with the power of their places they are all but baits for their Innocency So the higher men bee in place the more frequent they ought to be at Prayer so slippery is the condition of greatnesse For who sooner fell then Lucifer who more debased then Nebuchadnezar Dan. 4.24 Who offend God oftner then great Ones A Lecture to the Vermillian robes of Magistracy that their soules be not of the colour of their scarlet their consciences of the same graine with their Coapes is to wash in Innocency Take heed yee great Ones Authority is a glewy pitchey adjunct maivelously contractive of Sinne and therefore should ever be necrest the poole of Bethesda when the Angel 〈◊〉 it so quickly doth it take the soyle so easily doth it catch the staine Wherefore as yee are eminent in place so must you bee righteous in person You must be as Christ himself Cant. 8. not only Rubicundi but Candidi as white per innocentiam cordis as you are ruddy per ruttlatio nem vestis the brightnesse of your garments Your hairs must bee like the Ancient of daies or like wool or like Snow to signifie your wisedome your eyes like a flame of fire to signifie your search and might your feet like fine brasse to signifie the perfectnes of your wayes and your voice like the sound of many waters fearefull and terrible You must put on the glorious apparell of Innocency and trans figure your selves like Christ himselfe upon the mount that your righteousnesse may break forth as the light and the beauty of it as the burning lampe for so saith holy David I will wash my hands in innocency a King by place Now followeth I will wash my hands in Innocency a Prophet in Spirit As I rang in the eares of Magistracie in the former point so ring I now in the eares of Priesthood arraigning mine own spirit in the presence of God and with mine the Spirit of every Levite in this Temple the Soule of every Prophet in this house acknowledging the required innocency of our Condition Wee are the Cherubims and Seraphims of the lower house of God We of the Ministery are Gods by a more peculiar sequestration then the ordinary Sonnes of men Wherefore wee must wash our hands in Innocency who are Prophets in Spirit I will saith David a King then must we if wee will follow the example of the righteous I will saith hee a Prophet in Spirit a party conversant with the religious service of God This is a preface unto us this teacheth us who are of the Tribe of Levi to gird our loines straite with the girdle of Innocency when we enter into the Sanctuary of God For we serve at the Altar wee preach the Law we keepe the book of Covenant we are of Gods privy chamber as it were wee lodge with Moses in the Mount we peruse the Tables of Stone we beare the Arke we bow at the Mercy seate wee are dedicated to God we are consecrated to the Temple wee are tyed to have Vrim and Thummim upon our hearts wee weare the white linnen Ephod in which should shine the Sardin Topaz and Carbuncle A gaâ—e and Amatist of a holy conversation Exod. 28.17 The Signet engraven upon Aarons forehead is holynesse to the Lord Exod. 28.36 so that the Bill of our report must be pure mettle no tinckling or hollow Cymball in a word wee are forbidden any the least blemish for faith the Scripture cleanse the Levites purifie fetch the Laver of brasse for the Levite All their cloathes must smell of Myrrh Allowes and Cassâ—â—a of a good conscience out of the Ivory pallaces their Innocent and spotlesse hearts whereby they should make themselves glad Let my Priests be cloathed with righteousnes saith the Spirit of God It is the Livery of Aaron the cloath of Levi the mark of distinction the seale of our vocation the Ensigne of the Prophets of God which holy David held out as a Banner of defiance against the Devill though the snailes of our times pull in these hornes of salvation wee being lights which shine not salt which season not clouds which drop not tapers which burne not unsanctified vessels which purifie not Censors which perfume not Ethiops which wash not this was not Davids security this was not his unhallowed precipitation No I will wash a King by place there 's a Caution for great Ones I will wash a Prophet in Spirit ther 's a caution for Prophets And as I have hitherto spurred on the Magistrate and the Minister to a provident and watchfull superintendency whiles they stand in the gates of Sion So come I now to the meanest and shallowest proselite in this assembly I will wash my hands in Innoncency not onely as I am a King and so may be dangerously disposed to doe evill neither as I am a Prophet and so strictly tyed to do well but also as I am a Saint by calling an Israelite a professor within the Arke within the Covenant within the Church for without are none but unhallowed Caitifes profane adulterers outcasts from Heaven As I am therefore thine through thy mercy admitted into the family of Saints enrowled in the parchment of heaven registered among the blessed ones as I am thus regenerated by the spirit adopted by grace confirmed by the Sacraments united to the Church and out of thy mercy made a lively member of the same as every person under this holy roofe in all seeming appearance is why even for this will I wash my hands in Innocency saies David seeing my Calling is holy my God his Altar my vow holy my inheritance holy I therefore thus inhabited thus adopted though my Scepter had lickt the dust and so I had been no King though the gift of prediction had failed mee and so I had been no Prophet yet for the grace shewed me in the benefit of my calling as being called to serve for the greater praise of thy Name I who am thus sequestred from the world and sanctified from my infancy to thy service will wash my hands in Innocency And in this respect the poorest person in this Congregation is tyed to an holy preparation for though we bee not all Kings by place nor Prophets in Spirit with David yet we are all Saints by calling with David I therefore when I come into the house of God will wash my hands in Innocency must be the generall resolution of all men For Innocency is aswell the Sacrifice of Trades-men as Prophets if they once be inaugurated to the name of Christians baptised to the death of Sinne. For then as punishable shall Alexander the copper-smith bee for opposing the spirit of God as Balaam for taking the wages of iniquitie So then we sonnes of Aaron must not so urge Davids holy preparation as hee is a King by place as that we neglect it as hee is a Prophet in Spirit neither must you Mechanicks so presse our Innocency who are of the Priesthood and so Prophets by
spirit as that you neglect your owne who are of the Church and so Saints by calling The bright sunne of our righteousnes must not quite ecclipse the Star of yours but wee are all to shine though one exceed another in glory Wherefore to conclude this point when David saith I will wash my hands in Innocency as I am a King he satisfies the Magistrate as he is a prophet he sanctifies the Minister as a Saint by calling he sanctifies the people Thus you see he speakes to all sorts of people all trades of life to every condition of persons to every Mammonist none are exempted from holynes whether Demetrius the silver-smith Act. 19.24 or Andrew the fisher-man Matth. 4.24 or Gamaliel the Lawyer Act. 22.3 or Lydia the purple seller 16.14 or Dorcas the Semster 9.36 or Simon the Tanner 6.43.20.9 or to be short the meanest of all the Congregation is mixt and therefore I pray request you all to leave your dissimulation and to wash your hands in Innocency Thus much for Quis now followeth Quo modo praeparat and that is by washing I David Wash Now me thinkes I heare a voice which tells mee we are all a leprous generation a viperous and infectious brood full of sores ulcers and botches scarlet soules crimson consciences ramish unsavoury loathsome sinnes if so then let us see the remedy and that induceth two things the Bath and the Parts bathed and first of the Bath Innocency See but the ingredients and you shall easily see the vertue This Bath is made of Holinesse righteousnesse charity hope faith joy humility peace prayer thanksgiving meditation vigilancy equity sanctity chastity contrition repentance perseverance with many other heautious ornaments of the house of God All holinesse of mind righteousnesse of soule charity towards thy neighbour hope in thy Jesus Faith in his merits Joy in the Holy Ghost peace of conscience humility of carriage serventnesse of prayer meditation of Gods mercies delight in his word vigilancy over our affections sanctity of heart equity towards all men chastity of thought repentance for sinne heat of devotion and perseverance the Crowne of holy and vertuous actions Lo here 's a holy water for the Church of Rome to wash in here 's a Jordan for all leprous Naamans to cleanse in t is no river of Damascus but of Israel here 's a poole of Bethesda for our lame and creeple conditions here 's a river of life as cleere as cristal proceeding out of the throne of God and the Lamb in midst of which groweth the tree of life Revel ult Who so enters into the Temple of God without these who so offers to set foote within the porch which is called Beautifull without these doth but only peep through a craney of the mount Horeb but shall never with Moses ascend up his holy hill they only sound forth harsh melody into the ears of God through the untuneablenesse of their spirits which should sing Gorapically as the Coristers of heaven for holinesse becometh thy house for ever Nazianzen is so religiously scrupulous and conscionably timerous of his unworthy approach into the house of prayer that it hath often affrighted mee saith hee from the Mercy feat of God not that I shund the beauty of his Altar but that I feared mine owne unhallowed presence and so consequently the suddain vengeance of Heaven I am ashamed saith he of those that come with unwashen hands and unsanctified hearts to such holy mysteries as these are I feared to draw neere said hee and yet my hands were innocent mine eyes cleare my heart single mine eare erect and attentive my speech savoury and my members were weapons of righteousnesse and like so many Instruments to tune forth the praise of my Creator Here was an innocent and vertuous Churchman well known squared and cut out of a spirituall building of a holy and heavenly tincture and yet he feares his own weaknesse But is there the like devotion found among us No For were it as it is not it would draw many a brinish teare from the eyes of these marble and Stone witnesses to see our irreverent and hallowed approaches for wee come with our hands filthy our feet polluted with sleepy eyes with drowsy heads with full stomacks with quailes in our mouthes and our bellies full of bread Some sleepe with Euticus Act. 20.9 some are offended with the Scribes Pharisees Joh. 7.48 some are angry with Herod Mat. 2.16 some seoffe with Ahab 1 Reg. 22.8 some glance laciviously with Iesabel some are only lukewarm with Agrippa Act. 26.28 and some make bargaines with Iudas Matth. 26.15 Few here with a chaste and dove-like simplicity few with patience few with Faith scarce one with a good conscience No our eyes are playing the harlots our hearts are gon a whoring our eares are stopt with the adder our tongues broaching vanity our hands in our counting-houses our feet prickt with thornes never at ease ever straite at the instep till we can whip forth of the holy congregation and make it the house of folly So that it is Gods great goodnesse wee are not stricken dead with Nadah and Abihu Numb 3.4 for offering strange fyer upon his Altar It is his infinite mercy that we are not burnt down with the men of Sodom Lev. 10.1.2 or swallowed up quick with Corah Dathan and Abyram Numb 16.1 for comming thus rashly and unprepared into his holy Sanctuary our hearts being full of evill intentions which is to play the hypocrite But David saith I will wash and so must it bee with all those that approach the face of God Thou must arise oh Sion thou must put on the garments of thy beauty oh Ierusalem thou must shake the dust of thy feet and unloose the yoak from thy neck when thou drawest neere unto the presence of the most high Nay yee ought to use all reverence with fervency of Prayer with fire of devotion with sanctity of life with purity of Spirit with contrition of heart and the like acceptable offices in the eye of heaven Then shall thy righteousnesse break forth before God as the light and thy just dealing as the nooneday Therefore bath thy heart often in sorrow full sighs and desire the Lord saying O Lord grant I beseech thee an equitie towards all men piety towards thee my God honesty of mind and a heart seasoned with the leauen of Religion that is a Soule ever prepared to come into the house of my God and visit towards his holy Temple And thus much of the Bath Innocency Now for the partes bathed Hands I will wash my hands c. There is a glorious stipend set downe in Scripture for such as have cleane hands who shall ascend into the hill of the Lord Even he that hath cleane hands Ps 24.4.18.20 Againe God shall recompence me according to the cleannesse of my hands So then we must know that as innocency shewed the vertue of the Bath so Hands the wisedome of the party Bathing
Jezabel anoynted her face when David washed his hands and threw ashes upon his head a great disfiguring to his person yet was he cleaner in the sight of God then the slippery singing Queene of Israel Ezekiah cleansed his hands and Job made a covenant with his eyes pretious parts both yet none so pure so entire so holy as the bathing of our Hands in Innocency I meane not that Pharisaicall cleaning of the hands for that is not comparable to the cleaning sincerity of the heart if you paralell the parts but I meane the hands by way of a symbolicall and figurative resemblance the phrase not being so much to be â—â—cand as it is an externall washing and so â—roper to hypocrites but as it is a symbole of internall purification and so proper to the Saints Now some washing their hands onely will rashly salute the Altar of God beeing coloured with seeming appearance this is Hypocrisie Others will wash their hands as a testimony of the purity of their hearts and so reverently approach the Mercy seate of God being beautified with reall integrity This is Innocency But why did David say his hands more then his feet or any other part of his body Because the principall Organs of all externall Actions are the hands and so Symbolycally the truest resemblance of all hearty and spirituall ablution When therefore it is said David washed his hands c. Wee must not understand onely an outward and visible cleansing of his carnall body but a generall cleansing of his soule and Spirit Hands being the Executioners of all externall Actions and so the Figure of a totall and generall both exteriour and interiour Sanctification Wherefore when thou lookest into the house of God look to thine Eye least that grow wanton take heede to thy Tongue that it speake no guile looke to thy feete that they slip not but especially wash thy Hands that they miscary not let not those be rough like Esau's but smooth as Iacobs set with gold Cant. 5.14 Then mayest thou put thy finger in thinge eye if it trouble thee then mayest thou nipp thy self by the Eare to keep them from sleep in security strike thy selfe on the feete if they stumble or tripp beat thy selfe on the heart if that prevaricate or play the whore smite thy selfe on the mouth if it talke idlesy rubb thy selfe on the Temples if they grow dull in a word then mayest thou doe all things decently as befitts the house of prayer So that the washing of the hands in Innocency is the true resemblance of all Spirituall ablution Now many will wash but few in Innocency Some with Pilate before blood publiquely Mat. 27.24 Some with the Pharisee before dinner hypocritically and some with the Gentiles before an oath superstitiously But let us with the religious Levite and Christian professor purifie and purge not onely the visible flesh of our hands but also the invisible taints of our Spirit Foâ— the former sanctification is but only a figurâ— of that which followeth as you may readâ— Heb. 9. but the latter is a modell of that true and lively sacrifice of Christ himselfe who through the eternall Spirit of God offered himselfe without spot to God purging our consciences from dead works to serve the everliving God Wherefore O Lord sprinkle with thine hysope the blood of thy Sonne that the water of thy Spirit may never cease to purifie our hands till they bee as white through Innocency as thy Throne above is beautified with Ivery Especially wee of the seede of Aaron that every action of ours may bee acceptable our hands with which we hold the Tâ—ble of the Covenant our hands with which we slay the Sacrifice our hands with which wee blesse the Congregation with which we gird about the linnen Ephod of an holy conversation with which wee lift up the sacred Challice with which wee distribute thy holy Body our hands by the continuall intention of which in our Prayers wee lift up the hinges of the everlasting doores that the King of glory may receive us Let all these bee made cleane and pure from all filthynes let us wash our hands in all our Actions that being thus prepared we may goe to his Altar Thus much for the Quo modo now followes the holy presence 〈◊〉 Lord. In which note two things first the Maesty Domine Secondly the Mirror in this article ô First of his Majesty Domine Some writers divide the Names which â—re common to the Trinity by a foure fold â—ifference some onely pointe at the Essence 〈◊〉 Iehovah some at the distinction of perâ—â—ns as Elohim some at the essentiall properâ—â—â—s of his Diety as only wife only just c. â—â—d some at the Relation which God hath 〈◊〉 his creatures as Lord of Lords King of â—â—ngs And of this last order is the name uâ—â—d in my Text. For power and authority â—â—ve a certaine habitude and respect unto the by which hee is subjugated and tyed to aâ— awfull obedience for we have as Aquinaâ— sayeth a certain reall relation unto God aâ— our Creator without whom we had had nâ— Being and God to us a Rationall becausâ— he did humble himselfe to exalt us Where fore this name Domine in my Text is neither a Symbole of his infinite essence neither of any personall distinction but only oâ— a powerfull dreadfull and vindicatory relation he hath to Man which ought to causâ— a reverent and fearefull approach into hiâ— presence Therefore if we refuse his Mercy as he is Deus and so can crowne us yet leâ— us not despise his power as hee is Dominus and so can crush us For as he is Deus he is a God of bowells and compassion anâ— carrieth the rod and staffe of comforte Pâ—â— 23.4 but as hee is Dominus he is a God 〈◊〉 vengeance that can scourge us with a rod 〈◊〉 yron Ps 2. for our iniquities Wherefore when David in the awfull resolution of his soule and cristall sincerity 〈◊〉 his Spirit commends the Sacrifice of his clevotion to heaven he proposeth such a prâ—sence of God as is most extimulatory of feare and reverence I will wash my hands in Innocency O Lord. This Name shewing the Majesty and power of God over man By vertue of his name hee punished the Sacrifice of Cain Gen. 4.5 The rebellion of Corah Numb 16. The bleating and Hypocriticall Sacrifice of Saul By vertue of this he threatens the Israelites I am the Lord by vertue of this he bids battle to the Nations I am the Lord What shooke the Wildernesse The voyce of the Lord. What brake the Cedars of Lebanon The voyce of the Lord by vertue of this Name he ratifies his purposes the voyce of the Lord hath spoken it By vertue of this Name he rides upon the heavens the Chariots of the Lord. By vertue of this Name his wrath is published how long wilt thou be angry O Lord By vertue of this Name hee summons the quarters of the earth the day of the
THE SAINTS SACRED LAVER By Iames Eglesfield Master of Arts Minister of Gods Word at Knightsbridge Preached at Padington September the first 1645. LONDON Printed by Thomas Harper 1646. To the Honourable Knight Sir William Belfore AS Christ himselfe said sometime to a multitude the like may I taking occasion from this my presumption What came ye out to see a Reed shaken with the winde it may be so but what came yee out for to see a Prophet here I must change the note nay lesse then a Prophet for as among the sonnes of women there was not a greater then Hee of whom Christ spake so among the sonnes of women is there not a lesse then he whose pen now presents that service which his tongue ought in its proper place did not the cloud of a darkenned fortunâ— eclipse his apparition Lesse in maturity and ripenes for so weighty a busines as touching my selfe lesse in opinion of fitnes as touching the esteeme of many who it may be have seene me sweating in the pursuite of my Recreation fishing but never in serving at the Alter of my God Notwithstanding oh my God I am sent as a messenger before thy face and shall prepare the way before thee For by a fit Metaphor drawne from the art and practice of fishing our Saviour Christ hath shaddowed forth both the calling and imployment both of his first choice Apostles and all other Apostolicall succeeding Preachers saying I will make you fishers of men Mat. 4 19. Such you shall bee because such I will make you to be quorum pars parva fui full twenty yeeres exercising this holy function who although with Peter may say I have toyled all the night and caught nothing for my selfe yet with Iohn Baptist Luc. 3.10 I have some reason to beleeve that my labours have not beene altogether unprofitable among the Mennoes and meaner sort I fished for which were the crowd of common people publicans and sinners very slippery Eeles that had long lien in the mud of their misdoings and sanguinary souldiers the Pike and Water-wolves of the Ocean of this world a people naturally diseased with the bloody issue Encouraged therfore by that inabling spirit of grace which of Priscilla and Aquila poor Tent makers were able to pose that great Clerke Apollos with Ieremy I presume to go to the great ones and with Peter will once more let downe my Evangelicall sweep-net which was not composed by the wisedome of man or woven with the deceitfull words of Sophisters but with the words of the Gospell according to that of St Paul 1. Cor. 2.4 Neither is it any materiall net like that in Suidas which one cast over another while they were in single combate together and when he had ensnared him he slew him nor such a cruell barbarous and bloody spirituall net as the Prophet Micah speaketh of Micah 7. All lie in wait for blood every man bunteth his brother with a net But it is that Sagena that sweep net which our Saviour brought downe from heaven even the glorious Gospel of Iesus Christ preached that wil dragg and drawe out all those that are plunged in the darkesome holes of ignorance and in the muddy cares of this World to the light of Truth and love of supernall things Et faelices illi quos haec sagena de profundo criminum et errorum pertrahit ad lucem Amb. Happy oh thrice happy they if this draw net fasten on them and bring them from darkenesse to light from death to life a faeculo from the sea of this World ad faecula saeculorum to the shore of a better life even the land of the living which as I wish to your Worship specially for my bounden duties sake and to your vertuous Lady the field of whose loving sincerity in the remaining course of your lives being fully charged with deeds of charity cannot but be accomplisht with a Crest of Glory So even from my soule I wish it to all that love to Bathe in Innocency and expect the comming of the Lord Iesus Sir I am your humblest servant IAMES EGLESFIELD THE SAINTS SACRED LAVER Psal 26. vers 6. I will wash my hands in innocencie O Lord and so will I go to thine Altar THis verse containes a holy Preparation a holy Presence and a holy Place The holy preparation is in these words I will wash my hands in innocency The holy presence in this word ô Lord And the holy place in this word Altar and so will I goe to thine Altar In the holy preparation note two things 1 Quis praeparat in this word I David 2 Quo modo in this word wash I David â—ash In the Quo modo note two things 1. The Bath Innocencie 2. The parts bathed Hands In the holy presence note two things 1. The Majesty Domine 2. The Mirror in this particle ô In the holy place note two things 1. The Reverence of his Progresse in this word So not presumptuously but humbly like his Servant 2. The reference of the place in these words Thine Altar And so will I go to thine Altar This is the resolution of the Text which I meane by Gods goodnesse to treat of and first Quis that is David a King by place a Prophet in Spirit and a Saint by calling I will wash A King by place as the image of God is more exprest in Kings then in Groomes and vassalles their power being a resemblance of his divine power and their Majesty a Character of his divine Majesty so ought the flames of this Image to be more conspicuous in them then in the inferiour or darker sonnes of God It is not the beauty of his Throne the riches of his Diadem the guard of his person or any the like Dalilah can cut the hair of David or blow him bigge with a Tympany of selfe righteousnesse he being fully bent for his own salvation and his peoples instruction to bath in the Laver of Holines In Innocency will I wash my selfe sayes he I a God by name will do it for so the Scriptures title Kings that when I come before the God of nature my sacrifice may be well accepted What David doth here in person must be the president of Magistracie or rather of Magistrates then any of meane or perfunctorie calling such a levell hath the shaft of Iniquitie against the breast of the great Ones so many are their pit falls so dangerous their examples so contractive of Sinne their consciences Therefore whisper not in their eares the Magnificency of their places it is a temptation nor the solemnity of their worships it is a Temptation for David knew by woefull experience that all the power of worldly dignity was temptation for hee abused his power in the murther of Vriah 2 Sam. 11. hee stained his beauty in the deffowry of Bethsheba he wronged his Throne in the numbring his people And flatter not then the Great Ones with telling them of their Greatnes puff them not up
Lord. When shooke the Earth at the presence of the Lord. When melted the Heavens at the presence of the Lord. When were the waters dryed up At the presence of the mighty God of Iacob the least falme of this bush dasht Moses out of countenance This fiery pillar burnt Iobs goods and cattle This burning heate made the children of Israel stand a farre off Wherefore with St. Jeromes Marcella we are to desire the proper interpretation of all the Names of God every one ministring occasion of spirituall growth yet are wee most to desire it when wee approach the Sanctuary of God to prefixe this Name before our eyes the name of the Lord It being the Ensigne of his power and the tempest going before his face the Embleme of his Majesty the thunder of Mount Sinai where Gods seate is by vertue of which hee breatheth hailestones and coales of fire This holy meditation of his Majesty turned Abraham into dust ashes This stript Iob of all humane and vaine conceits this cloathed David in Sackcloath this made him a worm and no man a thing of nought And I doubt not but if wee seriously entertained it this would burne downe the stubble of humane opinions in us and lay us prostrate yea even breathlesse before the face of God with the very thought of our wretched unworthynesse Wherefore Beloved let the reverent opinion of the presence of the Lord be evermore our curb when we come to the propitiatory of his Mercy seate Let this calme the Sea of our affections and worke in us an awfull and religious Obedience Let us knowe the presence of God is not the presence of Dagon that hath no eyes nor of Nisroch which hath no eares but the glorious and present beauty of Syon the al-seeing Eye of God the discovery of Heaven This Memento will cause us to wash to cleanse our hearts and search the very concavity of our spirits This will beget not only an holy preparation before we come but a cautelous and strong attention after we are come and the expectation of an happy benediction ere we goe fearing each moment the arrow of his displeasure the merit of our owne presumption and the doome of Heaven Thus much for the Majesty now followeth the Mirror O And so will I go to thine Altar O Lord. This interjection howsoever smothered in the Latin and Greeke Syntaxe yet hath it in the English an Emphaticall use and speciality it being the flood-gate of mans extasie and the dilatation of his Spirit when he is transported with the high and sublime speculation of the presence of God Neither is it only vented when we thinke of his presence but when wee speake of his Attributes or any the extraordinary or transcendent workes of his Diety O the depth and riches of his Mercies cries Paul in one place O the inscrutabilitie of his Judgements in another place O his wonderfull workes in the deepe cries David in one place O how amiable are thy dwellings in another Thus wonders Mortality when it droopes and hangs the wing being strook with the Majesty of God This should cause humble dejection in our spirits a poore and lowly esteeme in our selves when we enter into conference with God Now there is nothing will sooner draw us to this practise then the paralelling of our estate with Gods our condition challenging the wonderment of Lamentation and Gods of Praise and Exaltation For in this Gods O of Mercy will answer to Mans O of misery See it in the wrestling of Paul O miserable man that I am cryes he when he took Survey of his fleshes rebellion O the riches of the Mercies of God! when he weighs the depth of Christ's Propitiation See it likewise in the methode oâ— David O remember not my sinnes and offences cryes he when he scan'd the measure of his owne misery O call to mind thy loving kindnesse ô Lord when hee recollects the Balme of Gods mercy O how short is my time when he spann'd the life of Man O God thy seat endureth for ever when he would fathome the Auncient of dayes The like meditation will drive us to the same to the same astonishment when wee shall conscionably think of our owne unworthynessâ— with an O how inferiour are we by reason of our many pollutions to stand before the face of God and it will make us say as David doth here I will wash my hands in Innocency c. Thus much of the holy presence I come now to the holy place in this word Altar Where note two things first the Reverence of his Progresse So. Secondly the Reference of the place Thine And so will I go to thine Altar So not otherwise though the Devil upon the pinacle should promise mee the Kingdome of the world for why should we presume to come to the marriage of the Lambe without a wedding garment or Samuels Ephod So will I goe saith David adorned with these unto thine Altar And if ever â—his So was dedicated to the obtaining of Eternity if ever to the joy of Angels and â—omfort of the Elect it was then done when David renounced the whole body of Sinne turned to his Creator that made him Lastly if ever this So did procure the Anâ—els of Heaven to rejoyce then may it now â—â—use us to shed teares of gladnesse since the â—eauty of Holines the Lamb of God Innoâ—â—ncy hath offered himself upon the Crosse and become an advocate to the father for our sinnes Here was a So worthy to bee remembred for ever for he dying turned our death into Life that is our sinnes to righteousnesse Thus much for the Reverence now followeth the Reference Thine The Pronoune Thine is a partition wall twixt God and Dagon and sanctifies the edifices of the Temple For this seperates all Idolatrous places of worship Not any Altar but the Altar of God and not any place but the place where his honour dwelleth So that by this word Thine is meant the habitation of his Glory the holy Temple of the eternall and ever living God To which whosoever comes thus washed and prepared shall enjoy the mount of Syon and the hill of the new Ierusalem Montem pinguem being a fat mountaine in respect of the multitude of spirituall grace Montem Dei because God himselfe dwells there and Montem coagmentatum so strongly congealed and knit together as that it is impossible it should ever be removed Thus by Gods assistance and your gentle patience I have cleared my hand of my Text. Now the God of mercy and compassion which opened the heart of Lydia to conceive opened the eyes of Elisha to see and opened the lipps of David to speake say Ephata to your hearts eares and eyes that you may ever hunger and thirst after righteousnesse that you may ever seeke the Lord and serve him in faith and in the revealed mysteries of his word Washing your hearts and hands in Innocency that so you may for ever obtaine Grace here in this world and eternall glory in the world to come which God grant unto you all Amen Soli Dei Gloria