them the encounter and set the battle in array against the Philistines And now both Armies facing each other on two neighbouring Mountains the host going forth and giving a shout to the Battle there issued from the Camp of the Philistines a Champion term him a man or a monster his name Goliah the place of his nativity Gath his stature six cubits and a span which according to our English measure is about three yards and a quarter His armor a helmet of brass upon his head a coat of mail on his back greaves of brass upon his legs and a target of brass between his shoulders a spear in his hand the staff to it like a weavers beam and one with a shield went before him His Language a Challenge to any one of the Servants of Saul to fight with him Concludes with a defiance to the host of Israel and to the Lord of hosts David being now sent by his father Jesse from his sheep in the wildernesse to his brethren in the camp to enquire after their welfares for Jesse's three eldest sons attended King Saul to the Battle observing how Saul and all Israel were amazed at his gastly countenance and daring language and what great rewards were promised him that should fight with him as to have the Kings Daughter to wife and his Fathers house free in Israel encouraged by this and instigated by his impudent and blasphemous expressions resolves to lay down the success of that day on his encounter And now both Armies full of expectation of the event of the combat the Combatants draw near little David only with his stone and sling and Goliah with his massie armour and now Goliah belching forth his threats against David and derision against the Hebrews David lets him know that the God of Israel whom he defied was so powerful as by so weak an instrument as himself and so slenderly arm'd could bring him and his brags to confusion David to make quick work pulls forth a stone and that God who taught his hands to war and his fingers to fight so directed his aim to the mark that he hit him betwixt the joynts of his armour and down falls he to the earth with the Philistines victory David takes his own sword and decapits him attended with the acclamation of the Israelites presents it to Saul who indeed makes good his promise to give him his Daughter but he must undergo more hazards to obtain her that no Israelite would undergo the danger to purchase a Kings Daughter on such dear terms give for her dowry a hundred foreskins of the Philistines But he that preserved David from the Lion and the Bear and from that uncircumcised Philistine will still crown him with victory to vanquish an host so that instead of one hundred he brings two 1 Sam. 18.27 God was with David and there 's no talk of over coming those whom he hath determined shall be victorious no weapon that 's form'd against him shall prosper Saul with all his subtil projects to send him in haste to another world shall come too short to insnare him for David shall be safe in the greatest danger and secure under the wings of an Enemy the Philistines even in the Court of their King and City of that monster whom he had slain No stone shall touch him at Ziklag or arrow at Gilboa Abners Insurrection shall come no nothing Achitophels Counsel to foolishness Absolons Treason to the ruine of the traitor and Sheba's Rebellion to the miscreants destruction whilest David is safely protected by that watchful Keeper of Israel who never slumbers for greater things And thus you have now seen David past securely through all straits past all dangers and his feet in a large room having all his foes his footstool peace round about and no enemy unsubdued but his own corruption and now wanting trials abroad he sins at home seems to distrust the Providence of that God that had hitherto so miraculously preserved him with so many great and glorious deliverances as from the Lion and the Bear from Goliah once from Achish several times from the Philistines nine times from Saul from stoning at Ziklag from death at Jerusalem Absolons treason and Sheba's rebellion as if that hand so long extended over him were now shortned that it could not save as it had done heretofore and God not yesterday and to day the same for ever Confides in an arm of flesh numbers his people examines the strength of his Kingdom as if by them he could be preserv'd and be secur'd from all dangers whereupon Gods anger is greatly kindled against him and that David may be sensible of his great folly and vain hopes Gad the seer is dispatcht with three harsh proposals to him and salutes him with this hard choice either seven years famine or three moneths flying before the enemy or three dayes pestilence To which we have Davids answer returned in the words of the Text And David said unto Gad I am in a great strait Here is an answer and no answer or an answer to no purpose as being no resolution to the things propos'd choose the three things I am in a great strait which seems to flow rather from a discontented and dejected spirit then a premeditated consideration as if he had exprest himself thus I am at my wits end and know not what to do you have here propos'd three things to me I know not which to take but would willingly decline them all but since I must take one that would not be troubled with either I must take some time to study for an answer as being not provided of one already but take a sad preface till I give the answer and David said unto Gad I am in a great strait Where is now that wonted courage that was in David what he that fought with beasts incountred a Giant vanquisht an Army and was victorious in all his undertakings is he now so daunted at a Prophets expressions that he seems to be rob'd both of his valour and eloquence knows neither what to do or say for himself Alas this wonder 's lessened and the question answered if we seriously consider first the greatness of his sin then of his punishment David hath committed a great sin and severe judgements are denounced against him for that sin which makes him sensible of both and brings him to a Non-plus When God is pleas'd to give a man a sense of his sin and presents him with terrifying judgements as the rewards of it 't is enough to make the stoutest heart to tremble the stiffest joynts to be loosed the sturdiest limbs to quake and the strongest hands to shiver No marvel then if David take the words of the text as a Preface to his answer And David said unto Gad I am in a great strait I shall not offer that violence to the words as to divide them but preserve them whole and fix my contemplations upon one observation I shall draw from them which
up and earnest on your way towards home that if death shall snatch you away in a moment it may be onely to waft you to happiness whilst ye are inquiring after it David rose up early in the morning and was earnest in his inquiries after this Jerusalem he long'd after it panted for it and perpetually did he during his tedious Pilgrimage in Mesech lift up his hands with his soul towards it The Father of the Faithful rose up early too and did chearfully set out and held out to the end as all those must do that hope to reach his bosom I le now leave the young man on his march and after a good beginning expect a Perseverance in well doing and a happy conclusion And now come and direct my speech to the Ancients even to you whose decreped bodies signifie your night at hand when you shall lie down in the dust and rest in oblivion till the last Trumpet shall summon you before that dreadful tribunal Let me humbly request you now to be inquisitive after the other world have you trifled away the morning of your day and all this while not put one foot forward on your journey for Heaven Let me acquaint you that it may not now be too late if you defer no longer remember there were some called at the third hour as well as at the first and labourors entertained in the evening that were rewarded with those that came in the morning Are you on your way go chearfully along and you may yet finish the work of the day ere the approaches of the night wherefore be not weary of well doing but remember that the end crowns the work and he onely the gainer who endures to the end How many have set out betimes and made a promising beginning that have fainted on their journey and fallen short of Heaven that which hath a diadem in the end may well admit some bitterness in the beginning Let therefore the worth of the reward promp you in your greatest difficulties to undergo all with patience who would not do much for such a crown and what will not some do for a worse In Races all press towards the mark but the foremost onely wins the prize Not so here here 's a reward for every one that deserves it a prize for more then the foremost not onely he that runs swiftest and is soonest there but every one that runs well though he comes behinde shall have something My advice to you is that you would so prepare your selves in the evening of your day for the approaches of your night that all things being ready for a change you may court death to convey you from the work to the reward And it may not unfitly be said of you as of that glorious courser of Heaven The Sun knoweth his going down and your setting here may but make you rebound to shine more glorious in a higher Sphere And this brings me from the third particular observable to the fourth from our haste in setting out and perseverance in our walk to the choice of our Comrades to accompany us in our journey Sort your selves with the best company Remember thou art a Kings Son said Mindemus to his Pupil so say I to thee Christian Reader thou art son to a greater King then Mindemus was and wilt thou undervaluethy self with base company shall one so nearly allyed to the Prince of Light be a companion for a brat of darkness an heir of Heaven for a firebrand of Hell the son of a King for the slave of a Devil It may be guest by the company we keep to whom we belong for birds of a feather will flock together sayes our comon Proverb 'T is most certain that nothing of good can be gained by bad company and to shun the workers of evil is the way to decline an evil work for we are apt to be drawn more by example then precept and to intimate those we have most converse with be it to good or evil better therefore to have no company at all then not have good I had rather go to Heaven alone then to Hell with company How then are we all concern'd to make choice of such religious consorts as by their Heaven-like conversations may draw us to a trade of godliness such as may be thought fit by the most wise God to be both our companions upon earth and with us to be admitted Denizons of Heaven To keep company with our betters is the way to improve our selves for as a late Author wittily observes that to be best in the company is the way to grow worse and the best means to grow better is to be the worst there If therefore you have chosen such endear your selves each to other for there 's no such friend to a tedious journey as a good companion and let your souls be as it were linkt in the bonds of true friendship that as David and Jonathan ye may be lovely in your lives and in your deaths may not be divided And like the same David ye may bid defiance to the works and workers of iniquity with a depart from me ye wicked so shall ye clearly quit your selves from the number of those that shall at the last day be terrified with that direful excommunication of the great judge Depart from me for I know you not And this brings me from the fourth particular observable to the fifth from the choice of our company to our deportment in our journey Take heed that ye fall not out by the way For brethren and fellow so journers to disagree is against the rules both of Piety and Policy small harmony nor delight in that journey where Travellers do jangle When two Israelites fell at variance Moses a spectator of the discord useth no other arguments of perswasion to compose and appease the difference then this Sirs ye are Brethren intimating that 't was not for brethren to wrong one another The Father of the Faithful how tender was he in preserving friendship with his Nephew Lot Let there be no strife betwixt me and thee for we be brethren What manner of men were those whom ye slew at Tabor said Gideon to Zeba and Zalmunna Oh! they were my brethren Oh! had you favoured them I should have spared you For my Brethren and Companions sake saith David I will wish thee prosperity 'T is for enemies to fall out not for such near and dear allyes to disagree they must hold together live together and walk together in love as being related in an higher and nobler sense then that of Nature being fellows of one family Sons of one Father Children of one Mother Stones of one Building Branches of one Vine Sheep of one Fold Members of one Body and Professors of one Truth Made by one God Redeemed by one Jesus and Sanctified by one Holy Ghost one would think these tyes enough to debar division from among such friends Esops bundle of Cudgels in the Fable are very remarkable
and the abominable stench he there was sensible of For his taste he had nothing administred it to sweeten the bitterness of death but Gall and Vinegar For his feeling we have spoken of that before if it were not altogether unspeakable what he felt In a word all heads are working and all hands busied in lengthning his torments and now tormentors and tormented both weary the one in doing the other in suffering he yeilds up the ghost But their malice doth not terminate with him though he be dead their malice still lives which we shall see presently break forth for though Joseph of Arimathea one of their councel but not against his life had begg'd the body of Pilate they also go to Pilate fraught with malice against his memory that had done their worst to his person and bespeak Pilate Sir This deceiver said whilst he was yet alive that in three dayes he should rise again therefore let his Sepulchre be made sure with a guard lest his Disciples come and steal him away by night and say he is risen Pilate grants their request and now they triumph in their villany and think perpetually to keep him there whom they had brought thither Is this the Saviour of the world say they that could not save himself Where now are these dreaming shepherds who spake so big of a quire of Angels that should sing his Nativity Where those Angels that they come not to his Rescue Where are those besotted vulgar that rob'd the trees of their branches and themselves of their garments to strow his way to Jerusalem and sang Hosanna's to him as the son of David a Saviour of the world have not we laid their Hosanna's in the dust and he whom they adored as a Deity executed as a Malefactor Is this he that would deliver Israel that could not himself We do not expect ever to be delivered by so mean a hand and so slender a retinue we expect a glorious Prince with a princely train of unconquer'd warriors not a Carpenters son and silly fisher-men God never gave us any promise or president of such a Saviour We know that 't was by a strong arm he delivered our Fathers out of Egypt and that he gave them Saviours afterwards when they were in Canaan such as by force of arms broke the bonds of their oppressors and are not we involv'd in as miserable slavery and bondage as ever our fathers were hath not the invincible Roman Eagle spread his wings o're the greatest part of the world and seized many kingdoms with his ravenous talons making Kings his Prey and Scepters his Conquest and who but a mighty Saviour can deliver us and our Countrey from so potent an adversary If this be he that undertook to do it or were sent from God for the purpose where 's his power to make him so where 's his red-coat Souldiers whose very garments might speak nothing but blood and death to our insulting foes where 's his Magazin and Money his Swords and Pistolls his Granado's and Murdering-pieces his Captains and Officers to lead his Army that they did not perfect that happy work but suffer their Lord and Master thus to fall O fools and slow of heart to believe what the Prophets have spoken ought not Christ to have suffered these things and to enter into his glory was he not long before prophesied of to come in the form of a servant not in the gayish magnificence of an earthly prince that he should be a man of sorrows and by his sufferings should purchase freedom and happiness for inthral'd mankinde How exactly doth your Prophet Isay pourtray to the life both his person and sufferings and writes of him in the Present Tense not the Future as a thing then really acted not after to be fulfilled as more becoming an Evangelist then a Prophet in giving rather a History of his sufferings then a Prediction of them but lest ye should not think one witness enough look upon all the Prophets that have been since the world began you will finde they did all unanimously breathe with one mouth the mystery of his coming and of that redemption which by his death he was to accomplish Was not his Birth long before prophesied of as to the time manner and place of it his person names and offices his tribe and Family his eternal Generation the union of his God-head with his Humanity his Humiliation upon earth his perfect obedience to his Father his riding to Jerusalem in triumph the childrens Hosanna's his Agony in the Garden the manner of his delivery the price he was sold for the flight of his Disciples the parting his garments the piercing his hands and his feet his revilings on the Cross his companions in death his patience in suffering his dying words for whom be should lay down his life and whom he should conquer and what clearer proof could ye desire then the mouths and attestations of so many witnesses and could ye be so blinde as not to discover this to be he that was of old design'd and foretold to be the worlds Saviour did ye not behold a majesty in the sufferer did not the refulgent beams of his divinity shine through the greatest clouds of his adversity and did not Humility and Glory go hand in hand through the several passages of his life and death that by miracles as well as miseries he might convince the world That he should abase himself so low as to be born of a Virgin that spake his humility but to have his incarnation publisht by an heavenly host and kings to rise to the brightness of his coming this his glory to suffer himself to be baptized in the common river of Jordan that speaks his humility but there to be proclaim'd the onely beloved Son and Saviour of the world both by the testimony of the Father and presence of the Holy Ghost this his glory to receive the slaunders of his Countrey-men that he cast out devils by Belzebub that spake his humility but to make the devils confess him to be the Son of the Highest this his glory to suffer death even the death of the Cross that speaks his humility but to make the foundations of the world to shake the Sun to vail it self in black the moon to hide her head the rocks to rend and the vail of the temple to part in sunder at his yielding up of the ghost this his glory to be laid in another mans Sepulchre that shews his humility but to make the Graves to open to receive him as their Lord and the dead to rise to attest his Divinity this his glory to suffer himself to be seal'd up in his Sepulchre with a guard of Souldiers to keep him there that was humility but in that house of death to have the visits of Angels and to rise from thence by his own power this his glory to sojourn forty dayes on that earth where he had been so cruelly handled speaks his humility but
shining on it well nigh puts it out so Vertue flames more brightly being blown on by the cold winde of adversity but is extinguisht by the sun-shine of prosperity like lime which is set on fire with water and as some report is quenched with oyl That prosperity doth draw more to ruine then adversity doth drive the Prophet David intimates where he sayes A thousand shall fall besides thee and ten thousand at thy right hand There is ten to one whose vertue the right hand of prosperity doth choak more then the left hand of adversity doth starve Afflictions are Gods troops and he their Captain intended for the perdition of the wicked for the purgation of the godly he will not lay any more on any of his servants then he shall enable them to bear alas the miseries of this life are not worthy of the felicities of the next nor may these crosses stand in competition with that crown nor are the greatest torments that can here be inflicted comparable to those endless and insufferable tortures which the wicked shall be sensible of the greatest that a Saint can suffer here is but the malice of men and devils the damned in hell shall taste the wrath of the Almighty The sufferings of the Saint and the triumphs of the sinner are but for a moment but the reward of the one and the plagues of the other are to eternity Suppose our life here spread with roses yet they are marcessible and if with thorâ—s yet they are dying The jewels of the Crown will receive a damp and the terrors of the Cross will soon be at an end Groans and joyes in this life are both expiring our troubles and our triumphs have both their setting The distresses of the world are a short and a sudden tempest and the delights of it are a shedding flower Now as an elegant Writer observes who would not rather endure the Hell of a few dayes miscries here and enjoy the Heaven of eternal happiness hereafter then enjoy the Heaven of a few days pleasure here and endure the eternal miseries of Hell hereafter Temporal pleasures are dearly bought with the loss of eternal and temporal sufferings are well requited with eternal pleasures That is a miserable happiness that must end in such miseries as must never end and those are happy miseries that shall soon end in endless happiness This life is but a journey towards death and but a short one and death is yet a shorter passage to a longer and a better life That life of joyes is worth the wishing that shall never have an end and that end of our life is full as worthy of our wishes that shall begin the joyes of that endless life and that end must be ere long for life is short Man that is born of a woman is but of few dayes and full of trouble He is of few dayes that he might not live too long in trouble and his dayes are full of trouble that he might not long for more of them then a few Mans dayes are full of trouble that a few might serve his turn and make him weary of them and his dayes of trouble are but few that he might not be too much wearied with them If it be mans misery that his few dayes are full of trouble 't is Gods mercy that mans days of trouble are but few The few dayes of mans life are full of trouble that man might be daily minded of his duty in seeking after another a better life and mans dayes of trouble are but few that man may not be wearied so as to leave seeking for the other life before that this doth leave him What but the happiness and glory of that better life held up the spirits of Gods afflicted servants in their greatest sufferings in this 'T was the recompence of reward that Moses had respect to which made him spurn at the treasures of Egypt and refused to be called the son of Pharaohs daughter and to slight all the discouragements and afflictions which he here met with Let the miseries therefore which accompany mortality wean us from all fondnesse towards this life present and the felity of life eternal make us the more earnestly to long after that The thoughts of the Elizian happinesse did so encourage a poor Grecian a meer Pagan at the instant of his death that he rejoyced much to think of going to Pythagoras and other learned Philosophers to Olympus and other skilful Musicians to Hecataeus and other approved Historians to Homer the prince of Poets and other famous Wits that were his followers that Poetical Paradise the Elizian Field could make a Pagan give his longum vale to this present world with notable resolution and shall not the real pleasures of the celestial Paradise the fulness of joy in the glorious presence of God encourage a Christian at his death to depart as comfortably as a faithlesse Grecian Shall fantasie in an Heathen be more powerful then faith in a Christian Is not the company as good which we believe to be at Gods right hand as that which he imagined to be in Elizio campo and are not the joys as many and as great Well therefore may a Saint chear up himself at his departure by thinking of his going to Saint Peter Saint Paul Saint James Saint John and to all that glorious company of Apostles and of his going to Elias and Elisha and Isaiah and Ezekiel and to Daniel and all that goodly fellowship of the Prophets and of his going to Saint Stephen the Proto Martyr and to Ignatius and to Justinus and to our Cranmer and our Ridley and our Hooper and our Taylor and all that noble army of Martyrs and of his going to that Reverend Patriarch Abraham the father of the faithful and to Isaac and to Jacob and to all the holy Patriarchs and of his going to the holy Angels and Arch-Angels and Thrones and Powers and Principalities and to the spirits of all just men made perfect Who can think of being thus transported and not be transported with the very thoughts of it Surely it must needs be a very consolatory Viaticum to the soul of a dying Saint to think of exchanging Earth for Heaven and the sordid company of sinners for the sweet society of Saints And this is it which makes the Saint entertain death as a friend whom the sinner fears as an enemy The Saints of God in all Ages have lookt upon him as a friend because by him they have been wafted to glory Moses sing when he was told his last Elijah had his Sufficit he desir'd his God to take away his life Old Simeon craved a dismission and St. Paul a discharge In the times of Persecution how did the Martyrs run in troops to the flames even to the amazement and admiration of their Persecutours which made a mortal Enemy to Christianity in the dayes of Queen Mary who speaking of some of the Primitive Christians and of the glorious Martyrs that
unto him by Michael Paleologus Emperour of Constantinople askt whether those things could drive away calamities diseases or death No this they cannot do as Henry Beauford that rich and wretched Cardinal found by woful experience in the dayes of Hen. 6. who perceiving death at hand askt wherefore he should dye being so rich if the whole Realm will save my life I am able either by policy to get it or by riches to buy it Fie quoth he will not death be hired will money do nothing No money in this case bears no mastery death as the Jealous man will not regard any ransom neither will he rest content though thou offer many gifts Prov. 6.25 'T was but a vaine conceit of one who when he heard that his sickness was deadly and that he was for another world call'd for a bag of gold and laid to his heart as if that which had solely swayed him in his life to the committing of many prepostrous actions should now do something for him but he finding no ease by it threw it away crying it would not do Nor was he less ridiculous who being ready to expire clapt a twenty shillings piece of gold in his mouth saying some wiser then some I le take this with me howsoever alas he and his gold must now perish together death shews him a dismal change for now Balaam and his Bribes Belshazzar and his Bowls Dives and his Dishes Herod and his Harlots the Usurer and his Bills the Merchant and his Measures shall part assunder for ever which made one that was ready to breath his last call for his bags of money and sadly took his leave of them in these words Ah! I must now leave you there is no remedy I tremble to think in how sad a manner the wicked leaves the world to think what a sad fit of trembling doth surprize him when the cruel Sergeants and merliless Officers of the King of Terrors do arrest him as it were in the Devils name when death shall come with a writh of Habeas corpus and the Devil with a writh of Habeas animam when the cold Earth must have his Body and hot Hell hold his Soul Reader now tell me which is the happiest man Adrian the Emperour when his soul was ready to fly from his body bespake it thus O animula vagula blandula quae jam abibis in loca Poor forlorn soul into what gloomy and dismal mansions art thou now departing but of those Mansions in my next discourse I shall now with a few words to the Temporizing Professor and my Readers in general bring this to a conclusion First to the Temporizing Professor you I mean that in all mutations will be men of the Times be they never so bad and call those Men and Times blessed and glorious which make you gainers that admire all men for their greatness and conclude those to be hated of God that are despised of men and censure all as Reprobates that are not of your spirit You that pretend to such a transcendent measure of perfection to such high notions and revelations as if with St. Paul ye had been wrapt up into the third heaven and understood more then all your forefathers did as if Christ had led his Church in ignorance and blindness for 1600 years and upwards till you came with your new Discoveries You that have prated Religion out of the Nation as if it consisted in nothing but words and instead of practising the Graces of the Spirit as Faith Repentance Humility Charity c. studied nothing but needless and unnecessary Questions not at all tending to Edification but Vain glory which have enlarg'd the Breaches of the Church instead of closing them up Remember that God is just as well as merciful and though he spares you long will pay you at last and though you feed your selves like porkets with the fat things of the world a time will come when you shall cast it up again and all your hypocrisie shall be unmaskt and unvail'd both to Angels and men Humble your selves therefore under the mighty hand of God left for your pride God inflicts on you the saddest Judgement that is mention'd in the Book of God of being deliver'd over to a Reprobate sense Oh take heed that Satan couzen you not to hell and there twit you as he did Saul in Samuels mantle when there is no place for repentance You know what a plausible speech he made in the mouths of Ahabs Prophets when he tic't that King to his ruine have a care that ye are not condemn'd one day for condemning others and spued out of the Bridegrooms mouth for your lukewarnnesse think not me your enemy for telling you the truth be not Solomons fools to hate instruction better repent these things here then in a worse place consider seriously the foregoing Discourse take notice of the sad exit of wicked men that the doleful sound of their sad and too late Repentance may seasonably caution you by their harms to beware One word more think not without Repentance ever to arrive at Glory there 's no going to heaven on beds of doun you have more cause to fear exchanging doun pillows for beds of flames there 's no leaping from Dives his diet to Lazarus his crown nor from Dalilahs lap to Abrahams bosom Lastly To my Readers in general Let me caution you to take notice of Gods Omnipotency Omnisciency and Justice and our own Mortallity and these severally and seriously considered may be a motive to startle us from the very thoughts of those sins that we commit with greediness First his Omnisciency Remember that he is an all-seeing God that discovers all our actions and beholds all our wayes to whom the day and the night the darkness and the light are both alike If we dare not commit our beastly sins before the eyes of men how dare we presome to commit them before him that is able everlastingly to damn us and throw our souls into Tophets endless flames Secondly his Omnipotency Let us adumbrageously fancy as one hath it the Firmament to be his face the all-seeing Sun his right eye the Moon his left the Winds the breath of his nostrils the Lightning and Tempests the troubled actions of his ire the Frost and Snow his frowns that Heaven is his throne the Earth his footstool that he is in all things that his Omnipotency fills all the vacuities of Heaven Earth and Sea that by his power he can ungirdle and let loose the seas impetuous waves to orewhelm and bury this lower Universe in their vaste wombs in a moment that he can let drop the Azure Canopy which hath nothing above it whereto it is perpendicularly knit or hurl thunderbolts through the tumerous clouds to pash us precipitate through the center into the lowest dungeon of hell and that all the creatures in their several ranges are as so many Regiments of the great King and that with the meanest of these he can avenge