August AN. DOM. MDCXIV PSAL. LXXXIX VER 20. J have found DAVID My servant with My holy oile have J annointed him 21. My hand shall hold him fast or stablish him and Mine arme shall strengthen him 22. The enemie shall not be hable to doe him violence the sonne of wickednesse shall not hurt him 23. But I will smite downe his foes before his face and plague them that hate him WE have found heere a text wherein we see God found David and wherein David found God God found David His servant and David found God his good and gratious Lord first to annoint him then to dâ—liver him So to deliver him as his enemies did him no huâ—t Nay so that the hurt came to themselves And they as we read were smitten downe before him And doe not this text and this day somwhat resemble one another To my thinking they do For who is there that hearing in the Psalme this that violence was offered to David by a sonne of wickednesse but withall he shall thinke of the wicked attâ—mpt of this Day Who that for all that they did David no harme but Your Majestie 's like deliverie will come into his minde Who that David's enemies were smitten downe but it will lead him straight to the very same end of Yours And who can doubt that it was the same hand and arme and of the same GOD in both And that He that did the one did the other King David He is in Scriptures not persona Regis onely the person of a King but persona Regum a person representing all Kings to come after him such spâ—cially as with David serve and worship GOD in truth We doe safely therefore what is said to him applie to them all since he is the type of them all But most safely to such a King if any such be where there is a correspondence of like events betweene David and him that what was Covenanted to the one is performed to the other For there GOD Himselfe is our warrant and even points us so to applie it As heer now I finde a prophesie or a promise A prophesie of Ethan his is the Psalme or a promise of GOD. And I finde this prophesie fulfilled and this promise made good to Your Majestie What promised to David made good to You and made good this Day What is said in the text done on the Day What doubt we then to applie it to the present And since it fell on this day what better day then this for me to treat or You to heare or for us all to thanke GOD for it The Summe The text hath the name from the first word of it I have found A fâ—nding it is Two waies may a thing be found One when a thing is found at first and never was before Another when it is afterward lost and found againe Both heer David is twise found Found first and annointed at the I. verse Found againe and delivered at the III. GOD found him first among his ewes tooke him thence annointed him and of a Shepheard made him a King Psal. 78.71 And being a King found him after among his enimies in danger to lose both crowne and life and so being as good as lost found him again It is hard to say whither of these is the greater We will not strive both are in the text And either hath his day I sought but for one day but I found two and both for our turne According to which somewhat strangely but for our purpose fitly I may divide it into the XXIX or XXV of Iuly the day of Your first finding for Your Annointing or Coronation And the V. of August the day of Your later finding for Your deliverance or preservation The Verses are foure The points in them eight two in each Of which eight some be past some to come in the text All past with You. Past two 1 Inveni 2 Vnxi the finding the annointing To come all the other six all in the future shall or will Two shall 's 1 My hand shall 2 My arme shall Two shall not 's 1 The enemie shall not 2 The sonne of wickednesse shall not Two will 's 1 I will smite 2 I will plague And all sixe comprised in a League or Covenant which GOD is pleased to make with David upon his annointing and are as so many clauses or articles of it Which league is made pro contra Pro with and for David in the second And Contra against his enemies in the two last And that both defeâ—sivâ— in the third And offensive in the fourth So a perfect League We shall pursue it thus 1. Of his finding first 2. Then of his annointing 3. The Division Thirdly of GOD'S covenant-making with him 4. And to this of the covenant-making we will add a fourth of the covenant-keeping Which is indeed out of the text but not out of the day though And we preach on the day as well as on the text Which keeping of the covenant I hold to be a part full as necessarie though it be without as the making of it though it be within the text That then be our fourth and this our order THe first word is I that is GOD. He is the speaker and be speaker I. I that is GOD. the finder and the annointer the fast-holder and the strengthener the rescuer and the revenger of David and in him as the type of all Kings Not one of these but is within the very letter of the Text. For this first person I goeth cleane through to the end and as it were engrosseth them all to himselfe Of the finding first The
〈…〉 Nay not so much as the least hurt For they be two these violence and 〈…〉 hurt is the more larger Eny violence done Nay none Eny hurt at all 〈…〉 neither Neither all is safe then 〈…〉 ye see the first use of this hand and arme to repell and keepe backe 〈…〉 of the blow that should do them hurt This is the defensive part And 〈…〉 to their comfort that this hand so holds them and this arme is so over them 〈…〉 still betweene them and their harmes as it lights on GOD 's arme and hand 〈…〉 hurt them before it come at David But them it cannot hurt neither 〈◊〉 â—â—â—kednesse nor wicked violence prevaile against them And so be they safe from 〈◊〉 And no way to prevaile against Kings but to bind this hand first and pinion 〈…〉 Otherwise evill men there may be and evill meaning but no evill successe 〈…〉 â—hat But I would pray you to take good heed to the Tenor of this Covenant 1. Not There shall be no enemies No Sonnes of wickednesse No promise is heere made but that such he shall have and shall have of both sorts open all secret open to offer violence secret privily to seeke his hurt No though he be 〈…〉 that is lovely or as lovely as ever was he yet he shall have those that hate 〈◊〉 hate him gratìs hate him though favours done them though they lie in his lap 〈◊〉 fed with his milke yet bite him for all that No part of the Covenant this but 〈…〉 shall have but such there shall be 〈◊〉 no promise neither but as they shall be so they shall be doing as we say 2. Not They shall not be doing not 〈…〉 but be plotting and practising ever and anon It is but non proficient so read 〈…〉 this verse the Covenant in the Text it is not non facient No facient 〈◊〉 quod suum est iniquitatis filij saith Saint Augustine well the sonnes of 〈…〉 be doing and doe their kind that is wickedly Entend Violence pretend some 〈…〉 wile or other No part of the Covenant but such there shall be Nor no part 〈…〉 Covenant but thus they shall doe Let it not seeme strange looke for it 〈…〉 this is the Covenant and this is all The former part 3. But They shall not do it Be they shall and be 〈…〉 shall sed non proficient in eo they shall do no good on him in their sense that 〈…〉 in ours 〈…〉 fit is the word non proficient that is Non proficient in eo though they go to Schoole all their 〈…〉 it yet shall they prove but non proficients and never proceed so farre as to 〈…〉 in the latter part non apponent nocere Not non proponent Not shall not have 〈…〉 but shall not have theâ—â— purpose Not shall not have the will but Non opponent nocere shall 〈…〉 power to do hurt Proffer they shall but not profit Devise but what 〈…〉 not be able to performe Imagine Psal. 21.11 Luk. 1.51 but be scattered in the imaginations of their 〈◊〉 So that come when they will now they come a verse too late David is provided of an hand and arme in the 〈…〉 that will see him take no hurt that will be hurt themselves râ—ther then â—e take eny that will so sence him as neither furie 〈◊〉 be hable to 〈◊〉 him 〈…〉 by force nor wickednesse to doe him eny hurt â—y fraud Neer lost as 〈◊〉 as lost he may be but quite lost he shall not be GOD shall finde him againe And so to the last verse VERS 23. The fift and sixt Articles 〈◊〉 Against his enemies Offeâ—sive 〈…〉 theâ— David is escaped from their violence and hurt But shall they escape 〈…〉 there is a further matter in it All this is but the defensive part But the 〈…〉 we find was not onely so but offensive too as well to offend and annoy them aâ— to defend and rescue him And heer now is the active power we spake of before of the 〈…〉 of the arme I will smite downe That there is not onely worke for the hand to stay him or hold 〈◊〉 a shield to heare of that so no hurt to him But for the arme also to draw out a sword and lay on that so all the hurt shall come to themselves And so their imaginations not onely scattered Psal. 7.16 but returned upon their owne heads For violence they entended and were brought themselves to a violent end Hurt they meant and they are hurt themselves and that incurably smitten downe and perish 1. Yea Though no harme done yet smite downe 2. Sam. 20.21 Psal. 41.9 Ester 1.21.22 Three points I touch onely What smite them downe and no harme done Yea no matter for that downe with them though To lift up an hand or an heele heere is enough To offer violence but to intend hurt heer enough That there was none done thankes be to GOD and the good hand that held them Bigthan and his fellow â—ang them up though Not quia nocuerunt No upon no other enditement but quia voluerunt they would have done the King hurt though they did him none That is enough smite them downe 2. Yea At the first smite downe Againe What at the very first smite them downe Yea these at the very first With others He proceeds not so roundly smites them first before he smite them down smites them a blow with the hand in mercie before he smite them downe with the deadly blow of his arme in rigor But these downe with them at the very first Wote you why Abisai he desired he might have but one blow at the King he would never desire a second 1. Sam. 21.8 Pay him with his owne money let him have but one blow but the first and no more 3. Now smite down And what blow is it to astonish him or to fell him for the time No it is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 say the Seventie The nature of which word is not to fell the stemm or the trunke of the tree but to hew in sunder the very roots that it never grow againe So to smite them downe as they never rise more I will smite downe And plague them And as if this were not enough he followes them yet further Before he fell No violence nay not eny the least hurt Heer he rises smite them nay plague them 〈◊〉 is smite them downe with the plague which is yet more fearefull And it is truly turned for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is properly the stroke of the plague The plague is a death that we would not die of to choose if smitten downe not smitten 〈◊〉 with that axe Not because it is deadly for the most part and past recoverie that is not it But because they that be so smitten there goeth from them a pâ—stilent 〈…〉 vapour that makes all shun them or as the LXX ies word is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉
suffers for The heart is the chiefe part and the blow of it is the greatest blow Give me saith the Wiseman 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 eny stripe any griefe Eccles. 15.57 rather then the griefe of the heart Cardiaca passio is the worst passion of all Therfore as a fault so no light fault it was 2. Sam. 24.10 We may patterne it with the numbring of the people after Then it smitt him too and then he cried Peccavi valdè and the same reason is of both as misgiving him in both he had in both done farre otherwise then he should But this heer was the first blow Psal. 105.15 the first discipline given him as if he had gone too neer Saul as if Nolite tangere did reach further then the person even to the robes Royall Luk. 18.15 And heerein is his contrition For we use to strike our brests with the Publican because we cannot come at our heart to strike it for not striking us when we made a fault But when the heart needs not be stricken for it when it strikes us first when we feele plagam cordis as Salomon calls it 1. King 5.38 in expresse words upon making a fault that our heart correct us gives us discipline for it then is our pennance begun then is our Contrition in a good way Now Good Lord if but for a slit in Saul's cloke his heart went and came thus how would it have taken on how contrite would it have beene if his hand had happened to swerve a little and done him any hurt How many blowes then what sharp pennance for that Will ye now lay these together How scrupulous how full of feare David was good 〈…〉 in that world Not his mantle or cloke not an edge of it And how 〈◊〉 aâ—dicious how past all feare some are growen in this Not cutt now but thrust 〈…〉 cutt through cloke coat skin and all And their heart never smites them 〈◊〉 Nay there be whose hearts would have strooken them they had strooken no 〈…〉 his that he had hitt the tooth and missed the throat and that if the knife 〈…〉 in their hands would have cutt his skirts so close the blood should have 〈◊〉 downe the reines of his back 〈◊〉 David in effect saith thus It was a lesse matter farre that I did then laying hands on Saul If you will be ruled by me meddle not so much as with laying hands 〈◊〉 mantle if you had felt such a blow at your heart as I did at mine you would 〈…〉 What not mittere manum in illum nay not in pallium illius Never talke 〈◊〉 â—â—â—persion So farre from that as not to the very corner but of his cloke 〈◊〉 this is the remove I told you of at first Thus did GOD suffer this à minore ad 〈◊〉 to fall out in this first attempt upon a King that we might inferre thereof a furtâ—â—r matter and yet no other then our SAVIOVR CHRIST 's own inference May 〈◊〉 man put a knife in Saul's rayment by this blow of the heart heere it seemes he â—ay not May he not and is not the bodie more worth then the rainment Matt. 6.25 ô ye of little 〈◊〉 Away this we may compt of and so conclude this point that he whose heart did thus smite him for doing this he would not do that his heart smitt him for if it were 〈◊〉 againe Not go thus farre since he felt it at his heart his going but thus farre though nothing so farre as his men would have had him And so much for percussio 〈◊〉 David's contrition All this while we goe but upon collection feele but by his pulse VER VII 2. David's confession how his heart 〈◊〉 Will ye have an ore tenus a full and a flatt confession from him heare him diâ—â—â—ctly speake his mind to this very point of laying hands on Saul and give you the tree reason why he did it not why neither they nor any should ever doe it That â—â—llowes now in the third verse But first let me tell you this cutt of David's was not well taken of either side What Davids men thouâ—ht of it David we see thought not well of it No more did his men He that he had done so much They that he had done no more Evidently to be gathered that his men when they saw he made no more of their motion then so that he came backe with his â—â—ife in one hand and a snip of Saul's mantle in the other and his knife had no blood oâ— it and that he had done as much as he would doe and no more was to be looked 〈◊〉 at his hands for he looked like one heart-striken that if it had been now to doe wâ—â—ld not have done that neither they fell into a rage a mutinie a plaine rising as râ—â—olved if he would not they would If it were not good in his eyes in theirs it was It 〈◊〉 not an end of a mantle should serve their turne they would make him sure for ever gâ—â—ng his way as knowing if he went away he would prove worse then ever as inâ—eed so he did So when David was downe his men were up Heere now is there a second danger toward Saul from David's men 2. Saul's second danger David's mens commotion a multitude ready to rise and runne upon him Plaine for it is said in the next verse expresly 〈◊〉 suffered them not to rise Which could not be said properly unlesse they were on rising But an insurrection there was toward and at Saul they would have beene 〈◊〉 noâ— David interposed and opposed himselfe with these words which now follow 〈◊〉 with those words overcome them and stayed them that they did not rise So that the words we now come to serve for two purposes Not so much for an â—â—â—logie for himselfe that he did it not though that they doe too as for a Disswasive David's disswasive to them 〈◊〉 to them and in them to us and to all that none should ever attempt it 〈…〉 even now how evill his heart brooked it you shall heare now his mouth 〈…〉 it ever to hold that for good that seemed good in their eyes 〈◊〉 a flat denyall it is But that is not so much the manner of it is all It is not soberly and coldly No I will not doe this thing No but it is with very much vehemencie as the manner of men is when they speake in great passion If ye marke it it is with short turnes GOD forbidd What Do this To my liege Lord To GOD 's Annointed lay my hands on him and he GOD 's Annointed A pawse at every word aâ— if he were halfe out of breath as if his heart did beate still Weigh them a little 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 There is not in the Hebrew there is not in any Tongue so earnest so passionate an abnegation abjuration abrenunciation as it It was the word they used when they rent their
clothes at blasphemie We turne it as our Tongue will beare as the poverty of it will suffer us To turne it to the quick there is more in it then can in any one phrase be expressed So not being hable to do it in one the Interpreters have assaâ—ed to do it in more then one Every one as their own Idiome will best beare The Lord keep me from doing this thing saith ours So it is of the nature of a prayer against it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Out upon it Away with it By no meanes Or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 saith the Greek never let me let any never let it be done So it is an utter detestation Absit mihi à Domino saith the Latine Never let me come where GOD hath to do Accursed be I of GOD all evill come to me if ever I do as you would have me So is it a bitter execration It beares all Vnder one it is both a hearty deprecation or prayer against it a deepe detestation and a fearefull execration if ever he be brought to do it to lay hands on Saul These three will amount to an oath of Allegiance at least You will say heer is passion indeed but it is reason and not passion must carrie things when all is done The reasons of it Nay heere is reason too and reason upon reason couched in these words why not to do it Domino meo first To his liege Lord or Sovereigne Not to him 1 Domino meo Then if that wil not hold Christo Domini To the Lord 's Annointed not to him That will â— Christo Domini For two he alledges Domino and Christo Domini The first is from the earth earthly Domino meo his earthly Lord. The second Christo Domini Domini is the Lord from heaven The first he stands not on this second that he stands on that he iterates once and againe setts up his rest upon that as indeed when we have studied all that ever we can we shall never be hable to finde a more forcible It can never be answered if we care either for heaven or earth Christus or Dominus CHRIST or GOD any thing at all It cannot be the Lord of heaven should ever endure where his hand hath been to annoint any hand should be to violate to do any violence to that partie Do but see how he utters it Lay hands on him and he GOD 's annointed and so breakes of as if he held it for a foule indignitie for a grosse absurdity in reason once to question it So for laying hands but on his mantle David's heart checked him But for laying hands on his person that is past cor poenitentis it is vox clamantis that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Absit farr be it from me GOD forbid Never that never Will ye now observe how in this speech he returnes upon them their three motives God forbidd saith he to that for which they alledged Dixit Dominus To their God said he sayes GOD forbidd answers Dominus dixit with Dominus interdixit Of which GOD said No no GOD forbidd and that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 forbidd with a curse And what GOD did then forbidd he doth forbidd still what to him he did forbidd he doth to us to every good body that cares either for his bidding or forbidding it They that lay their hands care for neither Do that which as we use to say is against all GOD 's forbâ—dd Then for inimicum tuum he replies to that with Christum Domini opposing as his GOD forbidd to Dominus dixit so the Lord 's Annointed to his enemie to weigh down that And so it doth there is there will ever be more vertue in Christum Domini to keepe him alive then in any inimiâ—um tuum any enmitie in the world to destroy him Last where they say Ecce tradâ—m in manus He is now even putt into your hands but not mitterâ— manum saith he not to lay any hands on him So that for all Dominus dâ—xit or iâ—imicum tuum or Ecce tradam in manus David is still where he was answers with reason every part of their reason GOD forbid for any of them or for all them Sâ—ul should have any harme but go his way quietly for him And this for his Confession 〈◊〉 you will remember I told you 3 David 's satisfaction all this was spoken not so much for David's 〈◊〉 why he did it not as to let them see a good ground why they should not do it to 〈…〉 from rising For rising they were Rising say the LXX 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to have 〈◊〉 Soul They starting up as it were in a kind of indignitie that David had thus 〈…〉 them to do that themselves which they hoped he would have done but did 〈◊〉 for done it should be if not by him by them that was resolved 〈◊〉 had David had any edge to Saul's making away heer now was another a 〈◊〉 faire opportunitie offered it selfe as plausible a pretense as he could have 〈◊〉 â—ave let Saul been taken away in a militar tumult a mutinie of Souldiers As 〈…〉 he had refused it he had good witnesse of it if they rose rudely and ranne 〈◊〉 him what could he do withall it was their fault not his he had no hand in it 〈◊〉 in all this he shewed himselfe a most loyall subject in thus putting himselfe 〈◊〉 Saul and them in taking paines and even striving till he had appeased them 〈◊〉 sheweth plainly his heart was upright in all this businesse in saving the 〈◊〉 life now secundò Els what he listed not to do himselfe he might have lett 〈◊〉 do So then do it he will not nor suffer it to be done neither neither per se nor per 〈◊〉 by himselfe or any other thought it not enough to say I will have no hand in iâ— but neither his owne nor any man's hand els if he can stay it Not onely Absit 〈◊〉 but absit à meis first and last Absit saith David to both Not non faciam onely let not me do it but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ne fiat let not any let it not be done And what not onely not mittere manum but mittere de manu or de manibus rather send him out of 〈◊〉 hands send him away safe To this second end were these words spoken by him 〈◊〉 as the Text is directed to his men to quiet them and not onely to cleer himself 〈◊〉 to David's victorie 〈◊〉 vicit verbo hoc and he even overcame them with these words saith the Text. II. The second deliverie â—cce abijt 〈◊〉 is David's victorie But if he overcame them then was there a strife So he 〈◊〉 strove to save Saul And if he suffered them not to rise then were they bustling up at â—â—st and ready to have risen The text-word in the Hebrew is full of force 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 it is to cleave properly or to
rive in sunder So either they were clustering as the manner is in mutinies to runn together on an heap and he made them shedd and sever themselves and returne to their places againe Or ye may referr it to their hearts that with these words were even smitten or cleft quite and broken of their purpose for proceeding any further in so bloudy in enterprise Their motion did not so much as enter into him his did into them â—â—red into them and as his heart smitt him so he smitt theirs smitt them and even 〈◊〉 them made them leave and let go their resolution quite and let Saul go The LXX say 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is he perswaded them with these words the best overcomâ—â—ng ever by words by perswasion Overcame them our Text turnes it and so Daâ—â—d had heer a victorie Nay a double victorie 1 Over himselfe one and that is a great one Great Victors have failed of it 2 Over his men another He kept them 〈◊〉 And so by these two saved the King twise And many victories he had but of 〈◊〉 all none like this this the greatest For in those other he but slew his enemies 〈◊〉 in this heer without a drop of bloud shed he saved his Prince's life And now this victorie obteined David and his men are agreed and they are satisfied not to rise but 〈…〉 and let Saul rise quietly and go his way By which some amends was made him 〈◊〉 the peece of his mantle This for David's satisfaction and for his Victorie both in 〈◊〉 For this victorie was in a sort his satisfaction and served for it And now we have sett the King safe that he may go when pleases Him would I begg a little leave to returne to David's words to his spell if I may so call it to this 〈◊〉 word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that David did not onely smite but even cleave his men's hearts 〈◊〉 what axe did he this for it is the act of an axe properly Even with these 〈◊〉 they were David's axe Shall we do this shall we so lay hands on him 〈◊〉 be God's Annointed and the edge of his axe were these two Christus Domini they did the seat all the force was in them And indeed of great force they seemed to David Chap. 26.9.11.16 2. Sam. 1.14.16 and were of great use with him came from him oft To his companies heer To Abisai a chapter after To the Amalekite the next Book after I. Chap. Twise heer Thrise to Abisai Twise to the Amalekite Seven times in all And still nothing but Christus Domini as if they had been a kind of Spell to charme any from rising to any such end And sure a marvelous energie there seemes to have been in these words David's men heer were rising these words kept them down they rose not Abisai after he was even striking they stayd his hands he strook not David himselfe he was but thinking a thought that way they smitt his heart made it to ake made him give over Now when I fall to consider what vertue these two words had in those times to hold men's feet from rising their hands from striking yea their very heart from thinking any such thought O I am forced to wonder they should not have in our times the force they then had David could not overcome some men now his men would rise do what he could feet hands and heart flie loose now these words notwithstanding They have not the power to breake men men have rather the power to breake them 2. Sam. 23.18 David's men were brave Souldiers Abisai one of his three Worthies Himself more worthy then they all Power they had to stay these so many men of armes and have not now the power to make a seely Frier hold his hands What is become of their vertue now Of the cleaving force they then had It should seem David's men were other gates men then many I will not say of our Souldiers but of our Iesuites and Friers are of late had magis subacta pectora brests of a better mold had at times been brought by David to know what GOD was what it was to be GOD 's Annointed Psal. 116.15 Chap. 26.9 how precious their bloud was in his sight how no man could lift up his hand against them and be innocent So they soon tooke an impression of this his absit so passionately so pithily withall delivered by him Men's brests are now made of a tougher metall the words meet with harder hearts in the Cloyster now then heer they did in the Camp Some men's hearts now leave not striking them till they have stricken Saul to the heart Turne David's Absit mihi à Domino into Adsit mihi à Domino facere rem hanc turne his execration into a prayer nay into many prayers rosaries and masses for GOD 's assistance to an act which his very soule abhorreth And this is the reason The words are not rebated they have not lost their edge but men have instead of hearts now flint-stones Els the words being the same the same effect would still follow if the hearts also were the same For the same effect doth still follow in all whose hearts God hath touched on whom the Spirit of God is come For where the Spirit of God is there the word of God will worke and where it workes not we may safely say there is no Spirit to worke on 1. Chro. 12.18 To trie then on whom the Spirit of God is come there comes to my mind a praegnant place it is the XII of I. Chron. full to this point and it will even bring us home to our own text againe Amasa there when the question was asked whom they would take part with he and his cried Thine are we ô David and on thy side thou sonne of Isai. And it is there in expresse termes affirmed that the Spirit of God came upon him that made him thus to crie If then the same Spirit of God be upon us that was upon him 1. Sam. 13.14 it will make us take up the same words Thine are we and on thy side ô David Thou hast a testimonie in holy Writt to have been a man according to God's own heart what was in God's heart was in thine then are we to think say and do as thou diddest and so the Spirit of God is upon us indeed Will we then be as David with him on his side If GOD'S Spirit be upon us we will now come we to our text For heer is in this our text a vive anatomie of David in each part his eye his hand his heart his mouth and all 1. His eye full of compassion to Saul his Sovereigne It was not good in his eyes to 〈…〉 any hurt good to spare him PeperciÌ„t tibi oculus meus 11. verse There 〈…〉 eye â— His hand not hable to stirr not mittere manum in Christum Domini to lay eny 〈…〉 him O ne sit
manus mea super te he twise cries 13.14 Let not my hand be 〈◊〉 thee There is David's hand 3. His heart smote him we see for putting but his knife into the edge of Saul's 〈◊〉 There is David's heart 4. His mouth from that we heare vox clamantis Absit mihi a Domino with great 〈◊〉 of passion There is David's mouth 5. So sayes David and will ye heare how he sings Heare it upon his harp 〈◊〉 his heart and harp agree heare him say it and sing it both Ye may For to 〈◊〉 for ever this day in memorie he made a Psalme of Saul's being in the cave heer and of his scaping out of it And gives it this title destroy not no not in the cave 〈◊〉 not By this meanes to sing into his mens minds their duty in this point And not into theirs alone but into the hearts and minds of all posteritie not to give their wayes to destroy Kings No though they have them in a cave as these had Saul Even there to sing destroy him not Ne perdas in the cave is worth all So have you David at full if any be of his side thus to see and say and sing and thinke and doe Sic ille oculos sic ora ferebat If you would know what his heart beleeveth touching this point percussit eum cor that gave him a shrewd check for buâ— a shred taken of Saul's cloke he beleeves he did not well in it If what his mouth confesseth Absit mihi facere rem hanc Absit saith his mouth Ne sit saith his hand Ne fiat saith his heart Ne perdas saith his harp All keepe time all 〈◊〉 one way this way all It seemed not good in his eyes to doe it that is the text Nor to his hand Let not that be upon him Nor to his mouth he spitt it out with an absit Nor 〈◊〉 his heart least of all to that that for a lesse matter for but drawing his knife though without minde of drawing a dropp of bloud fell on beating and cast him into a cardiack passion And eny who thinking but a thought that way if his heart smite not him let him smite it hardly Els is he not according to David's and so not to God's heart Thus have our eares heard of a King delivered in the Text And the like may our eyes see of a King delivered on this day Sicut audivimus sic vidimus III. The Ecce of this our day Psal 48.8 is the Psalme but Plus vidimus quà m audivimus may it truly be sayd of this day of ours I report me to You if it may not if there be not a greater Ecce nay many greater Ecce's on this day then on that Many wayes I know the ballance is even Kings both in danger and danger of Ecce tradam both Both in a cave for all caves are not under ground some above staires And of a knife or worser then a knife both And of a tumultuous rising both and yet both preserved from both Thus farr even But then in other points they are not No nor even in these For weigh them well and Saul wil be found as Balthasar was Tekel minus habens too light in the ballance Dan. 5.27 and this of ours to over-weigh to weigh him and all his downe many waies To reflect a little on this I have sayd a great deale I have sayd nothing if nothing be sayd of this It is the life of all If of the twaine the Ecce dies of this day be the greater if more Ecce's upon it The more of them the more Behold's the more beholden are we to God the more mervailous His mercies have beene to us the more plenteous our thanks to be to Him for them The Ecce dies is as the Ecce diei Ever the more remarkeable the day the 〈◊〉 the things are so that happen upon it The Ecce diei is of two sorts 1 Ecce 〈◊〉 2 Ecce abijt Rex Tradam the deliverie into the danger Abijt the 〈◊〉 from it And ever this we hold the worse the Tradam that is the danger the better the Abijt the escaping from it and the better it the more is our joy and the more our joy is the more our thanks should ever be Iehova Liberatori And O that such an Ecce might be on our thanks as there is on the day as it and the Ecce's of it do well deserve at our hands 1. To shew then the Tradam is worse I beginne with the Tradent or Traditor Ecce tradam Behold I will deliver him it is GOD that saith this this was GOD'S doing Saul's deliverie into Heer is no trecherie in the Text. Into the cave he came of his owne accord was casually found there not guilefully drawen thither So was it not to day but the King trained thither most treacherously Ecce Behold then it is farr worse when wretched men by wicked alluring meanes shall those one meaning no harme at all into a secret corner as evill as Saul's cave every whit and there set on him Worse I say for heer the Devill betrayes GOD delivers not Suffers I graunt but is not agent in it GOD never co-operates with treason So then no day this de quo dixit Dominus rather de quo dixit diabolus a day in respect of them and their trecherie of the Devill 's owne bespeaking This then the first odds that A Domino factum est illud a Diabolo factum est hoc that of GOD'S this of the Devill 's owne tradam and so the Traditor worse I am sure with an Ecce And who was delivered Inimicum tuum an enemie in the Text. Some reason in that Saul was so indeed David's enemie You were not theirs they were Yours without a cause Nay cause to the contrarie Nay â—â—uses more then one And in that regard worse Worse to deliver an innocent then a deadly enemie And delivered whither The text is into a cave Where Saul indeed saith he was shutt up but to say truth simply he was not so the cave's mouth was open he might have come forth his men might have come to him at his call But with us in our cave the King was secundùm literam in the literall sense shutt up indeed Many locks and doores fast upon him no going out for him no comming in for others The worse his case Nay a worse could not be So doth the Holy Ghost describe the hardest case of all 2. Reg. 14.26 by these three 1 Conclusus 2 derelictus 3 non erit auxiliator All three heere shutt up quite left none to help In farr worse taking then ever was Saul in the cave There is no hurt in a cave if there be no hurtfull thing in it But David saith in the Psalme Psal. 57.4 his was and sure it is Your soule was there among Lions The text is Tradam in manus tuas Tradam in manus I aske into whose hands
for in danger it is ever good lighting into good hands Into what hands light You No comparison there Saul light into David's hands His in manus tuas were David's and David's were gentle hands His heart smitt him for doing but so much as You have heard If their heart smit them this day it was not for doing so much but for doing no more David was touched with his duty to his Sovereigne stricken with the Majestie of Christus Domini These they trode under foote Dutie and Majestie and Christus and Dominus and all Nothing like David quite contrarie worse with an Ecce Nay not like David's men For first in the Text heer is a dispute between them and David and the parties divided Saul the more likely to scape as he did Where the enemie is divided the danger the lesse But to day in the King 's no debate at all It was concuslum in causâ resolved on both sides long before what to doe with him if ever they gott him No way but one then Againe David's men how ever evill minded at first yet after relented were overcome These of the day of farr another Spirit their malice invincible David's mens overcomming was with words Heer it came to blowes and to gripes and all would not serve David's men they were overcome willingly and did yield These were overcome too thanks be to GOD but it was maulgre their wills they never yielded till they both lay dead on the floor The more the parties the more their hands such the more your perill the more it the more the faire grace of GOD you escaped such parties hands 〈…〉 facies illi what was done At Saul there was a knife drawne or rather not 〈…〉 but at his mantle A dagger not at your mantle but at You. Betweene these 〈…〉 dagger and a knife there is some odds but certainly betweene a dagger's point 〈…〉 edge there is And this was Your case 〈◊〉 what to do with it that setts it further yet To do nothing to Saul and no 〈…〉 to his mantle left a peece of that behind His dagger with farr another 〈…〉 at farr another mark then David's knife More was sought heere You to 〈…〉 then so What talke we of a peece I would a cloke I would a whole 〈◊〉 â—ould have served the turne would have satisfied them or excused You. No cloke 〈◊〉 heer Your best blood was sought Your brest aimed at and not the edge but 〈◊〉 point bent and too neere You. 〈◊〉 to be short for the last point Bonum in oculis No more then a shredd seemed 〈◊〉 is his eyes no lesse then Your life seemed good in theirs Thus every way from point to point the Ecce still greater in Tradam the deliverie 〈◊〉 In Ecce abijt in the delivery from how holds it there In his extremitie Saul found one yet to crie Absit to deliver him Never an Absit 〈◊〉 Never a one Yes one there was and that a strong one When that wretched creâ—ture that was set to do the fact in a sort hindered it for once But so faint a one it was as that would not serve as David's did Saul GOD was faine to stepp into David's room And when there was never a tongue on earth to say it to say it from heaven thence to give the true 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Ne siat I will not have it done From heaven He sent You helpe not by the cave's mouth but miraculously another way by them that 〈◊〉 whither they went but unwittingly were ledd by GOD to the place of your 〈◊〉 Let me see at the most there were but two attempts against Saul So he scaped 〈◊〉 Two and two against You Twise and twise escaped Your Majestie foure times iâ— all foure distinct dangers and as many preservations 1. That of him that stood â—eady armed 2. That of the dagger of the first 3. That of the sword Nay more then one Ecce duo gladij of the second brother 4. And that of the popular tumult worst of all These were but upon rising in the Text they rose not They were not upon rising but were risen up indeed So two Ecce's more in Yours And of all this perill Saul had no sense at all Awake he was but he might even as well have been asleep Of all that was said he heard not a word Of all that was done he perceived nothing had an easy escape he So was it not with Your Majestie You heard and saw all and felt somwhat of that was said and done escaped the perill but 〈◊〉 the fright and feare oftentimes worse then the perill it selfe Vpon the matter in Saul's somewhat was offered to be done but nothing acted No doing Heer there was doing doing and suffering both In Saul it never came to manum mittere not on his person hands were laid on his 〈◊〉 his person that not touched Yours was hands were layd blood was drawne 〈…〉 on your jaw the hurt on your hand remained to be seene a good time after So Saul's comes not home falls short in every point More Ecce's in Yours Your day Your danger Your deliverie the more of them the more is GOD still to be magnifiâ—â— by You and by us all All fell out well in the end though with both It was meant you should neither have risen Saul nor You. You both rose And either of you went viam suam 〈◊〉 not eorum but suam went not the way they would have sent you the wrong 〈◊〉 but viam suam your owne the right way the way of safety and peace And thus 〈◊〉 Saul's danger and thus Yours Thus the Text and thus the day 〈◊〉 Yours ended not so The goodnesse of GOD stayed not there Yours had a 〈…〉 another a further a greater Ecce yet beyond that of Saul There as Saul went 〈◊〉 So did his enemies their way too He scaped them and they him Non sic 〈…〉 sic It was not so with Yours You scaped them they scaped not You. Psal. 1.4 Quia 〈◊〉 â—imici tui Domine Ecce inimici tui For Lo thine enemies ô Lord Psal. 92.10 lo thine enemies shall perish and so they did and all the workers of wickednesse shall be destroyed and so they were Misit manum in manâ—â— mittentes He stretched his hands against them that stretched theirs against You. And because their hearts smitt not them in this so foule an attempt they were smitten to the hearts the sword went through both their hearts The very place they had designed for Yours became to them the place of their perishing perishing heere and perishing aeternally The day of which they sayd Now is the day come it came indeed but came and proved a dismall day to them the rubrick of it written in their owne bloud with an Ecce the last Ecce of all Behold our fearefull end and let every one feare to doe the like They sayd not Absit nobis à Domino GOD therefore sayd Absit Dominus
theirs and namely their Church and Congregation He speakes to his glorie never to make one in any such assembly never to be joyned to any such congregation so makes a matter of Religion of it Never of that Church which shall give countenance that there may be any meetings to any such end It is no Kahal no church no religion for Iacob that favours any man that is so minded 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 If then we will like or dislike with the King and Prophet David we must say Chalilali GOD forbid I should once lift up my hand to any such act If we will like or dislike with the Patriarch Iacob we must say Ne veniat in consilium anima mea You observe the Patriarchs and the Prophetts agree well Iacob's Ne veniat with David's Absit mihi à Domino Not onely to have cleane hands from it not to lift them up or stretch them out to the Act but a cleere soule never once to consult but to detest not onely their consultations but even the congregations of such consulters that be that way given Neither Civilly nor Ecclesiastically neither in Church nor Market as they say to haue to do with them And for a farewell to this point let me tell you there be that interpret Iacob's speech in this sense Not let not me nor my soule be present or partaker of any such but let not my soule or life be the matter or subject of any such consultation Ne tractenâ— de animâ meâ in consilio tali ut sicut Sichemitis fecerunt sic facerent et mihi GOD keep my soule save my life from any such Consultors for ever comming to be treated or debated of by any such Let never any such meet in counsell about my soule or me Both will stand well 1 Neither I about any mans 2 nor any about mine either 1 to câ—nsult about the life of any other or â— my life to be consulted of by any other like them 〈◊〉 the counsell we come to the fact to the hatching of it II. The Fact There is too much in 〈…〉 that was fault enough if no fact followed But heer followed a fact too 〈…〉 a foule fact Which is of two sorts expressed first in two words 1 Murder Interfecerunt 1 〈…〉 suffoderunt that is Murder and Burglarie and two more killed whom 〈…〉 a man virum in the singular but one the number doth but aggravate the 〈…〉 one one or more both to be condemned 〈…〉 Iacob in saying Virum a man meant but and aymed but at one Virum 〈…〉 Virum At quem virum what man was it Hemor the chiefe man the 〈…〉 Lord of the Citie and the territorie about Of no great circuite 〈…〉 That comes all to one But being the Sovereigne Ruler and Lord such a man 〈◊〉 many men that in killing him they may be said in one to have killed many 〈…〉 if Iacob thought they might be quitt of the rest so they had lett that man the 〈◊〉 â—agistrate alone 〈◊〉 â—hey killed more then one Even every mother's sonne all the males in the Citie Chap. 34.25 〈…〉 an outrage not to leave a man to kill to kill them all as if they were but one 〈…〉 leave no one alive 〈◊〉 why what was the offense Sichem had deflowred their Sister Say Gen. 34 2. there was 〈◊〉 in Sichem what no remedie but kill and slay him But if his were the fault 〈◊〉 alone be slaine But what was his father's fault He sought to make amends 〈…〉 for the wrong done and gave them a blanque for her Iointer Gen. 34.11 Gen. 34.24 to put in 〈◊〉 â—hey would Agreed to be circumcised he and all his people All that ever in 〈◊〉 could be required Why was he then slaine For being his father Nothing 〈…〉 alledged But all the men in the Citie the poore people what had they 〈◊〉 â—hey went about their businesse medled nothing in the matter Yet they went 〈…〉 too So it is murder of many and those many innocents all Innocent and 〈◊〉 â—ogether to be swept away shall the Iudge of the world doe it Gen. 18.25 shall any Iudge 〈◊〉 world do that which the Iudge of the world would not doe They said Gen. 34.31 should 〈…〉 our Sister No But should he do it and all they suffer for it But what 〈…〉 wives and children deserved that they should be ledd captive and all they had 〈◊〉 in house or field taken for a prey made spoile of and carried cleane away 〈◊〉 what had the walls and houses hurt them that not onely the house-walls but even 〈…〉 walls must be laid flat for it Was there ever heard of a greater havock 〈◊〉 so eager upon it they were that to committ the murdâ—r 2 Burghlarie Suffoderunt murum they commit Burghâ—â—â—â—e 〈◊〉 First down with the house-walls that after downe with the men So greedy to 〈…〉 breake downe walls breake up houses to make their slaughter For either it 〈…〉 they broke through the houses to come at the men and kill them Or when 〈…〉 killed the men they pulld downe the houses and all Both it may well be 〈…〉 But one it must needs And that one is too foule and barbarous 〈◊〉 putt to the circumstances which are ever of importance specially in a 〈…〉 well worthy to be weighed in a matter of fact Heer was no warre wherein 〈…〉 are done for the name of warre covers many a foule fault But warre 〈◊〉 not but a treaty of peace So they shedd the blood of warre that is that blood 1 King 2.5 〈◊〉 but in warre should not be shedd made spoiles as in warre razed downe 〈◊〉 as in warre and all this in peace 〈◊〉 not onely a treaty of peace but of a match and marriage contracting affinitie 〈…〉 league of amitie perpetuall Nay of unitie in Religion taking upon them 〈…〉 seale of the covenant That they violated all three 1 Iura Faederis 2 Connubij 〈…〉 And that in all these their counsell was fraudulent Bemerma 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 without 〈…〉 meaning couloured onely with these three pretenses Which they did not 〈…〉 but â—bove all abused the holy 1 ordinance of Matrimonie â— abused the 〈…〉 and made â—he sacred Seale of righâ—â—â—usnesse a cloke for their badd and 〈…〉 〈…〉 sâ—eme to pretend 〈◊〉 But â—ven in justice the rule iâ— pro mensurâ â—â—ccati there should be plagarum modus Heere was no measure kept A whole citie 〈◊〉 a whole Countrey spoild all the men slaine all the rest ledd away as prisoners and â—ll for a fault to which they 〈…〉 waies accessorie And that all this they did with a â—ied of contempt of Iacob their father and his authoâ—â—ty never acquainted him wiâ—h it never consulted him about it He was bound not to come in their counsell thâ—y were bound to come to him for his who if they had come would have counsellâ—â— better The conclusion is Reason they
unlavvfull to withold it you would know whither you may I say unto you you not only may but must answer it Nor dare as a matter of gift but reddere as a matter of repayment or restitution Saint Paul maketh this point yet more plaine indeed past all controversie where he addeth to 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the other 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to the word of rendring the plaine terme of debts Expresly calling them debts both Tribute and Custome Then what is payd to the Prince or to GOD is not to be termed a donative gratuitie or benevolence but of the nature of things restored which though they be in our keeping are in very deed other mens And they that reckon of them as matters meerly voluntarie must alter CHRIST 's Reddite needs and teach him some other terme But they that will learne of him must thinke and call them debts must accompt themselves debters and that God and Caesar are as two creditors Rom. 1â— 7 and they indebted to them both and thereby as truely bound to discharge themselves of these as of any debt or bond they owe. That if they render not these duties they deteine that which is none of theirs and so doing are not onely hard and illiberall but unrighteous and unjust men This from Reddite but this is not all There is yet a further matter in it which giveth a great grace to this rendring For in that he willeth them 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 his meaning is withall it should not be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a forced yielding but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a Rendering and that willingly for so the nature of the word doth import and so the Graecians distinguish 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Our translation readeth Give to Caesar no doubt with reference to this that it should though duely yet so willingly be payd as it were even a franke gift In our speech we say What is more due then debt And againe What is more free then gift Yet both these may meete as in another case the Apostle coupleth them 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Duety yet Benevolent Benevolence and yet due the one respecting the nature the other the minde So both translations not aamisse both readings reconciled That is not therefore to pay them because it will no better be Caesar hath vim coâ—ctivam Hophni hath a flesh-hooke and can say 1. Sam. 2.13 date vel auferetur á vobis and therefore to part with it as one delivereth a purse or to beare it as a Porter doth his load groning under it that is not the manner of Rendering it that is heere required But we must offer it as it were a Gift voluntarily willingly cheerfully 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 saith Saint Peter 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 saith Saint Paul Even for the LORD even for conscience sake Col 3.23 2. Cor. 9 7. 1. Pet. 2.13 Rom 13.5 though Hophni had no flesh-hook though Caesar had no Publican to take a stresse To pay it with grudging and an evill eye to say Vade redicras Pro. 3.28 to putt of to pay it after often comming and sending this is not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 these the heathen man termeth viscata beneficia when they hang to the fingers like bird-lime and will not come away Psal. 39.8 Nay Ecce venio saith CHRIST So to pay it even with Love and good will 2. Cor. 9.5 An offering of a free heart as the Prophet a blessing and a 〈◊〉 as the Apostle retâ—â—e â—o it The manner is much and much to be regarded The willinâ—â—esse of the minde is ever the fatt of the sacrifice and without iâ— all is leane and drie It holdeth heere which the Apostle saith 1. Cor. 9. If I preach saith he if we pay say we we have no greaâ—â—ausâ— to rejoyce 1. Cor. 9.26 Necessitie lieth on us so to doe But if we doe it with a goodwill there is then a reward A reward at his hands who as his Apostle telleth us 2. Cor. 9.7 Hilarem datorem diligit Not datorem anâ— that giveth but hilarem him that giveth it cheerfully That gift best 1. Chro. 9.5 pleaseth GOD and that fervice Laeti serviamus Regi is ever best pleasing and most acceptable IV. What are Caesar's what God's Render then and give Quae Caesaris Caesari that is the right duty to the right owner As duetifully and willingly so to do it wisely In Suum cuique there is no onely iustice but wisedome to know and to preserve to every one that is his owne the right quae to him that of right it belongeth to Not to shuffle them togither Caesar's to GOD GOD s' to Caesar it skills not which to which 1. Cor. 14.33 GOD is not the Author of confusion but to know and discerne what to each pertaineth and what pertaineth that to be answered Mat. 19.6 As before we pleaded What GOD had joined man should not sever so now we plead again What GOD hath severed man should not confound Deut. 19.14 The Prophet calleth it removing the Land-marke which GOD hath set to distinguish the duties that neither invade the others right but keep the partition which he hath set up Not to stand as heere they doe streining at a pennie which was Caesar's without question and do as after they did receive the Romane Eagle into their Temple which was GOD 's right and but slightly of them looked to Aegerrime pendere tributum promptissimè suscipere Religionem with much adoe to pay any tribute at all with little adoe to receive one religion after another GOD forbid Caesar should so readily receive GOD 's duties at their hands as he might easily have them if he would To the end then we may know which to render to which it remaineth we enquirâ— what is eithers due that we may tender it accordingly And first what is Caesar's If we aske then what is Caesar's Our answere must be what GOD hath set over to him For though Quae Dei stand last in place yet sure it is the former Quae commeth out of the later and Quae Caesaris is derived out of Quae Dei Originally in the peâ—son of all Kings doth King David acknowledge that 1. Châ—o 29.19 â—ll things are of Him and all things are His. But the sovereigne bounty of GOD was such as he would not keepe all in His own hands but as he hath vouchsafed to take unto himselfe a secondary means in the government of mankind so hath he set over unto them apart of his owne duety that so one man might be one anothers debtor and after a sort Homo Homini Deus To the conveighance then of diverse benefits He hath called to Himselfe diverse persons and joined them with Himselfe As our Parents to the worke of our bringing forth our Teachers in the worke of our training up and many other in their kindes
Placard then an Inhibition to sinne A thing so common that it made the Heathen man hold that betweene Militia and Malitia there was as little difference in sense as in sound And the Prophet DAVID to call Saul's Companies in his daies 2. Sam. 22.5 Torrentes Belial the Land-flouds of wickednesse Which being well considered we may cease to murmure or to mervaile if our going forth have not beene ever with such successe as we wished GOD who should give the successe commanding then a restraint and man that should need it then taking most liberty Verily if we will learne of GOD if He shall teach us Sinne is never so vntimely as in the time of Warre never so out of season as then for that is the time of all times we should have least to doe with it To insist then a little upon this point because it is the maine point and to shew the vigor of this consequent 1. From the very nature of Warre first Which is an act of Iustice and of Iustice corrective whose office is to punish sinne Now then consider and iudge even in reason What a thing this is how great grosse and foule an incongruitie it is to powre out our selves into sinne at the very time when we goe forth to correct sinne To set forth to punish rebells when we our selves are in rebellion against GOD His Word and Spirit Which what is it but to cast out divells by the power of Belzebub Sure our hearts must needs strike us in the middest of our sinne Matt. 12.24 and tell us we are in a great and grievous prevarication allowing that in our selves that we goe to condemne and to stone to death in others Therefore since to goe to Warre is to goe to punish sinne Certainely the time of punishing sinne is not a time to sinne in 2. Secondly from Warre in respect of GOD. I know not what we reckon of Warre Peace is His blessing we are sure and a speciall favour it is from Him as the Prophets account it for a land to spend more yron in scithes and plough-shares then in sword-blades or speare-heads And if peace be a blessing and a chiefe of His blessings we may deduce from thence what Warre is To make no otherwise of it then it is the rodd of GOD's wrath as Esay termeth it Esay 10.5 Am â— 3 Ier. 50.23 2. Sam. 2.14 his yron staile as Amos the hammer of the earth as Ieremie whereby He dasheth two Nations together One of them must in peecâ—s both the verse for it Warre is no matter of sport Indeed I see Abner esteeme of it as of a sport Let the young men rise saith he to Ioab and shew us some spoâ—t But I see the same Abner before the end of the same Chapter wearie of his sport and treating with Ioab for an end of it Verse 26. How long shall the sword devoure saith he shall it not be bitternesse in the end So it may be sport in the beginning it will be biternesse in the end if it hold long Warre then being GOD's rod His fearefull rod and that so 〈◊〉 that King Daviâ— though a Warrâ—â—â— to when both were in his choise preferred the Plague before it and desired it of the â—waine When GOD's hand with this 〈◊〉 thiâ— His fearefull rod is â—ver 〈◊〉 to be so farre from feare and all due regard as then not to 〈…〉 any whiâ—â—he more but to fall to iâ— as fast as ever it cannot be but a high contempt yea a kind of defiance and despite then to doe it Doe we provoke the LORD to anger are we stronger then He Then since Warre is GOD's rod 2. Cor. 10.22 choose some other time vnder the rod sinne not then forbeare it Certainely that time is no time to sinne 3. The rather for that sinne it is and the not keeping from sinne but our keeping to it and with it that hath made this rodd and put it into His hand For sure it is that for the transgression of a people GOD suffereth these divisions of Reuben within GOD stirreth up the spirit of Princes abroad to take peace from the earth thereby to chasten men by paring the growth of their wealth with this His hired razor by wasting their strong men the hand of the enemies eating them up by making widdowes and fatherlesse children by other like consequents of Warre If then our sinnes common unto us with other nations and that Our Vnthankfullnesse peculiar to us alone have brought all this upon us if this enemie have stirred up these enemies if Warre be the sicknesse and sinne the surfeit should we not at least-wise now while the shivering fit of our sinnes is upon us diet our selves a little and keepe some order but drinke iniquitie as water and distemper our selves as though we were in perfect state of health Shall we make our disease desperate and hasten our ruine by not conteining from sinne that hath cast us in it Know we what time this is Is this a time of sinne Certainely we cannot devise a worse In the time of Warre it is high time to keepe us from sinne 4. But above all which will touch us neerest and therefore againe and againe must be told us over that the safe and speedie comming againe of them that now goe forth whose prosperitie we are to seeke with all our possible endevours that their good speed dependeth upon GOD's going forth with them And GOD's going or staying dependeth very much upon this point Most certaine it is the event of Warre is most vncertaine When Benhadad went forth with an armie that the dust of Samaria was not enough to give every one in his campe a handfull it was told him and he found it true Ne glorietur accinctus c. He that backleth on his armor must not boast 1. King 2â— 11 as he that putts it of They that fight can hardly sett downe what name the place shall have that they fight in It may be the valley of Anchor that is sorrow by reason of a soyle Ios 7.26 as that of Iosua 2 Chr. 20.26 It may be the valley of Beracha that is blessing by meanes of a victorie as that of Iosaphat All is as GOD is and as He will have it a Psal. 44.6.20.7 Once b Pro. 21 31. twise and c 2. Chr. 20.15 thrise by David by Salomon by Iosaphat we are told it that It is neither sword nor bowe It is neither Chariot nor horse It is neither multitude nor valour of an Host will serve But that the battaile is GOD's and He giveth the upper hand We need not be perswaded of this we all are perswaded I hope and we say with Moses If thy Presence goe not with us carrie us not hence Then if we shall need GOD's favour and helpe in prospering our iourney and to make that sure which is so vncertaine it will stand us in hand to make sure of Him
In the picture of the moneths in this next moneth at hand you shall see nothing but men grafting and setting trees It is the Husbandrie and businesse of the moneth wonderfull fitly chosen therefore that this tree may keepe time with the rest And now is the time that the sap goes up So as there could not be a fitter time for S. IOHN to call upon us Looke abroad they begin now to bring forth now best speaking for Proferte To which Proferte Differte is cleane contrarie Differr it not then but take the time while it is in season And with high wisdome is this time so sett that the time of our Repentance the fortie daies of it end in the Passeover in the passing of Ira ventura over us as did the destroying Angell over the houses in Aegypt Exo. 12 1◠That the mortifying of sinne might end in the rising of CHRIST in us The use of fruit is fruition And this is the fruition in this life even the fruits of the Spirit feare and love and joy in the HOLY GHOST And in the life to come the fruict of the Tree of Life in the middest of Paradise Instead of Ira ventura vita ventura gaudia ventura the glorie and joyes eternall of the life to come To which LIFE GLORY and IOY bring us ALMIGHTY GOD. Printed at London for RICHARD BADGER SERMONS PREACHED IN LENT A SERMON Preached before QVEENE ELIZABETH AT GREENVVICH on VVednesday the XI of March A. D. MDLXXXIX PSALME LXXV VER III. Liquefacta est terra omnes qui habitant in ea Ego confirmavi Columnas ejus The earth and all the Inhabitants thereof are dissolved but I will establish the Pillars of it IT was MOSES the Man of GOD that by speciall direction from GOD first began and brought up this order to make Musique the conveigher of mens duties into their mindes Deut. 31.19 Deut. 31.19 And DAVID sithence hath continued it and brought it to perfection in this Booke as having a speciall grace and felicitie in this kinde He for Songs and his Sonne SALOMON for Proverbs By which two that is by the vnhappy Adage and by a wanton song Sathan hath ever breathed most of his infection and poison into the minde of man In which holy and heavenly vse of his harpe he doth by his tunes of Musique teach men how to sett themselves in tune Psal. 15. How not onely to tune themselves but how to tune their housholds Psal. 10◠And not onely there but heer in this Psalme how to preserve harmonie or as he termeth it how to sing Ne perdas to a Common-wealth So saith the Inscription which Saint Augustine very fittly calleth the key of every Psalme For the time of setting this song by generall consent of all Expositors being the later end of the long dissension between the Houses of David and Saul evident it is the estate of the Land was very neer to a Perdas and needed Ne Perdas to be soong unto it For besides the great overthrow in the Mountaines of Gilboa given by the enimie wherin the King and three of his sonnes were slaine and a great part of the Countrey surprised by the Philistin the Desolation of a divided kingdome was come upon them too 1. Sam. 31.7 For within themselves they were at Cujus est terra 2. Sam. 3.12 even at Civill warrs At the beginning but a play So Abner termeth it 2. Sam. 2.14 but bitternesse at the end as the same Abner confesseth ver 26. Surely it was a weake State and low brought So much doth David implie in the fore-part of the verse that he found the Land a weake land by meanes the strength and Pillers of it were all out of course by the mis-government of Saul But then withall in the later part of the verse he professeth he will leave it a land of strength by re-establishing the Pillars and re-edifying the State new againe The earth c. The stile whereof runneth in the termes of Architecture very aptly resembling the government to a frame of building the same sett upon and borne up by certaine Bases and Pillers the strength whereof assureth or the weaknesse endangereth the whole and David himselfe to a skillfull Builder surveying the pillers and searching into the decayes repairing their ruines and setting them into course againe The Division Whereout ariseth naturally the entrety of these foure points That the weaknesse or strength of a Land is a Point of important consideration That the strength of a Land is in the Pillers And what they are That the upholding of those Pillers apperteineth to David How and in what sort Saul weakened them in his time and David in his made them fast FIrst David had read that among the instructions delivered by Moses to the spies Numb 13.19 the very first and chiefe of all was Whither the Land were weake or strong So he had read and so he beleeved it to be and so it is For sure in such Lands where this is their song The earth is weake their Musique is all out of tune For the note is such as affecteth the Inhabitants with feare Ps. 22.14 15. 1. Feare in the inhabitant for these two 1 Virtus testacea and 2 Cor cereum strength like a potsheard and a heart like waxe A weake land and a fearefull inhabitant go togither 2. Courage in the enimie For where RABSAKETH knoweth but so much that the land is weake you shall not entreate him to speake any thing but Hebrew Esa. 36.12 This Musique is heavy and therefore David saw the song must be new sett And so he doth sett it new changing it into a more pleasant note But I will strengthen it And when the note is so changed in that day shall this Song be soong in the Land of Iuda Esa. 26.1 We have a strong Citie Salvation hath GOD sett for the walls and bullwarkes of it This Musique hath life in it and hearteneth the inhabitant afresh quaileth the enimie and resolveth the neighbour to say 1. Sam. 12.18 Thine are we ô DAVID and on thy side thou Sonne of IESSE When a Prince may say of his Land as MOSES did of IVDA Deut. 33.7 His owne hands are sufficient for him if the LORD helpe him against all his enemies And the Land may say of the Prince that which SALOMON setteth downe as the high commendation of a Prince that he is Rex Alkum that is Ne surgito Rise not No rising against him Pro 30.31 for that they which have risen had better have satt still And they both may send word to the enemie if he threaten to come and visit them the word that Ioas sent 2. Reg. 14.10 Tarry at home and provoke not evill against thy selfe This Musique is blessed and such hath hitherto beene the song of our Nation What SAMVEL said when he pitched the Stone of Help 1. Sam. 7.12 we cannot denie but we may say the same Thus farre
his oration to the States of his Realme before his first Parliament testifieth the Arke was not sought to in the dayes of Saul That Piller was not looked to Sought to it was after a sort Religion 1. Sam. 14.18.19 but nothing so as it should Come let us have the Arke saith he And then Goe to it skills not greatly carry it backe againe which what was it but to play fast and loose with Religion Act. 24.25 To entend Paul as Foelix saith at our idle time and not to redeeme time to that end Iudge of Religion 's case by the reverence of the Ephod 1. Sam. 6.20 A daughter of his owne bringing up Micall saw David for honor of the Arke weare it and despised him in her heart Iudge of it by the regard of the Priest the keeper of the Arke For very love to it that calling was kept so low and bare that they were tyed to the allowance of their Shew-bread 1. Sam 21 4. the High Priest had noâ— a loafe in his house besides This was the first rott of his kingdome The Arke not sought to The Ephod in contempt The Priest-hood impoverished Acts 18.17 Et Saulo nihil horum curae and Saul regarded not any of these things Such another indifferencie for Church matters we finde in Ieroboam Hos. 13.2 Tush saith he jestingly let them kisse the calves and spare not Let it goe which way it will But therefore GOD sends him word by Ahijah that Israël should be as a reed in the water bowing to and fro at the devotion of every wave and every wind 1. Reg. 14.15 without any steaddinesse And was it not so Search the Chronicles So GOD saw this minde in Saul to his Arke and was wroth withdrew from him His religious and good Spirit and sent upon him a prophane and furious Spirit which carried him on first to a sinfull life and never left him till it had brought him to a shamefull death And God was even saying his Disperdas to the Kingdome Deut. 33. â—â— but David heere intreated for a Ne perdas and promised a better care of Celebrabimus Iehovam Now where Religion thrives not the other of Iustice will not hold long when one staff is broken the other holdeth not whole long after Zach. 11.4 And surely his Iustice was suitable to the former to his weake regard of Religion That also was weake too 1. Weake toward the enemie It is said there was want of necessarie furniture of armor and munition in his daies And there had beene defect in teaching them to shoot which David supplied at his entrance 3. Weake at home too 1 Sam. 13.22 2 Sam. 1.18 where he did not justitias but injurias judicare The parts of Iustice are two as we finde in the tenth verse 1 To exalt the hornes of the righteous 2 and to breake the hornes of the wicked 1. For the first Reason was and so was promise too that David should have been rewarded with Meroë his eldest daughter's marriage I know not how 1. Sam. 18.17.19 one Adriel an obscure fellow never to have been nam'd but to shew such a one put David by had his horne exalted above him This for reward 2. And his Punishment was no better 1. Sam. 15.9 Mercifull to Agag whose hornes should have beene broken and in Abimelech's case too rigorous putting him and eightie foure more to the sword for a douzen of bread 2. Sam. 22 17. And whereas in kindly Iustice the rigour of frangam cornua commeth not at first but Clemencie giveth gracious warning with Dicam imprudentibus verse 4. So without regard heerof as upon any displeasure without any word at all 1. Sam 18.11.19.10.20.33 his Iavelin went streight to naile men to the wall they knew not wherefore Thus did Iustice decay after Religion and one Piller fall upon another whereof ensued his overthrow and the Land dangerously sick of the Palsey Whereof David complaineth and prayeth Heale the sores thereof for it shaketh Psal. 60.2 Now David as when he read Abimilek's mis-hap in the Booke of the Iudges he made his vse of it as appeareth 2. Sam. 11.21 So heere when he saw what had turned Saul to domage tooke warning by it Ruina praecedentium admonitio sequentium and to make the Land strong falleth to vndersett the Pillers And first of the first that is the stone which Saul and his builders cast aside For comming to the Kingdome he consecrates all his Lawes with his Act De Arcá reducendi whereat he would needs be present in his owne person 1. Chron. 13 2. because it touched Celâ—brâ—â—iâ—us Iehovam and that with some disgrace as Mical imagined but he was resolute in that point He could receive no dishonor by doing honor to God's Arke And when it was brought backe sett such an order for the Service of it by the Levitâ—s for maintenance so bountifull so reverend for regard so decent for order 1. Chron. 26. so every way sufficient as the care of the Temple might seeme to reigne in his heart As indeed it did and as he professeth he could not sleepe till he had sett a full order for God's matters and brought this Piller to perfection Psal. 132.3 Which his care was secunâ—um cor Dei and God would signifie so much by the ceremonie in the Coronation of the Kings of Iuda Wherein putting not onely the Diademe Imperiall but the Booke of the Law also 2 Reg. 11.12 upon the Kings head it was entended that Booke should be as deare to them as their Crowne and they equally studie to advance it And in putting the Scepter of Iustice in their hands Esay 22.22 and in laying the key of the house of David on their shoulders what els was required but as they executed the one with their hand so they should putt to the other arme and shoulder and all that is as David heere expresseth it two Celebrabimu's to one Iudicabo Thus was strengthened the first Piller and for the second the HOLY GHOST giveth him an honourable testimonie I speake not of his Militarie Iustice I need not 2 Sam. 8.15 Psal. 9 9.4 therein he was trained up but that in peace he exâ—cuted Iudgement and Iustice to all his people The Kings power saith he loveth Iudgement Not Power in injurie 2. Cor. 13.10 but Power in Iudgement saith David Power to aedification saith Saint Paul not to destruction that is to build up not to decay the Building Therefore Vertue and Valor wanted not their reward in his time He professeth after in this Psalme The wind should blow no man to preferment out of what Quarter soever it came but GOD Verse 6. by his graces should point them to it And sure the diligent description the HOLY GHOST vseth of his Worthies 1. Chron. 11. 2. Sam. 23. and men of Place sheweth him to have been most exact in this
point First his Three and then after his thirtie in their order and that those thirtie atteined not unto the first three but every one esteemed and regarded in his worthinesse And for depressing the wicked it was his morning worke as he testifieth Psal. 101.8 and that as himselfe heere setts downe in a most heavenly order with Dicam first as being sett over men Hos. 11.4 and therefore willing to lead them with the cords of men that is faire and gentle yet effâ—ctuall perswasions And Never did the dew of heaven more sweetly refresh the grasse Pro. 19.12 then doth a favourable saying pierce the inferior from the mouth of a Prince Therefore there was no estate in the land but in this Booke I will not say he mildly said but he even sweetly soong their severall duties unto them To his Court Psal. 101. his Church Psal. 45. his Iudges Psal. 82. his Commons all in one Psal. 144. I will add this that if David offended in ought heerein it was in that he vsed Dicam too much and Frangam not oft enough 2 Sam. 15.3 Absalon could object it when it served his turne And when David was to leave the world it lay on his conscience his Clemencie vsed in Ioab's and Shemei's case 1 Reg 2 5. Psal. 72.14 A deare and pretious thing is the meanest blood in the eyes of David so he saith And that made his people more afraid for him then of him and to value his life at ten thousâ—nd of their owne 2. Sam. 18.3 and that so many Subjects so many of his Guard Not so many Subjects so many Conspirators as SAVL complayned 1. Sam. 22 4. Prâ— 20. â—8 Yet because Clemencie is but one foot of the throne and Severitie at some other time for Verse 2. Cum accepero tempus time must be kept in this Musique doth no lesse support it Therefore where saying will not serve nor singing Frangam must sometimes be vsed Ezek. 21.9.10 where the Rod contemned let the Sword be drawen It is GOD 's owne course If he for all dicam lift up his horne against GOD or good orders sawe of his horne if he doe still mutâ—lâ— fronte minitari Caput â—jus mittetur ad te was David's justice 2. Sam â—0 21 Take of his head For dicam is the charme he speaketh of which if the viper stop not his eare will doe him good Psal. 58.5 If it doe not contunde in theriacam he must be bruised and made into Mithridate that others may be amended by him seeing he would not be amended by others Thus did Dâ—vid repaire Saul's ruines these are his stepps thus did he shew himselfe as good as his promise heere a skillfull Vpholder of these two maine Pillers which beare up and give strength to every Land And by this meanes he changed both the nature and name of his Countrie finding it Iebus that is conculcata and so indeed it was a Citie contemned and troden downe with every foot And leaving it a new name Ierusalem and so it was Salem Ieru a citie to be feared and envied of all round about it So the Land grew strong and the Pillers fast and David for his fastening in favour with GOD and man GOD whom he praised graciously assisting him and men whom he preserved willingly serving him The LORD who hath sent forth the like strength for our Land Stablish the good thing which He hath wrought in us The LORD so fasten the Pillers of our earth that they never be shaken The LORD mightily uphold the Vpholder of them long and many yeares That we may goe forth rejoycing in His strength and make our boast of his praise all our life long Which our gracious GOD c. A SERMON Preached before QVEENE ELIZABETH AT GREENVVICH the XXIIII of February A. D. MDXC being S. MATTHIA'S day PSALME LXXVII VER XX. Thou diddest leade thy People like Sheepe by the hand of MOSES and AARON SOme either present or imminent danger and that no small one had more then usually distressed the Prophet at the writing of this Psalme wherewith his spirit for a while being tossed to and fro in great anguish as may appeare by those three great billowes in the 7.8.9 verses yet at last he commeth to an Anchor in the 10. Verse upon the remembrance of the right hand of the most High Which right hand in one even tenor throughout all Ages not only to that of David's but even to this of ours hath ever shewed it selfe a right hand of pre-eminence and power in the two points in the later part of the Psalme specified the especiall matter of his and all our comfort 1. The finall confusion of His enimies though for a while exalted untill this verse 2. The finall deliverance of His people though for a while distressed in this verse Which twaine of many Psalmes are the substance and of this now before us and indeed all the whole story in a manner is nothing els but a Calendar of these two That the Lord of Hosts the GOD of Israël is El Nekamoth a GOD of vengeance against His enemies and but a letter changed is El Nechamoth a GOD of comfort unto His people That His Cherubims hold a flaming sword to represse the one and have their wings spread to shadow and succour the other That His creatures the cloud from above is a mist of darknesse to confound the Egyptians Exod. 14.22 and the same cloud a piller of light to conduct the Israëlites That the water from beneath to the Aegyptian is a gulfe to devoure them but to the Israëlite a wall of defense on their right hand and on their left We need not to seeke farr in the Psalme next before and againe in the Psalme next after this you shall find these two coupled as indeed for the most part they go still together And as they goe still togither so still they end in the safeguard of the Church Of All prophecies of all iudgements of all miracles past or present new or old that is the key and conclusion The last verse If I may so say of the Deluge was the Rainbow of the Aegyptian bondage was the feast of Passeover and even heer in this Psalme after it hath in the foure verses next before rayned and powred downe and lightened and thundered and heaven and earth gone togither there doth in this verse ensue a calme to GOD 's people This is the blessed period that shutteth up the Psalme Them that hated thy people or dealt unkindly with thy servants them thou drownedst and destroyedst But Thy people thou leaddest like sheepe by the hands of MOSES and AARON And in these two may all kingdomes and countreys read their owne destinies what they are to hope for or to feare at the hands of GOD. If they be Lo-ammi not His people they may looke back what they finde in the verses before and that is storme and tempest If they be
any it skilled not what Gen 4.26 So the posterity of Seth the people of GOD begoon at the Church Et coeptum est invocari at the worship of GOD and His Tabernacle as the point of principall necessitie in their accompt and as CHRIST reckoned it Vnum necessarium And truly if we be not Populus a people Luk. 10.42 but Populus Tuus GOD 's people we will so esteeme it too For as for iâ—stice and law and execution of them both Taliter fecit omni populo it is everie where to be had Psal. 76.1 even among the verie Heathen and Turkes themselves So is not GOD 's truth anâ— Religion and the way of righteousnesse No Natus in Iudaea Deus saith the Prophet in the last Psalme that is onely to be had in the Church and Non talitâ—r fâ—cit omni populo he hath not dealt so with every people â—very people have not knowledge of His lawes So that if the Governor be not meerely Pastor agrestiâ— a rurall shepheard such as are in the fields and the people of GOD in his eyes no better then Pecora campi so that if he keepe them one from goring another with their hornes and one from eating up the others locke of hey all is well and no more to be cared for of Gaâ—lio But that he be like the great Shepheard the good Shepheaâ—d the â—rince of Shepheards 1. Pet. 2.25 who was Pastor animarum as Saint Peter calleth him a Shepheard of soules to see also that they be in good plight that they be ledd in the way of truth It will easily be yielded to that per manum Mosis is no full point but needeth and Aaron to be ioyned to it Exod 4.14 Moses himselfe saw this and therefore in the fourth of Exodus when he had diverse times shifted of this sole leading while GOD stood still upon Ecce mittam te At last when GOD came further and saiâ— Ecce Aaron frater tuus mittam eum tecum that conteâ—ted him and â—hen he vndertooke it as knowing these were like hands maimed the one without the other but that Moses and Aaron make a compleat Government 3. And what should I say more They be hands and the bodie needeth them both They be hands and they neâ—d each other Moses needeth Aaron For Moses hands are heavy and need a stay and Aaron it is that keepeth them steddy by continuall putting the people in remembrance that they be subject to principalities by winning that at their hands by his continuall dropping his word upon them which Moses for the hardnesse of their hearts is faine to yeeld to By strengthening mainely Mose's Debita legalia duties of Parliament and common law by his Debita moralia duties of conscience and Divinitie And whatsoever action Moses doth imprison Aaron imprisoneth all the thoughts any waies accessarie to the action Which thoughts if they may runne at libertie the action will surely be bayled or make an escape and not be long kept in durance And so many waies doth Aaron support and make both more easie and more steadie the hands of Moses And Moses for his part is not behind but a most jealous preserver of Aaron's honour and right every where Every where mild save in Aaron's quarrell and with those only that murmured against Aaron and said he tooke too much upon him Take but his prayer for all because I would end his prayer made for Aaron by name in the 33. Deut. and these three points in it Deut. 33.11 Blesse O Lord his substance therfore he would never have heard Vt quid perditio haec that all is lost that is spent on Aaron's head Then Accept the worke of his hands therefore he would never easily have excepted to or with a hard construction skanned all the doings of Aaron Last of all Smite through the loynes of them that rise up against him therefore he would never have strengthened the hand of his evill willers 1. Sam. 22.18 or said with Saul to Doëg Turne thou and fall upon the Priests To conclude Moses and Aaron both have enemies as Aaron hath Coreh and Dathan 2. Tim. 3.8 that repine at him so hath Moses too Iannes and Iambres that would withstand him And he that at one time disputes about the bodie of Aaron may also hereafter for he hath done it heretofore dispute about the bodie of Moses Iude 9. It is good therefore they be respective each to other Aaron helpe Moses in his lott and Moses Aaron in his that they stand in the gap one for another that so their unitie may be hand in hand as the unity of brethren strong and hard to breake as the barres of a palace The LORD by whose Almighty power all governments do stand those especially wherein the people are led in the way of his Sanctuarie as he hath graciously begun to lead us in that way so leave us not till we have finished our course with joy Knitt the hearts of Moses and Aaron that they may joine lovingly Teach their hands and fingers of their hands that they lead skilfully Touch the hearts of the people that they may be led willingly that by meanes of this happy conduct surely without error and safely without danger we may lead and be lâ—dd forward till we come to the fruition of his promise the expectation of our blessed hope even the eternall joies of his coelestiall Kingdome through IESVS CHRIST our LORD To Whom c. A SERMON Preached before QVEENE ELIZABETH AT SAINT IAME'S on Wednesday being the XXX of March A. D. MDXCIII MARKE CHAP. XIV VER IV. V.VI Erant autem quidam indignè ferentes intra semet-ipsos dicentes Vt quid perditio ista unguenti facta est c. Therefore some disdeigned among themselves and said To what end is this wast of ointment For it might have beene sold for more then three hundred pence and been given to the poore And they grudged against her But IESVS said Let her alone why trouble ye her She hath wrought a good worke on Me. THIS action of wast which by some is brought and by CHRIST our SAVIOVâ— traversed was against a woman saith Saint MARKE thâ— verse before which woman as Saint IOHN hath it Chap. XI Ver. 2. was MARIE MAGDALEN now a glorious Saâ—nt in heaven sometime a greevous sinner vpon earth Saint AVGVSTINE noteth Of all those that sought to CHRIST She was the onely sinner that for sinne onely and for no bodily griefe or maladie at all sued and sought to Him Of whom being received to grace and obteining a quietus est for her many sinnes a benefit in-estimable Et quod nem◠〈◊〉 nisi acceperit which they onely know and none but they that haue received it as Luk. 7.47 much was forgiven her so much she loved And seeking by all meanes to expresse her multam dilectionem propter multam remissionem as CHRIST saith Verse 8. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 nothing
principalest Stone that could be The chiefe part it is the head the chiefe care and consultation would be what Stone meet for that place for indeed it is all in all The first 〈◊〉 CHRIST That is the consultation heer Heer is Câ—â—IST what say you to him He iâ— a Stone 2. A Building Stone 3. A Corner Stone 4. A Head Stone A Stone So the Prophetts terme Him Dâ—â— 2 3â— Zach. â— 9 Esa â— â— 1â— Dan. 2.34 Zachar. 3.9 Esay 28.16 And so the Apostles Peter Act. 4.11 Paul I Cor. 10.4 1. In His Birth Daniel's stone cut forth without hands 2. In His Passion Zacharie's stone graven cut full of eyes all over 〈…〉 Esay's stone Layd in Siâ—n Qui crediderit non confundetur He that beleeveth in Him then shall not be confounded saith S. Peter I. Pet. 2.6 Act. 4.11 1 Cor. 10.4 Hic est lapis He is the Stone of our faith saith S. Peter Lapis erat Christus And Petra erat Christus saith S. Paul He is the Stone of our Sacraments the Water of our Baptisme and of our Spirituall drinke both issue from Him A Stone first for His nature of the earth as Stones are out of Abraham's Quarry saith Esay to shew His Humanity Esa. 51.1 Ephes. 4.9 Psal 22.6 And out of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the very lowest part of the earth saith the Apostle to shew his Humility Indeed nothing so subiect to contempt to be troden on to be spurned aside as it And such was His condition Vermis nón homo and Lapis non homo A Worme or a Stone and no man A Stone will endure much sorrow nothing more And who did ever suffer like Him or in His suffering who more patient or still or stone-like then He But the chiefe vertue of a Stone is that it is firme and sure And so is He. Yee may trust Him ye may build on Him He will not faile you What ye lay on Him is sure a Psal. 40.3 David may have sure footing and rest his feet b Exo. 17.12 Moses his hands c Gen. 28 11· Iacob his head on this Stone This is it He hath His denomination from He that trusts in Him Mat. 16.18 nothing not the gates of hell shall prevaile against him Trustinesse with non confundetur the chiefe vertue of a Stone of CHRIST and of those that are Head-stones by and under Him But there are Stones that lye scattered that will neither head well nor bed well as they say not meet to build withall meet for nothing but to hurle and to do hurt with But CHRIST is a Stone to doe good with to build with Lapis ad aedificaetionem And He loveth not to scatter or be by Himselfe His delight is to be with the Sonnes of men Pro. 8.31 and to grow with them into one frame of building A Corner Stone Of all the places in the building that one speciall place liketh Him 3. Ephes. 2.14 Where the sides meet there He is To ioine togither to make two one He loveth it above all stretching Himselfe to both walles that both may rest on Him And lastly Lapis primarius a Headstone For there He should be there is His right place and it will never be well with the Building till He be in that place till CHRIST be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Caput in omni procuratione The highest and chiefest end of all This He is and in the end This He will be if not by Men yet by GOD. But now we have to doe with Men and we are to put it to voices their voices with whom He lived what they thinke of CHRIST for Caput Anguli It is returned Quem reprobaverunt He is refused Will ye heare it from themselves Nolumus hunc regnare Luc. 19.14 We will not have Him King Not in that place no Head in any wise But à quibus Who were these These were foolish people that knew not the vertue or value of a Stone no heed to be taken what they cry We will get us with Ieremie Ier. 5.4 Ier. 5.5 to men of skill that know what Stone is for every place professed builders by their trade But these also were no better conceited of Him then the other for doe any of the Rulers make any account of Him Iohn 7.48 As who say None of them neither The very Builders refuse Him too Well we will make the best of it It may be not for the Head But there be more places then that If not allow Him there yet He may be in some els Improbaverunt it may be but not reprobaverunt disallowed but not cast a side quite We aske then how farr Will ye put Him up the second time and to see the Quâ—usque in kind will ye put vp Barrabas with Him Ioh. 1â— 40 Non Huâ—c sed Barrabam So it went That was their verdict Now by this time it is reprobaverunt as flat as may be a refuse iâ—deed and that with a foule indignity But these were but the Vulgar againe What say the Builders to this He of them that tooke him selfe for a very Vitruvius such a Workman as he sayd all the rest understood nothing at all the Master-builder Caiaphas he was flat Expedit Ioh. 11.49.50 It was expedient He should dye be cast aside into the heap of rubbish be put out of the building cleane That is his doom Now lay these togither To be refused is not so much it may be it is of such as are ignorant But to be refused of Builders and those the chiefe is much for they are presumed to be skilfull Againe to be disliked for the chiefe place not so much if not for that he may be for another But to be utterly reprobate that is not refused for the Head nor refused for the Corner but refused simply for any room at all not in the topp nay not in the bottome not in the Corner nay not in any ranke of the Building that is as much as may be And this was CHRIST 's lot Yet this was all but in words nothing was done to Him But there is a reprobation in deed and that is yet farr worse And to that they proceeded even to actuall matters to reall reprobation Before they cast Him aside this pooâ—e Stone they hackt they hewed it mangled it piteously they shewed their malicâ— even in that too Coelaverunt Sculpturam eius saith the Prophet their tooles walked on Him Zacha 3.9 they gravâ—d Him and cut Him with a witnesse and made Him full of eyes on every side What skilled that What disgrace or what sorrow is done to a Stone the Stone feeles it not The cry of Non hunc or the edge of the graving toole affect it nothing True But He was Lapis vivus a living Stone as Peter calleth Him 1 Peter 2.5 a Stone that hath life life and sense and felt all Felt His graving the edge
there is for many doe but passe well over into the land of promise These foure Passe-overs it will not be amisse to thinke of And in all these need we not one to helpe us well through that these perills may well passe us over Need we not one that may make the redd sea passable for us that we may well come to the land of the living And now then tell we what is the summe of all our desires Is it not Bonum Pascha While we are heere the Destroyers may passe and when we goe hence we may well get over Is it no Sic transire transitoria vt transeundo perveniamus ad aeterna So to passe these transitorie things that we may well come to those that shall never passe A good Passe-over is our wish and against we shall need it a good one GOD send us Vpon the point if we weigh well Salus ipsa nihil est nisi Pascha The benefit of all benefits salvation it selfe is comprised in this word is nothing but a Passe-over As much in one word as the other transire à malo to be saved from evill transire ad bonum to be sett safe in good To these two may all be reduced This is all we need and all we seeke And this Parasceue or Preparation will set us in hand to seeke it Luk. 22.15 and make us say with our SAVIOVR desiderio desideravi vt c earnestly to desire to have our part in this Passe-over 3 Who it is The next point if we need one and if we desire one where shall we have one Quis revolvet nobis hunc lapidem Who will rolle us away this stone said the Women this day Mat. 16.3 To our line againe the law How did they there in the Type for so it must be in the truth They had a means that helped them through both which per Metonymâ—an causae they called their Passe-over And it was a Lamb. CHRIST the Lamb of GOD. Have we so yes Ecce AONVS DEI said the Baptist at the first fight But every Lamb will not serve it must be a Paschall Lamb. Is CHRIST that Lamb Saint Iohn puts it out of question That which was said of the Paschall lamb ye shall not breake a bone of him he applies to CHRIST Ioh. 1.29 Ioh. 19.36 and saith in Him the Scripture was fulfilled Eodem tempore illorum nostrum adductus in Festo ipso 〈◊〉 Paschall lambe He is and so in case to be made a Passe-over of But 4 CHRIST offered in sacrifice Esay 53.7 a Passe-â—ver He is not till He be Offered For if ye marke it offering is a passing over of 〈◊〉 is offered to Him we offer it to Offered He must be Et oblatus est saith Esay offered He was Oblatus so He may be and yet alive but the word is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 immolatus offered and offered in Sacrifice A live lamb is not it it is a lamb slaine must be our Passe-over And CHRIST is a Lamb slaine saith Saint Iohn from the beginning Apoc. 5.12.13.8 and the sprinkling of His bloud in Baptisme maketh the Destroyer passe over us There be many kinds of offerings This determineth As a Peace-offering which of them CHRIST was Such a one as we must epulari that is the Peace-offering For of the Peace-offering the flesh was to be eaten Part GOD had Levit 7.15 and part the offerer eate in signe of perfect peace and reconciliation betweene them CHRIST 's bloud not onely in the Bason for Baptisme but in the Cupp for the other Sacrament A Sacrifice so to be slaine A propitiatorie Sacrifice so to be eaten Thus CHRIST is a Passe-over But where is nostrum 5 Our interest Pâ—opter nos without which all this is nothing Propter nos for us that maketh it ours That which is for us offered is ours and we so reckon it The lamb was not slaine for it selfe Exod. 13.15 Luk. 23.4.14.15 Quid agnus committere but for the first borne So CHRIST not for himselfe Nothing worthy death in him witnesse Pilate but for us For us that is for our salvation to save us Save us from what from our sinnes To save us from our sinnes And heere now we are come to the point of the Passe-over indeed the quitting us and the manner of quitting us from our sinnes All the businesse whereof was carried in the very manner of a Passe-over First sinne it selfe what is it but a transgression 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or passing over the lines and limits of our Dutie set us in the law of GOD. And why hovers the destroying Angell over us Why goeth he not on his way but seekes to bring destruction upon our heads What is the marke he striketh at What but our sinnes But for them no Destroyer should ever have power over us But for them that hang so heavie on us and so presse us downe we should goe through well enough Why then Hic est omnis fructus ut auferatur peccatum All is but this to have our sinnes taken away And who shall take them away Ecce qui tollit peccata mundi Ioh. 1.29 that taketh away ours nay the sinnes of the world How taketh away GOD hath taken away thy sinne saith Nathan to David the word is not abstulit but transtulit that is transferendo abstulit 2. Sam. 12.13 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or as the Hebrew word is transire fecit To take it from David make it passe from him upon some other that is even the Sonne of David Him GOD hath given us to passe our sinnes over from us to Him And when that when He was offered made a Sacrifice for us It is the nature of every Sacrifice transferendo auferre He that offers it lay's his hands on the head of it Levit. 1.4.3.2.8.13 confesses his sinnes over it and his iust desert to be smitten by the Destroyer but prays he may put this offering in his owne place and what is due to him that is death may be transferred from him and light on the offering that may serve and he scape In all offerings thus it was but in the Paschall lamb specially that it hath carried away the name from all the rest to be called the Passe-over onely In it evidently the death of the first borne was translated over upon the poore lamb The lamb died Exod. 13.15 the first borne was saved his death passed over vnto the lamb that it was iustly called the Passe-over for so it was But much more iustly CHRIST who sure was even a Passe-over throughout from the first to the last At the first His birth what was it but a Passe-over from the bosoâ—e of His Father to the womb of His Mother to take our nature And His Circumcision what but a Passe-over from the state of one free to the condition of one bond to vndertake our debt And at the
likewise to that end on high within the sancta sanctorum as a faithfull High-Priest for ever to appeare Heb. 2.17 and to make an atonement with GOD for our transgressions Thus there all is well But how shall we do heer if He be gone up on high from us Not a whit worse Ascensor caeli auxiliator saith MOSES Deut. XXXIII XXVI By being there He is the better hable to helpe us to helpe us against our enemies For in that He is on high he hath the vantage of the high ground and so hable to annoy them to strike them downe and lay them flat S. Paul found it yea Act. 9.4 Psal. 11.6 to raine downe fire and brimstone storme and tempest upon them To help us against our wants Wants both temporall for from on high He can send downe a gracious raine vpon His inheritance to refresh it and spirituall for from on high He did send downe the gifts and graces of the Spirit Ver. 9. the dona dedit of this Feast and of this text both Looke to the Text. He is so gone up that our enemies are his captives we shall not need to feare they can go no further then their chaine And though He be gone dona dedit He is ready to supplie us upon our need with all gifts requisite We shall not need to want for no good thing will He withhold from them that have ascensiones in corde Psal. 84.5 that have their hearts upon Him and upon His ascension that lift up their hearts to Him there There is yet one and I keep that for it shall be the last In that He is ascended into heaven Heaven is to be ascended to By the new and living way that is prepared through the veile of His flesh a passage there lieth thither They talke of discoveries Heb. 10.20 and much adoe is made of a new passage found out to this or that place what say you to this discoverie in altum this passage into the land of the living Sure it passes all Psal. 27 1â— And this discoverie is heer and upon this discoverie there is begun a commerce or trade of entercourse between heaven and us The commodities whereof are these gifts we shall after deale with them And a kind of agencie CHRIST being there for us and the Spirit heer for GOD either Agent for other It is the happiest nâ—wes this that ever came to mankind For hominibus for mankind it is He is gone up for that is to be repeated to all three and every of them 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 1 He is gone up on high for men 2 Led captivitie captive for men 3 as well as received gifts for men His going up then is not all for Himselfe some part and that no small part for us For thither He is gone Heb. â— 20 ut Praecursor noster Heb. VI. as our fore-runner or Herbenger Pandens iter ante eos saith the Prophet Mica to make way before us Mica 2 13. To prepare a place and and to hold possession of it in our names saith He Himselfe Till say the Angels as He was seen to go up so shall He likewise be to come downe againe Acts 1.11 Once more to descend it is His last and upon it His last ascending into His high Tribunall-seate there as our favourable Iudge to give us the Ite benedicti Mat 25.34 the immediate warrant for our ascensions And so he shall take our persons thither where He now is in our persons that where He is we may be there also And thus much for His going up on high Now the Manner how He went Ascendit DOMINVS in jubilo II. The 〈◊〉 of His ascending In Iubilee Psal. 47. â— saith the XI VII Psalme a proper and peculiar Psalme for this day For this is the fiftieth day â—nd fifty iâ— the number of the Iâ—bilee We must looke for a Iubilee ever at Pentecost Hâ— went up in Iubilo Now to a Iubilee there got two acts 1 The releasing of Prisoner's one And the new giving or granting estates graâ—is donâ— dedit the other And both are heer In triumph He went up in triumph as a â—oman Victor up to the Capitol as David after his conquest â—p to 〈◊〉 so He to the Capitol in heaven to the Sion that is above the high and holy placâ—s made without hands Now two actus triumphales theâ—e were One Captives led bound before the Chariot 2 The other casting abroad of new coine or as they called them missilia among the multitude And these two are in this This the manâ—er of His going up like the Iewe's Iubilee like the Heathen's â—riumph 1 First then of His valour in His victorie leading His captivitie 2 Then of His bounty in His Triumph dispersing His gifts 1. Leading captivitie captive Of the first Heer is a Captivitie led in triumph A Triumph is not but after a victorie not a victorie but upon a battell and ever a battell presupposeth bâ—stilitie and that some quarrell whereupon it grew His ascension is His triumph His Resurrection His victorie His death His battell His quarrell is hominibus about us men for another captivitie of ours that had happened before this I aske then what was this Captivitie heer Of whom when taken when ledd For taken it must be before it can be ledd in triumph Some interpret it by Satan lay it was by Him and the power of darkenesse Some other that it was Adam and all his progenio and so we are in it too And both say well they and we were taken together For when they were taken captives we that then were in their hand and power as captives to them were taken together with them So both were taken and by CHRIST both but not both alike Both were taken but not both led They were taken and led we are taken and let goe And not let go barely but rewarded with gifts as it is in the Verse Both these are within the compasse of this Psalme To begin with this of the Verse we find it more particularly set downe Colos. II. There Col. 2.15 of the Principalities and powers of hell it is said CHRIST spoiled them made a shew of them triumphed over them in His owne person With these He had battell at His death and then He seemed to lose the fiâ—ld But up againe He got at His Resurrection and then got the day carried the victorie cleare 1 Cor. 15.54 For lo as with a trumpet the Apostle soundeth the victorie Absâ—rpta est mors in victoriâ death is swallowed up in victorie But what was the quarrell That began about us hominibus In every branch we must take in that word For no other quarrell had He but that these whom He leads away captive heer had led us captive away before Psal. 138.8 Esa. 64.8 1. Cor. 6.20 1. Pet. 1.15.19 And the quarrell was just for we wâ—re His twise His 1 His once
Husai as with a foule fault Chap. 16 1â— for forsaking his friend himselfe then being in armour against his owne Father was not so very fitt a man to do justice No matter so he tooke himselfe that was enough to rise 2 The other out of revenge the case of Bigthan and Thares and of our two Eâ—ter 2 21. as is thought They were angrie aâ— somwhat it is not said what nor it skills not what but voluerunt insurgere rise they would for it that they would These did not wish government quite taken away onely the King's person they heaved at Him for some purpose they must needs have out of the way By this time we know these parties reasonable well Be these they whom GOD Angels and Saints hold for execrable They whom Cushi may pray against and we with him These be they It was Core one of the crue against whom Moses prayed they might be visited with a strange visitation and not by the common death of other meâ— No more he did It was Achitophel another of them Num. 16.29 against whom David penned the Psalme of bitter imprecations They of Meroz whom the Angell giveth warrant and charge both to curse wherefore was it Because they came not to helpe the LORD that is Debora the Lord's Lievetenant against the forces of Madian If to be cursed because they layd not their hand to helpe Him much more I trow if they would seek to lay their hands on him to mischiefe and make him away It was Iudas Mar 14.21 Gen. 3 14. he was one of these against whom CHRIST cryed Vaeper quem And it was the serpent whom GOD cursed and why what was his fault What but that he sought to withdraw our parents from their due subjection to rise against GOD to be GODS themselves and never acknowledge Him or any for their Superiour These be they certainly against whom GOD Angells and Saints approving it we may say Cushi-his prayer every syllable of it May nay ought are even bound to it Yet to give full satisfaction that there be no striving but that all may say Amen to it it shall not be amisse if I may with your good favour lay before you some reasons and those so enforcing that we shall hold our selves so bound as that we cannot avoyd but yeeld to it I care not much if I keep the number of Absalon's darts they are three The reasons of this cursing First I hold it for cleere if we knew any were GOD 's enemie we would none of us make any question but say with Cushi we need not it is sett downe to our hands So perish all thine enemies ô LORD Because the eâ—emies of God Iud. 5.31 So how Even as Sisara little difference in effect between him and Absalon Sisara perished with a nayle driven into his head Absalon with a dart thrust through his heart To the enemies of GOD you see we have warrant But they that rise against the King are GOD 's enemies for GOD and the King are so in a league such a knott so streight between them as one cannot be enemie to the one but he must be to the other This is the knott They are by GOD Exod. 4.20 Iud. â— 20 1. Chro. 29.23 Psal. 82.6 of or from GOD for or in stead of GOD. Moses's rodd GOD 's Gideon's sword GOD 's David's throne GOD ' s. In His place they sitt His Person they represent they are taken into the fellowship of the same name Ego dixi He hath said it and we may be bold to say it after him They are GOD s and what would we more Then must their enemies be GOD 's enemies Let their enemies know then they have to deale with GOD not with them It is His cause rather then theirs they but His agents It standeth Him in hand it toucheth Him in honour He can no lesse then maintaine them then hold their enemies for his owne Saint Paul is plaine He that resisteth them resisteth God he that the regall power the divine ordinance Rom 13 2. The enditement was rightly framed in judgement of all Writers though it were mis-applied 1. Reg 21· 13. Naboth maledixit Deo Regi Naboth did neither therefore it was evill applied But if he had done the one he had done the other and so it was truly framed Even as he in the new Testament framed his confession aright I have sinned against heaven and against thee For no man can trespasse against a lawfull superiour but withall he must do it against heaven first Luke 15.18 and so he must confesse if ever he have his pardon for it But there is no more praegnant reason to prove God's enemies they be these that rise against Kings then this ye shall observe still they are called the sonnes of Belial Chap. 20.1 Belial God 's professed enemie Sheba is so called in expresse termes in the next Chapter save one that rose up against David And indeed what was the drift of the first tentation but onely to have made Adam and Eve the adopted children of Bâ—lial that is to be under no yoke not GOD 's much lesse mans to brooke no superior They are all his by adoption that carrie such minds It cannot otherwise be And if it were the Spirit of GOD 1 Chro. 12 18. that fell on Amasa when he sayd Thine are we ó David and on thy side thou sonne of Isai what spirit could it be but of Belial or whose sonne Sheba but his that cryed We have no part in David nor any portion in the Sonne of Isai If it were the finger of GOD that touched their hearts that went after Saul their lawfull Liege Lord whose claw must it be the print whereof was in theirs who rose and went against him 1. Cor. 2.15 Whose but Belials Et quae conventio CHRISTI et Belial CHRIST and Belial so out so at odds that no hope of ever agreeing them Now then being the sonnes of Belial and they and Belial their father GOD 's enemies make we any doubt but we may say after the Holy Ghost So perish all thine enemies O Lord This one might be enough But there were three darts in Absalon's heart 2. The enemies of Mankind one would have served the turne so this one would suffice but I will cast yet a second and third at them If then secondly we knew any that were not onely Hostis Dei but hostis humani generis would we yet doubt to pray he might be as Absalon I trust not especially seing we should therin but follow GOD 's own example He curseth the Serpent even for this cause that he was enemie to the woman and all her seed Gen. 3.14.15 and sought the utter ruine of both Those that are such well may all men pray against them for at all mens hands they well deserve it Now thus reasoneth Saint Paul Rulers not onely come from GOD but they come
for a dourie so many fore-skinns of the Philistines so he might fall by their hands 2 That would not doe he went to it directly 1 at three severall times cast his javelin at him to have â—ayled him to the wall 2 When he escaped him so Chap. 18.11.19.20 then gave he expresse charge openly to all men to kill him where-ever they mett him 3 When that would not be sent to his house for him when word came Chap. 19.1.19.15 he was sick in his bed bad bring him bed and all that he might see him slaine in his owne presence Was there ever the like who would not haue been quit of such an enemie 2 An enemie without cause Psal. 7.3 It may be there was cause why and then it holds not Nay no cause To GOD he protests Saul without any cause was his enemie For no cause he gave him to be his enemie He never hurt him But great cause to have been his good Lord he had many wayes done him good service Not to speake of his harpe wherewith he had ridd him of many a furious fitt of melancholie Chap. 16 23. or a worse matter with his sing it cannot be denied he did him and the whole realme good service in the overthrow of Gelias Chap. 17.49 Chap. 19.5 and took away the rebuâ—e from Israel Yea many times after put his soule in his hands as Ionathan pleaded for him that is ventured his life to do him service in his warrs and ever with good successe and yet for all this sought his life And who would save the life of such an enemie 1 An enemie not to be wâ—on as out of envy Chap. 18.6 Yes there may be hope to winne an enemie and in that case he would not be destroyed Nay no hope of ever winning Saul He was an enemie out of envie and they will never be woon more From the time the fond women made that foolish rime of a thousand and ten thousand he could never abide to looke right on him Envie was the matter that is the dangerous enmitie that never wil be pacified Well saith Salomon Pro. 27.4 Anger is fierce and hatred is cruell but who shall stand before envie As who should say there be meanes to satisfie both those But the enemie from envie no appeasing him no hope ever to do it If ought would when he saved his life at the cave Chap. 24 18.20 and shewed by cutting a shred from his mantle he might have gone further if he would Saul himselfe confest it was a great favour yet that would not winne him he sought his life still And even after this heer yet he sought it still There was no hope to appease him And who then would not make sure of such an enemie Verily if any enmitie might have served heer it was â— An enemie to his rising Chap. 16.20 But there is yet a worse enmitie then all these Saul was not onely an enemie to David but Saul's life an enemie to David's rising David was in reversion we know So Saul stood in his way There was not onely the sting of revenge but the edge of ambition Matt. 21.18 to helpe this motion forward It was but occîdamus cum heer 〈…〉 kill him and the inheritance is ours all is ours Any other enemies spare and 〈◊〉 not but these that stand in our light away with them Iud. 9.5 1. Sam. 15. 2. King 11.1 It made Abimelech not to spare his owne breâ—hren nor Absalon his Father nor Athalia her children Sure he that weighs it well that at one blow he might have ridd himselfe of such an enemie and withalâ— have gained the crowne will wonder he let not the blow proceed Now lay them together 1 An enemie such an one so deadly 2 so without cause 3 so without all hope of appeasing 4 such a stop to his fortunes who would have stayd Abisai's hand This is enough to give his appetite an edge but we lacke opportunitie to doe it 2. The II. Motive Conclusit Deus and want of opportunitie saves many an enemie's life Men must deale wisely and forbeare till they find him handsomely at some good advantage Nay it is now growne to be good Divinitie rebus sic stantibus to be as gentle as David and Neperdas is good doctrine But as soone as time serves and strength if we get him once within locks penned up and in our power then doe as we see cause destroy him and spare not So that upon conclusit eum ever stayeth our conclusion Why heer now conclusit eum It was night Saul lay all wearie asleepe in a dead sleepe he and all about him 1 It was night a faire opportunitie David and Abisai came and went said what they would tooke what they would none waked or knew of it It might have beene done safely there was none to resist them and been carried closely none to descrie them An opportunitie it was and a faire one And as it might seeme of GOD 's owne sending 2 Of Gods sending as it might seeme It was perillouslie put in that of Abisai Conclusit Deus that it was GOD 's doing sure it was the sleepe of GOD was fallen on them none awake all asleepe watch and all They might stay all the daies of their life and GOD never send the like againe What now Though David wanted no courage to be revenged on an enemie 3. The III. Motive Sine me nor wisedome to discerne this opportunitie yet for his reputation he must not soile his hands but possibly if some other would take it upon him he would not be much against it Why it was undertaken by Abisai that too he shall goe his way and doe nothing to it Sine me you shall beare no blame let that be upon me You shall goe to Church and sing Psalmes and heare the Sermon and never appeare in it What now I know not what can be required more Thus you see the motives Now what saith David Nay first what saith Saul Can we have a better Iudge then him in this case David's dislike Et inimici nostri sint judices an enemie to be iudge in his owne cause If you will know what he saith He it is that in the XXIV Chapter XX. saith thus Who shall finde his enemie at such an advantage and let him goe free As much to say Not any Sure not he But if he or many an other had found David as David did him in the Cave he would have cut his skirts so close as he would have made him have bled in the reines of his backe or if he had taken him as he did Saul heere asleepe he would have set him out of that sleepe into another a perpetuall sleepe and made him sure enough for ever waking more This is Saul's doome from his owne mouth And indeed haec est Via hominis with flesh and blood these motives would have wrought They
Ghost attributes it to them Heb. 1.4.5 and none but them We to understand it of them and none but them It is and so let it be their owne due stile their proper denomination Touch not mine Annointed Who be they If we â—oe by the booke Princes why then Touch not Princes Meos the claim whose they be Christos meos who they be we see But in these words we sayd there are not onely the parties whom they should not but the reason why they should not touch them And not one reason bâ—t two at the least Now then let us take the words in â—under and weigh either by it self seeing either word is a reason de non tangendo First whose they be His Meos Then what of His His Annointed And His Annointed is Christi 〈◊〉 Which it may be will amount to two reasons more Meos is His claime Christos His character or speciall marke Lay no title to them Meos His â—laâ—me which word is not slightly to be passed by It is to the purpose To claime is to touch He that saith Meos He that claimes them toucheth them touâ—heth their free hold as we say He that saith touch them not saith claime them not Some question there is growen whose they be Two claimes there are put in and layd to them besides Meos saith the Pope and Meos say some for the People but neither say true GOD He saith Christos meos and He onely hath the right so to say Meos the Popes claime Meos saith the Pope For he or some by his commission used to annoint the Emperours and because he was master of the ceremony he would be master of the substance too and his they were The Pope he was Gods and they were his annointed and of him had their dependence and he to depose them and to dispose of them and to doe with his owne what he list And this claime is not yet given over For he that shall marke the Pope's faintnesse when some Kings are sought to be touched nay are touched indeed out of his Meos will easily thinke he is well enough content they be touched though they be GOD'S Annointed if they be not his too Touch not his Not his as for others it skilleth not touch them who will But this claime by the ceremony is cleane marred by this text for when these words heere were spoken there was no such ceremony instituted it was Non eus no such thing in rerum naturâ That came not up till Moses Now these heere in the Text were in their graves long before Moses was borne No Meos then no claime by the ceremonie Esai 45.1 And after it came up no Priest went out of Iury to Persia to carry the ceremony to Cyrus yet of him saith Esay Haec dicit Dominus Cyro Christo meo Thus saith the Lord to Cyrus mine Annointed and yet never came there any oyle upon his head So that even after it was taken up yet the ceremony and the claime by it would not hold The truth is the ceremony doth not any thing onely declareth what is done The party was before as much as he is after it onely by it is declared to be that he was before and that which he should have beene still though he had never so been declared The truth may and doth subsist as with the ceremony so without it It may be reteined as with some it is and with us it is and it may be spared as it is with others Spared or reteined all is one no claime groweth that way But last of all where it was used as by Samuel to Saul by Sadoc to Salomon yet they claimed nothing in the parties they annointed but called them still GOD'S and never their owne annointed They knew no claime lay by it Nay if it had beene a Sacrament as it was but a ceremony he that ministreth the Sacrament hath no interest in the party by it but GOD alone and then much lesse he that performeth but a ceremony is to plead any Meos So that every way this claime vanisheth of Christi Pontificis Meos the Peoples claime Now then a second claime another Meos hath of late begunne to be buzzed of as if they were Christi populi and held of them And whatsoever the matter is the Cardinall himselfe waxeth very earnest for it Bellarmine I thinke because he seeth the Popes arme groweth short and loth he is but that there should be still some hands to touch them He will not so much as give God leave to appoint Saul or David of Himself but he taketh upon him to suspend them both untill the people with their suffrage come in and ratifie GOD'S doing But this claime likewise falleth to the ground even by this verse then must we go mend our Text heer For if so GOD was properly to have sayd Nolite tangere Christos vestros Touch not your Annointed for to the people he speaketh Of all othâ—â—s Meos cannot be theirs unlesse we will glosse it thus Meos id est non meos Mine that is none of mine but your owne And then sure He should have done them some wrong to have forbid them to touch that which was their owne The Pope saith He can make CHRISTVM DOMINVM CHRIST the LORD himselfe if he could so do indeed it were not altogether unlike he might make Christum Domini But GOD help if the people fall to make Gods or make Christs if they shall take GOD 's verse from Him and say Nos diximus Dij estâ—s We have said ye are Gods yea Psâ—l 82.6 Ioh. 19.11 and Christs too and change it Thou shouldest have no power unlesse it were Data desuper Given from above saith He They unlesse it were data de subter unlesse it were given you hence from beneath then must we go change all our Texts that sound that way Enough to let you see they both claime that is none of theirs but God's To give in evidence now for God's right That His Meos is the onely true claime 3. Meos Gods câ—aime Chap 4.14 Verse 22. Veâ—se 29. Veâ—se 14. that His onely they be Three times over it is told us by Daniel in one Chapter that the Kingdomes be God's and that He giveth them to whom He will as having the sole property of them And it is said there that this is Sententia Vigilum Sermo Sanctorum And if it be Sententia Vigilum they are scarse well awake that thinke otherwise And if it be Sermo Sanctorum they talke prophanely that speake otherwise And this verily was the divinity of the Primitive Church concerning Kings which of all had least cause to favour them Cujus jussu nascuntur homines ejus jussu constituuntur Principes By whose appointment they be borne men and that is neither â—y peâ—ple's nor by Pope's by his appointment and no other are they made Princes saith old â—raeneus lib 5. Inde illis
not onely in making them to be found but in keeping them from being lost For the same that was the way to be found at first the very same is the way not to be lost ever after And it concernes David or any as neerly not to be lost again as it doth at first to be found Now if David looke well to these two words and lose them not God will not lose him he may be sure but be at hand still readie to defend him Vnlesse David lose them he cannot lose God and unlesse he lose God he cannot be lost David ever lost them Num. 31.16 before his enimies could doe him any harme All Balaam's cursing will doe him no hurt nothing but his wicked counsaile to unmake him his servant and so to lose GOD and so to be lost of GOD and so to be lost utterly lost Lay up this then The way to servari a Deo is to servire Deo And lay it up well It is the onely article of Covenant on David's part Vpon these two words depends all that followes upon Servum meum If they be sure all is sure And this for inventio â—od tells it I have found But I find heer inventi praedicatio besides To find is one thing to cry 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 inveni 〈…〉 found another One may finde and keep his owne counsaile so men doe for 〈◊〉 most part But God heere proclaimes His finding tells all He hath found And 〈◊〉 doe so but such as are surprised with joy as the partie in the Canticles Inveni 〈◊〉 quaesivit anima mea I have found whom my soule fought and I would the world 〈◊〉 it I am not a little glad of it Commonly where there is care in seeking as beâ—ore there is joy in finding Ioy then and it is not joy alone for one may gaudere in sinâ— keepe his ioy to himselfe but gaudium cum gloriâ this For he not onely ioyes iâ— his invention but glories in it and even boasts of it that doth inventum prâ—â—iâ—â—re The word which he useth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is made famous by Archimedes who in a great passion betweene glorying and reioicing first cryed it when he had found thâ— secret of King Hiero's Crowne But no lesse famous by Saint Andrew Ioh. I.XLI. Who upon the finding of CHRIST came running to his brother Saint Peter with Arâ—himedes's crie We have found him the Messias we have found Him Messias in Hebrew is nothing els but annointed and we shall see David annointed straight Aâ—d sure next to the joy of Christ Christus Dominus we may place the ioy of Chrisâ—â—s Domini and take up our next 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for him God's word will well become us to use And to whom is this To his Saints to them Ioy to His Saints by it he tells it looke the last verse before As if they had their part in this finding so invites he them to the fellowship of the same ioy Tells them that such a one He had found and for them and for their good He had found him They to reape speciall benefitt by it by this finding therefore they to take speciall notice of it they specially to reioyce with him for it 1. Ioy of the finding Ver. 15. And what should I say but as this Psalme saith a little before Beatus populus qui scit inhilationem Blessed are the people that can skill of this joy that can skill of their own good What it is to have a King a King found to their hand but specially a King thâ—t is God's servant Verily if God's Ioy be our ioy it is to be with us as with 〈◊〉 it was this 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of ioy And truely all this Text both that which is past his care in seeking and his ioy in finding and that which followeth his honour in annointing his mercie in making this Covenant his truth in keeping it His rescuing them from his revenging them upon their Enemies all is but to shew us how much He doth and if we will doe as He doth how much we are to be even to set by even to ioy and glorie with Him in Inveni Davidem Serâ—um Meum And this for his finding Now no more adoe but proceed to his annointing To what end then found To annoint Very many are found very few so found Found to annoint scarse one of many millions But they that are so found are eo ipso the greatest persâ—â—ns and of the highest Calling upon earth So much is there in this word annointing And this also God takes to Himselfe unxi no lesse then the former inveni God the annointer Finds and annoints both And both the Act His and the oile His. Vnxi I did it and oleo meo The oyle is God's My oyle it was I did it with So finds Kings and finds oyle and finds fingers and all Nothing goeth to them but it is God's It seemeth otherwise Samuel could not find him indeed but we finde he did 〈◊〉 him though He did so but not as of himselfe what he did 1. Sam. 16.13 in the Person of God he did it And the Law is what one doth by another not that other but himâ—elâ—e is sayd to doe it to be the Author of the deed For this must stand true that God heer sayth Himselfe That whose fingers soever were used GOD it was that anâ—â—inted him And annointed him with oyle holy oyle His holy oyle Oyle We can never find Kings in Scripture but still we find this word with them 1. With oyle 〈◊〉 find them in oyle and oyle is for continuance The colours of the Crowne 〈…〉 water-colours to fade by and by they be layd in oyle to last and to hold out all â—eâ—thers So in oyle not in water And in oile not in wine For though the Samaritan have both and there is use of both Luc. 10.34 in time and place Yet heere onely with oyle There is no acrimonie nothing corrosive in it it is gentle smooth and suppling All to teach them a prime quality of their calling to put in oyle enough to cherish that vertue that the streames of it may be seene and the sent of it may be felt of all For that will make David to be David that is as his name is truly beloved 2. With holy oyle Oile and holy oyle Holy not onely to make their Persons sacred and so free from touch or violating all agree of that but even their Calling so also For holy unction holy function Now this holy oyle troubles the Iesuite shrewdly and all those that seeke to unhallow the Calling of Kings For if the holy oyle be upon them why should they be sequestred quite from holy things more then the other two that have but the same oyle Indeed as they say if they were but to deale with common matters common oile would have served well enough and so
they would faigne have it but this place choakes them This holy oyle heere And their Calling by vertue of this being holy what should let them in their kinde to deale with those either persons or matters that are but as the oyle is wherewith they are annointed How fond is it to imagine them to be annointed with holy oyle to deale onely in unholy matters and not to meddle with anything that holy is 3. With His holy oyle Holy oyle and His holy oyle For His holy is more then holy His is another manner oyle then the materiall in the Prophet's horne or in the Priest's phiall His dropps immediately from the true Olive the Holy Ghost He the true Olive as Christ the true Vine Samuel's is but a ceremonie this the substance of the annointing It is in this as in Baptisme there Iohn with water Christ with the Holy Ghost And that is the soule of Baptisme So heere Samuel shedds on the oyle of the Tabernacle God He adds his from heaven the same and no other then Christ was annointed with that oyle is it Psal. 45.8 Ioh. 3.34 that the annointing indeed He indeed above his fellowes for He had the Spirit above measure But He so above them as He with them and they with Him with his with the same annointing both 2. Ioy of the annointing Psal. 45.8 And it is not from the purpose that His oyle is by the Psalme called the oyle of gladnesse That as we are glad even now for his finding so may we also now for his annointing And by and by glad againe for his delivering And so glad in him God make us for them all It is a day of Ioy I would not omitt eny thing that might tend to it And this for the first verse finding and annointing and if ye will for the twenty nineth of Iuly Now to the second verse VERS 21. The League Having annointed him the first thing He doth is to enter a league with him And we are glad of that For having found him now we would be glad to keepe him And there is no surer way for that then to joyne him in a league with the mightiest King by farr of the whole world the King of Kings God Himselfe And God Himselfe is willing with it offers it And sure He hath reason so to doe Seing He hath found him He will not see him lost David serves him He will servare servum He annointed him and made him holy He will not see him used prophanely But the eye that found him shall watch over him the hand that annointed him shal be at hand to defend him So hitherto GOD found David Now David finds GOD willing to undertake his quarrell It is a League or Covenant and even to covenant with him so to do For it is not a bare promise this it is a Covenant and so termed expresly at the III. and XXVIII verses And that a Covenant solemnly sworne bound with an oath at the IV. XXXV And heer now 〈…〉 cum eo He giveth him â—is hand upon it His covenant His oath and His 〈◊〉 â—hat can there be more â—his Covenant is made as sure as can be And as 〈…〉 we shall see anon 〈◊〉 first Article of this Covenant the article of Inprimis The first and second articles of the Covenant Pro for David is that His handi 〈…〉 him fast or establish the second that His arme shall strengthen him that is 〈…〉 for the continuall praesence and assistance of his power ever to joine with 〈…〉 still to be ayding to him 〈…〉 of it selfe is but one as God is one but is sett downe thus heer and 〈…〉 in two words the hand and the arme the mighty hand and the out-stretched 〈…〉 sett forth two degrees of it Both great but one greater That of the hand God's hand God's arme 〈…〉 as we read XIII verse before yet but ordinarie That of the arme is 〈…〉 commeth forth but upon extraordinarie occasion Every thing we put 〈…〉 the arme's end 〈◊〉 that these degrees of difference are in the power it selfe which is entire quoad 〈…〉 onely to proportion it and make it answerable to our perills which are 〈…〉 alike but lesse or more at one time then another and so seeme to us to 〈◊〉 a degree of power according For the lesse the hand seemes enough 〈◊〉 the more the arme a greater degree of power as our perill is greater No day goeth over our head but the horse we ride on the staires we go up and downe by the very meat we eat we are in danger lest it go the wrong way For these for every daye 's dangers we cannot misse the hand and the hand is enough if it do but hold us fast But this day the fift of August and such another the fift of November the case is 〈◊〉 then Rise up rise up thou arme of the Lord rise up and stretch out thy selfe another manner of jeopardie then So in a word the hand for all the yeare Esa. 51.9 the arme 〈◊〉 the fift of August Now there is no jeopardie so great but the arme if it stretch it 〈◊〉 out will serve to preserve us And this arme is ever stretched out when GOD 〈◊〉 safeth some strange miraculous deliverance as this day He did For this was Diesbrachij on it the arme of the Lord was reveiled Esa 53.1 Both these And either hath his proper attribute the hand to establish and the 〈◊〉 to strengthen To establish that is to make steaddy that he stand fast and be not mooved Hand to stablish him It is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the passive power to resist such as of the anvile or of the rock To strengthen that is when we are further to encounter our perill actively Arme to strengthen and are to weake for it for that giveth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the active power that strikes them down at the sword or halberd in the hand of the mighty Both these and both necessarie for the performance of this league Which is 〈◊〉 defensive in the next verse to keepe them that they take no hurt And 〈◊〉 in the last verse to pay their enemies their due and to strike them 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 then is the summe of the two first articles The hand shall never be of him 〈◊〉 him all the yeare long for every daye 's danger But if further need be if some 〈◊〉 great hazard if the fift of August then out comes the arme But so as both 〈◊〉 hand and arme and every sinew in them are readie still and at hand as occasion 〈◊〉 to stablish or strengthen him This for the second verse the league And all this 〈◊〉 him Pro. Why what needs all this this holding this fortifying The third and fourth articles Contra against David's foes Defensive Is there any harme 〈◊〉 I cannot tell it was somwhat a suspicious word in the verse past of holding 〈…〉 holding him fast
found by GOD for men had lost you They that gladly would knew not how to find you or get to you Great odds then but you had been quite lost It was GOD that found you then and made you to be found of them not by eny skill of their owne or by eny direction but His. By hap it might seeme but your selfe do and we all acknowledge the hand of GOD in it His providence that so guided them His doing it was that they did it So that God it was that found you then or we had not now found you heere It may then truly be called your finding-day and God truly say the second time 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I have found 1. No enemie professed but two Sonnes of wickednesse for it Of it then of this day We shall faile a little in the first point Heere is an enemie professed And you had not then you never had eny professed To make amends for that there is but one sonne of wickednesse in the Text You found not one but two and they found you 2. A Sonne of wickednesse he was Sonnes of wickednesse well might they be called For if no Religion taking Religion upon it be wickednesse as it is double wickednesse a Sonne of wickednesse he was If witch craft be wickednesse as it is wickednesse in the highest degree he was a Sonne of it it was found about him If to doe evill gratìs to do evill for good be wickednesse and it is the wretchedest wickednesse that can be you had done them many favours and to bite the brest then that had given them milke these are they in the Text right 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 if ever there were eny 3. Meant violence wickedly covered it How neere the doing it These then violence they intended and with wickednesse they covered it Wickedly they entised you and drew you along till they had you fast shut up And then violent hands they layd on you the markes were to be seen many a day after And were you not then within the compasse of the Text of violence and hurt that is of hurt by violence Yes so neer you was the hurt that the hurtfull point touched your naked brest Was David ever so neer Never He was indeed hart bestead and forced to fly but he never came in their hands you did He never was under lock you were He never had the dagger's point at his heart you had And when you had all the world then certenly would have given you lost 4. Yet did it not Noâ— proficient Did they you any harme for all this Not any to speake of We may take up that before Fuerunt fecerunt sed non perfecerunt so farr from that as non profecerunt Such here were and doing they were but it would not do for it was not done the violence they intended Noâ— appâ—â—ent Proposuerunt nocere sed non apposuerunt a purpose they had an offer they made that was all further they went not You were not lost we find you heer now and we find you serving GOD safe and well thanks be to the great Finder of Kings as ever you were 5. The cause they did it not The hand and arme of GOD to 〈…〉 The defensive part of the Covenant What was it then that it came so neer you and yet did you no hurt It was the good hand of GOD His holy arme that was upon you held you held you fast you fast from taking hurt and them fast from doing any Can any doubt that it was the hand of GOD He that stood there armed for that end when he was so strucken suddenly as he had neither heart nor hand to do that he 〈…〉 waâ— it not the hand of God that so struck him When his hand held the others hand that was ready to give the deadly blow ut 〈◊〉 opponeret nocere they be the very words of the Text And was it not the hand in 〈◊〉 Text then That You were so stablished as to resist that You were so strengthened as to 〈◊〉 the two effects set downe in the verse both And yet was it not the hand there specified The Popular tumult that rose after this enraged by odious surmises was it not God hand that layed the raging of the waves then that stayed the madnesse of the People Psal 65.7 When the violence was over the hurt was not The lewd tongue of Shemei doth hurt no lesse then the sword of Abisai It would not be beleeved that all this was 〈◊〉 there were that slandered the footsteps of His Annointed David's case in the end of 〈◊〉 Psalme was it not God then that so touched the heart of him Ver. 51. that was 〈◊〉 â—nknowne that he had not the power to be true to himselfe to keep it in but was 〈◊〉 driven by remorse to bewray himselfe though with evident hazard of his owne 〈◊〉 was not this digitus Dei And since that by a further strange discoverie hath He not sett your innocencie in the sight of the Sun that now the mouth of all wickednesse is stopped Psal. 63.11 so that neither Abisai's sword nor Shemei's tongue now can do you any hurt And was not the hand and arme of God in this Yes the whole arme and every joint the whole hand and all the fingers of it Yet lack we the last verse 6. The hand and arme to 〈◊〉 them thâ— â—ffensivâ— part of the Covenâ—nt To smite them downe before your face Psal. 37.15 1. Reg. 2.32 Heer was the hand with the shield but where was the arme with the sword Heer too and it smitt them smitt them down down it smitt them both both in the very place where they designed your hurt and in the very wickednesse of the act both were smitteâ— down starke dead and there starke dead you saw them both lie before you as the verse is before your face Non profecerunt Nay defecerunt et in ipso scelere 〈◊〉 their sword went through their owne heart and their blood was upon their owne 〈◊〉 God found you then and you found Him certainly O let him ever find you 〈◊〉 servant whom you then found your so gracious good Lord. But they must be plagued too to make the Text up full So were they For as if they had beene smitten with some pestilent foule disease so from them from their mention there goeth an odious sent odious and abhorred of all Yea the very house as if the plague of leprosie had beene in it razed downe and that there might no infection come from this plague of theirs their very name put out from under heaven And all this so done and with such circumstances as all that heare it This done by God himselfe Psal 64 9. Psal. 218.23 â— must acknowledge it was GOD 's doing and that from heaven came the hand that did it Factum 〈◊〉 a Domino factum est both And so you are found and they
praevenisti in David a posuit 〈…〉 eny petijt For when he followed * Psal. 78.71 Psal. 131.2 his ewes great with yong litle dreamt he 〈◊〉 â—â—wne It never came into his lipps it never entred into his heart His soule as 〈◊〉 saith was weined from eny such matters from so much as once phansying 〈…〉 The crowne was in him a meere prevention 〈◊〉 two crownes we read he came to First Saul's crowne And his second crowne 2. Saâ— 1.10 the Amalekite 〈…〉 him that and his braceletts To shew it was a prevenisti meerly Not so 〈…〉 as an Israëlite brought it That was set on first Some thirty yeares after 〈…〉 he came to another crowne the King of Ammon's crowne 2. Sam. 12.30 at the winning of 〈…〉 a more massie crowne finer gold richer stones in it then his first That was 〈…〉 This heer in the Verse was the second say all the Interpreters and this 〈…〉 likewise If you will but remember what case he stood in to God-ward 〈…〉 comming of this second crowne it was presently upon the matter of Vrias and 〈◊〉 you will say he was rather in case of Miserere mei Deus Psal. 51.1 Psal. 103.4 then of ought 〈…〉 GOD crowned him then in mercie and loving kindnesse At this second 〈◊〉 it was veniam petijt and nothing els 〈◊〉 his first crowne it was vitam petijt and nothing els All he askt then was 〈…〉 it followes straight next verse And sure time was in the daies of his 〈◊〉 when partly by Saul's owne jealousie but much more by the wicked 〈◊〉 of Doëg and such like he needed to aske it There was often to use his 〈…〉 but a stepp betweene him and death He asked life then 1. Sam. 20.3 and so that 〈◊〉 have beene assured him would have strained his prayer no further 〈◊〉 must thinke when he was couped up one while in such a Cave another in 〈…〉 wood put to flye for his life to Moab to Gath I wote not whither in danger 〈…〉 made away by one treacherie or another when he received every houre 〈◊〉 â—â—â—tence of death in himselfe all his mind ran upon vitam petijt then then 2. Cor. 1.9 this 〈◊〉 or the gold of it or the finesse of the allay never troubled his head ye may 〈◊〉 life he asked then and more he asked not and well had beene him if he 〈◊〉 have had but securitie of that I say securitie of his life and let the crown 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 â—old then the blessed goodnesse of GOD that gave him both Both 3 The crowne set on by God that 〈…〉 life we come to it by and by and the crown and another crown too besides 〈…〉 asked not Satisfied him in that prevented him in this Nay prevented 〈…〉 both as ye shall see straight â—ut yer I passe to that heer is a point or two about crownes I thinke good not 〈◊〉 1 The first is against usurpers of the crowne Nemine ponente nisi seipso God 〈…〉 it on none setting it on but themselves That not ipse sibi sed Deus 〈…〉 ipse posuit super caput suum but Deus super caput ipsius â— The second is against 〈…〉 of a power to take of that they never set on deponendi quod non posuit 〈…〉 intruding upon Tu posuisti â—irst the crowne he raught not at it caught it not and clapt it on himself The imposing God's onely it 〈…〉 him he came orderly to it it was set on not by himselfe but by 〈…〉 And that other was the right Setter Tu posuisti GOD. Who will never set 〈…〉 never but on the right head if it be of His setting and if it be not of 〈…〉 it will never prosper never flourish be sure Tua Domine heere too 〈…〉 is in GOD'S hand saith Esai and His hand setts it on David's Esai 62. â— setâ— it on 〈…〉 heads that lawfully weare it It made the Emperours to stamp their 〈…〉 an hand comming out of the clouds holding a crowne and putting it on 〈…〉 And accordingly to stile themselves 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 à Deo coronatos crowned by GOD as well they might this Tu posuisti heere is their warrant Aâ—d the dâ—posâ—ng 2. Sâ—condly against usurping of â— power to depose GOD alone is in the Posuisti at â—he setting it on None but He 〈◊〉 GOD hath sett it on Now what GOD hath set 〈…〉 not eny presume to take of Not eny but He that sett it on What by Him alone done by Him alonâ— to be â—nâ—one The law is Ad quem institutio c. To whom the Institution belongs to him and none other the destitution To whom the imposing to him and none othâ—â— the deposing none to interpose himselfe in that businesse but He. And now â—here comes a Tu interposuisti and he will have to doe with that this Tu posuisâ—◠〈◊〉 on Hath not Potestatin ponendi he confesses and all the world knowes 〈…〉 would have potestatem tollendi to take up that he layd not downe But if no 〈◊〉 no Deponent If none but GOD at the Posuisti at the setting it on none but He 〈◊〉 at the deposuisti at the taking it of The Crown the Coronation the Coronant all 〈◊〉 blessings of His goodnesse but the last the chiefest the Tua Domine and à Te the 〈◊〉 of it of Him and Him onely Now then to ioygne these three to the first three Allow the crowne a laetabitur and to the Coronation or setting it on an exultabit but ô quam is for Tu posuisti the Coronant To whom they owe it of whom they hold it without eny Tu interposuisti at all And now to his life Gods goodnesse in granting him 1 Life Vitam dâ—dit But Vitam pâ—tijt first For what is coronam posuit without vitam dedit a crowne without life to weare it Heere is that then and that in a new triplicitie 1 life it selfe 2 a long life and 3 a life for ever Vitam petijt It is not his first vitam petijt this we spake of even now in Saul's time it waâ— after his second crowne was sett on as is evident by thus standing after it And this vitam petijt bodes no good matter For by petijt it should seeme by all likelyhoods he was in case to aske it and so in hazard to lose it it and crowne and all a worse matter then eny yet It was not for nothing the last verse before this Text they crie O Lord save the King by like the King was in some danger of perishing And so he was as appeareth by the Sequele of the Psalme and that by a Mezimma a secret mischiefe Verse 11. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 imagined against him were it that of Absalon or some other like exigent But hard bestead he was when it touched his life In that streight heere was the summe of the desire of his heart of the request of his lipps
but even what pleased him What is that What meant they by it The meaning is they woâ—â—d have had him lay hands upon Saul Plaine by David's answere What lay 〈◊〉 on him GOD forbidd More plaine yet by David's report of it to Saul the eleventh Verse And some badd me kill thee Lo there ye have it in plaine English To make this motion seeme good in his eyes they use heere a perilous motive or rather three in one 1 Inimicum tuum the motive of enmitie or deadly feud 2 Ecce dies venit now is the time come the motive of opportunitie 3 And de quo dixit Dominus the motive of GOD'S word of doing it by Divinitie 1. Inimicum tuum Inâ—micum tuum that is the ground of all a motive well beseeming them that make it even fit for a Souldier's mouth he is your enemie he would kill you what should you doe but kill him should not we kill them that would kill us This goes current in the Campe this is bonum in oculis a good motion in their eyes Now if this hold for good if an enemie be to be flaine It is sure Saul was David's enemie GOD himselfe calls him so Inimicum tuum they be GOD'S owne words one that even as David saith himselfe hunted for his soule Ver. 12. And even at this very instant had him in chase and was so eager on it as up the rockes he went after him among the wild goates ver 3. and followed him so hard he was faine to take a cave heer In which cave what taking he was in ye may read in the LVII Psal. made when he fledd into this cave even at Miserere Mei Deus miserere mei One miserere Psal. 57.1 would not serve him in a great agonie of feare For if Saul had but knowen it David had never gone his way thence as Saul did his It is well knowen Saul sought his life That was not all there was a further matter then so Will you heare it from Saul himselfe Looke to the 21. ver I know saith Saul thou shalt be King after me Yea shall then was it inimicum tuum indeed in another sense then was Saul's life an enemie to David's rising David stands in his owne light if he doe it not Doe it then and besides the assurance of Your life the crowne is Yours These two layd togither any would wonder what eyes David had that this seemed not good in his eyes And this for inimicum tuum 2. Ecce 〈◊〉 But many an enemie scapes with his life because we meet not with an Ecce dies a fit time and place to doe it in Verily opportunitie it selfe is a shrewd motive The common saying is Occasio facit furem that which one was farr from would neveâ— have imagined there will come so farre an offer such a faire shoote as they say as wil make a man doe that which but for such an occasion he would never once have thought on We are all to pray to GOD to take from us the opportunitie of sinning So fraile we are it is no sooner offered but we are ready to embrace it GOD help â—s What lay they then Why Ecce heer is a time and heer is a cave as fit a place as can be for such a motion Such an opportunitie as if you take it not you shall not meete with againe all your life long To have your enemie light into your hands in a darke cave where you may dispatch him and no body the wiser who did it or how it was done Well then wisedome is seene in no one thing more then in taking opportunitie Goâ— to shew your selfe a wise man you know what you have to doe Ecce tradam Nay it is not onely Ecce dies but Ecce tradam and there is an Ecce For there is much in tradam he is even delivered even taken and put into your hands 〈◊〉 the word tradam It is one thing to say Your enemie is fallen another to say 〈◊〉 â—â—livered Falling is casuall Deliverie imports a deliberate act of an Agent to 〈◊〉 to deliver him So this is more then chance more then hap-hazard It is not 〈◊〉 it is tradam â—gaine One thing to say delivered another Ego tradam delivered by God now I weigh the 〈◊〉 Ego tradam it is God that speaks it One may be delivered and by man by 〈…〉 traitor it was not Saul's case this it was the King's But heer God is the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the giver Take him then as Donum Dei God hath even given you him 〈…〉 given him would have you take him and I hope it will seem good in your 〈◊〉 to do and not let God give you him for nothing 〈◊〉 yet there is more Now I come to weigh dixit Dominus 3 De quo dixit Dominus For one may 〈◊〉 â—â—livered by God seeing it and saying nothing to it but suffering it by God's 〈◊〉 So are all things Of many of which though God saith nothing speaks 〈…〉 but of this God spake to you before spake to you with his own mouth 〈…〉 it with an Ecce Ecce tradam gave you warning of it gave you His word 〈…〉 will deliver him and is now as good as His word hath delivered him See if 〈…〉 not Will ye collect these three 1 Not casually fallen into your hands but purposely 〈◊〉 2 And delivered not by man but by God himselfe 3 And by God not quovis 〈◊〉 at adventure but plainly prophecying and promising He would so do Of this 〈◊〉 God must needes be the Author that He foretells thus and promises before 〈◊〉 So have you heer God made accessorie nay principall to the murther of a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 now are we come indeed to the perillous point of all This lo is it They 〈…〉 Saul made away and for this they alledge de quo dixit Dominus as if God 〈…〉 a sett day for the doing of it This goes to the quick Inimicum tuum is 〈◊〉 revelation of flesh and bloud that but dixit Dominus that is the will of our 〈◊〉 Father So not onely lawfull now but a matter of conscience to kill Saul 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 â—ath said it Where first you see it is no new thing this to kill Kings by Divinitie This geer 〈◊〉 newly raked up from hell againe It is but the old devill new come abroad that â—â—d been in the world before For ever since there have been Kings over God's peoâ—â—e this hath been aproach broached first in the cave heer at Engedi and dixit Dominus pretended for it ye see in the first King's dayes of all The griefe is they were not Saul's they were David's men the better side that 〈◊〉 this But David's men all are not of David's mind Mat. 9.14 Acts 20.30 Iohn's Disciples sometimes 〈◊〉 found with the Pharisees and the Apostle saith Of our selves there shall arise 〈◊〉 speaking perverse things Therefore
à vobis And so He is He from them and they from Him as farr as the bottome of the nethermost hell is from the topp of the highest heaven And ever the same hand of GOD be so layd on them that shall offer to lay hands on GOD'S Annointed So may they all shutt their eyes as many as it shall seeme good in their eyes to doe the like So may their hearts be smitten that ever hatch in their hearts eny thought that way tending And the faithfull mercies of David be upon them Esai 55.3 whose eye and hand heart and tongue shall see say and thinke and doe as he did And let the King live live yet many yeares to see the renewing of this blessed day and to refresh the memorie of God's mercies upon it shewed him and in him shewed us all And now to returne to the beginning We may I trust now say Ecce dies venit Behold the day is come with a higher accent A day in regard of the deliverie into their hands de quo dixit diabolus but in regard of the deliverie from them de quo dixit Dominus which GOD did bespeake Bespeake but in a better sense not thus in quo tradam in manus but rather in quo eripiam de manibus not deliver You into but to deliver You out of their hands And yet it is dies in quo tradam too but the edge turned toward them Not in quo tradam te illis but in quo tradam illos tibi not deliver you into your enemie's but deliver your enemies into Your hands The beginning was they made full accompt You had been given over into theirs and that the good should have beene in their eyes The end as is happily proved they were given into Your hands and the good was in Yours removed thither And you have done and they suffered what was good not in their but Your owne eyes heaven and earth approving it and rejoicing at it Now then as if they had done to You that was good in their eyes it had made many weeping eyes it had been Ecce dies funestus so seeing they have suffered what was good in Yours and even in God's eyes and thereby made many a gladd heart shall it not be Ecce dies festus Psal. 118.15.16 a day of ioy and health in the dwelling of the righteous wherin the right hand of the Lord had the praeminence the right hand of the Lord brought this mightie alteration to passe As they meant it it had beene a day the devill had marred Psal. 118.24 as it fell out this was a day that the Lord hath made and let us reioice and be glad in it with the voice of ioy and thanksgiving among such as keepe holy day Holy I say for let God have the honour of the day for setting so many Ecce's upon it For which all daies but specially as the day it selfe returnes we to make returne of our thanks upon it Even upon it upon this day for this day for the many Ecce's of this day to God the Author of them for the King and his safetie the subiecta materia of them for the Ecce surrexit è spelanc â his rising out of the cave in effect as good as his rising out of the grave or as David in this Psalme calls it his delivery from the Lyon's den Psal. 57.4 thence he rose And for Ecce abijt viam that a way was made him that he was not made away but that his way he went Then went and many â— way since hath gone and many more may still goe and the Angel of the Lord take 〈◊〉 of him to keepe him in all his wayes Psal. 91.11 and the Lord Himselfe preserve his going 〈◊〉 and comming in from this time forth for evermore 〈◊〉 is a Psalme as I sayd the LVII purposely sett of his being there in the 〈…〉 scaping thence the Psalme is like the day represents it fitly The forepart 〈◊〉 full of danger and feare Miserere mei Domine miserere mei Psal. 57.1.4 and My soule is 〈◊〉 Lyons well befitting You when You were under their hands But the latter 〈◊〉 the Catastrophe full of joy and triumph When You were gott out of the cave 〈◊〉 â—ere now upon Your way then it was I trust and ever will be as there it 〈◊〉 My heart is ready ô GOD my heart is ready I will sing and give praise Psal. 57.7.8.9.10.11 〈◊〉 up my glorie awake Lute and harp I my selfe will awake up early I will praise thee among the people I will sing unto thee among the nations For thy mercie is great toward me it reacheth even up to the heavens thy truth above the clouds Sett up thy selfe ô Lord above the heavens and thy glorie over all the earth as this day thou didst indeed So ends the Psalme and a better end there cannot be So will we end with glorie and praise blessing and thanks to all the three Persons of the glorious Trinitie To whom for this day and the Ecce of this day be ascribed this day all these Even this day and for ever A SERMON PREPARED TO BE PREACHED Vpon the V. of AVGVST A. D. MDCXXIII GEN. CHAP. XLIX VER V. VI. VII Simeon et Levi fratres c Simeon and Levi brethren in evill the instruments of crueltie are in their habitations Jnto their secret let not my soule come my glorie be not thou joyned with their assembly For in their wrath they slew a man and in their self-will or furie they digged downe a wall Cursed be their wrath for it was fierce and their rage for it was cruell J will divide them in Iaakob and scatter them in Israel I Have read you a Text out of a peecè of Genesis a part of Iacob's last words before he went out of the world or as they call it a Clause of his last Will and Testament There is in it a Censure upon a couple of his Sonnes In which censure I take it I have read the destinie of another couple in attempting both of a like soule designe they as these and these as they As Simeon and Levi the brethren of the Text so these two the brethren of the day To open the case heer in the Text The day will open it self sufficiently You are to imagine You see Iacob being now about to go out 〈…〉 world lying at the very point of death lifted up in his bedd for so he was his 〈…〉 before him all twelve in order according to their severall ages as 〈…〉 â—he world He had somewhaâ— to say to them it should seeme and 〈…〉 these two his second and third Sonnes he called to mind a foule 〈…〉 â—ommiâ—ted upon Hemor and Sichem and the whole Citie Of which 〈…〉 before at the XXXIIII Chapter 〈…〉 it were done and past many yeares before that it might seeme to have 〈…〉 yet it comes fresh to his mind and troubles him
speeches or libels of David that was all that Shemei 7. By harbouring or receiving them as the City Abel did Sheba and should have beene sacked for it 8 By furnishing them with money or supplyee otherwise as it might be contributing to the pouder Iud. 9.4 as the men of Sichem to Abimelech 9. By that which Salomon calleth hand in hand Pro. 11.21 that is digging with the pickaxe co-operating with them in the vault 10. By being if not partie yet privie to it and not opposing 1. Sam. 26.9 as David had beene to Saul's death if he had not hindered Abisai Non obstans Esther 2.22 11. Or at the least privie and not disclosing it which had beene Mardochai's case if he had concealed the Eunuch's treason Non manifestans 12. And last which I take to be full out as bad if not much worse then eny of the rest by speaking or writing in praise or defense either of the deed or the doers their case Num. 16.47 calling Core and his companie the people of the Lord for sure if the consenter be in the commender much more All these make up this medley To these or eny of these well may it be said Ne commiscearis Now I know degrees there be in mixture more or lesse but heere is no degree Onely Ne commiscearis simply Not in no great quantitie but not in the least scruple not at all It is ranke poyson the least drop of it is deadly Never so little is too much Therefore absolutely Ne commiscearis Medle not with them at all not with absolving them not with giving them the oath not with praying for them above all not with offering the unbloody sacrifice for so bloudy a treason Iacob's counsel is best In consilium eorum ne veniat anima tua Gen. 49.6 not to come once among them To separate your selves from the tents of Core touching whom you know what GOD gave in charge and what Moses proclaimed Away from them come not neere them touch not eny thing that is theirs Num. 16.26 It is infected they have the plague if you medle with it it will bring you to destruction II. The Pâ—â—naltie So are we come to the second Verse to the penaltie And it is not more then needs 1. For sure even good counsell enters but slowly into us we are so dull if it have not an edge given it be not seconded with some forcible reason to helpe it forward 2. Now no reason more forcible or of better edge to enter us then that which is taken from the feare of some great mischief or maine inconvenience which will surely take hold of us if we take not hold of the counseile 3. And as none more forciâ—â—◠〈◊〉 none more fit for the present counseilc It is to feare Now to enduce feare 〈◊〉 way more fit then to set before us some matter of terror some fearfull object or â—â—â—â—equent it will bring us to And what more fearefull then of all the five fearâ—â—â—â— things set downe by the Philosopher the most fearfull that is the feare of death 〈◊〉 Why it workes with beasts and even with the dullest of them Balaam's beast Num. 22.23 〈◊〉 him strike him lay on him with a staffe ye shall never get him to run upon the Aâ—gell's sword upon his own death that shall ye never Sure we are to think His first câ—mmandement God headed with the best head He had and that was Morte morieris He thought it the surest and most likely to prevaile And if eny thing hold us this will If ye feare neither God nor King yet feare this 1. But yet if we weigh the word destruction there is more in it then death 1. Dâ—struction To death we must all come but this it will bring you to an untimely end Not fall of your selfe but destroyed even plucked downe a great while before you would fall 2. Nay nor it is not untimely death neither 2. Nay Ruine there is more in it then so in destruction All that die before their time are not destroyed God forbid No there goeth some evill touch some shame some foule uncouth end ever with it that is it that makes it destruction 3. But what manner destruction Some may be restored and built againe This is ad ruinam that is added in the latter part of the Verse to ruine So that never built again never repaired more that is to utter destruction 4. And yet there is more still For these two 1 ruine and 2 destruction they be not used of a person properly but as the word gives of an house or structure Add this then that it will be the ruine and plucking downe not of your selfe alone but of your house too And indeed how many great Houses have beene ruined by it Then if this will not hold you from meddling that it is a sinne a double sinne against both Tables that it is a sinn of presumption if this will not let this that it is destructorie a destroying sinne one of those sinns that followes them that meddle with it hard at the heeles and never leaves them till it have brought them to destruction and utter ruine them and their whole House it eradicates it pulls all up by the roots Sinne it selfe is a Nimium yet is there a Nimium in sinne too O be not over-wicked saith the Preacher be not too too folish so very wicked so over-foolish as to shorten your owne dayes to make you die tempore non suo before your time come yea to be destroyed utterly you your house and all Sure if this come of it he bad you not feare for nought Nay this is not all he goes further Of all Retentives feare of all feares the feare of death death and destruction Now of all destructions this for all destructions are not of one size neither some more fearefull then other But this this is no common one it hath two attendants to make it more fearefull then the ordinary destructions or visitations of other men The former two as it were manacles for the hands not to have a hand in it These latter as fetters to the feet not to goe about it But still it runnes upon two as it were one for the King another for God still This is the first Their destruction it shall rise sodenly 3. And that sodenly Everie word hath his weight if you marke them It shall rise fitly For Sedition we call it a rising one rising he punisheth with another Rise it is not Surget but consurget as early up rise as soone as the Sinne it selfe From the first moment of sinne their destruction rises with it followeth it at the heeles is still hard behind it if they could looke backe and see it it is not an ynch from them 2. Rise and rise sodenly Psal. 55.15 Let death come sodenly upon them at unawares it is David's prayer and so shall it come it is Salomon's prophesie