drunkennes to thirst as it pleaseth God by Moyses to speake to his people of Israell in that time Deu. 29. ver 19. For if wee shoulde doe so in the woordes there immediately following the Lorde telleth vs what we shall surely trust vnto namely that he will not be mercifull to any such But his wrath and ielousie shall smoke against such and euery curse written in the booke of the lawe shall light vppon them and hee will put out their name from vnder heauen Wherefore to conclude this part let eveâ—â— of â—s learne to doe as Ieremi hath councelled vs Lam. 3. vers 40. that is search and trye our waies and turne vnto the Lorde lifting vp our handes and heartes vnto him in the heauens for mercy to vs and out Lande for as he faith in the twenty two verse of that Chapter our manifolde and great sinâ— considered so we haue cause to say also it is the Lordes mercies that we bee not consumed And further let Ezechiel teach vs this one lesson more that not onelye â—ee our selues euerie one for his owne particuler must thus turne to God from all our sinnes but that wee must cause others so to turne or else he will not once promise vs that iniquitie shall not be our destruction Cap. 18 vers 30. For euery man is bound to do what lyeth in him to draw on those that any way by his vocation in Church or common weal he hath a charge of And but that I hasten to the consolation I shoulde here teach you that this conuersion of ours to God must bee speedy without procrastination constant without interruption harty without dissimulation vniuersal without exception huÌ„ble without ostentation and yet faithful without all distrust or doubting For thus hath the word taught it ought to be if we would haue it to be acceptable before the Lorde to put of his iudgementes from vs that otherwise by our sinnes we haue deserued But let thus much suffise touching the Prophets complaint and the vse that wee are to make of it and nowe let vs proceede to the comforte or consolation that hee giues in these wordes of his Wherin as I haue said we are to consider whom be comfortes and therefore how he describes them then how he comforts them and therefore what the comforts be that he sets down for such He describes them in general to be every one that walketh before God in the latter verse and in the former more particularly to be righteous or mercifull men of these thinges therefore now orderly as they are preposed let vs consider By walking by an vsuall Metaphore in the scriptures we are to vnderstande liuing and hauing our conuersation in which sence saith God to Abraham Gen. 17. ve 1. walke before mee and be thou vpright that is â—ot and haue thy conuersation And 1. Corint 9. by a like metaphore the life of a Christian is compared to the running of a race the consideration of which metaphors may and ought to teach vs that as it is our dutie according to Christes counsail Luk. 13.24 to striue to get into this way wherein wee must walke and run and that betime â—e cause it is written Eccl. 12. vers 1. remember thâ— creator in the daies of thy youth whiles the euill daies comes not nor the yeares approach wherein thou shalt say I haue no pleasure in them so likewise when wee are got in that wee maie neither stande still nor goe backe but that we are to walke and runne right forwarde taking heede that neither we run round about nor â—ow of this side now oâ— that And therefore we haue a râ—â—t giuen vs. Heb. 12. vers 13. to make straight steps vnto our feere and there also we are â—arned to take heede of al halting in this way lest so we beturned out of the way Thus therefore to walke or to runne this race importes that therein there is some difficultie and that there had neede bee good paynes taken thereabout Whereuppon the Apostle Paule in the foresaide place to the Corint 9. hauing saide so run that ye may obtaine to prouoke vs not to think it much though so to do cost vs some paines he first tels vs that they that striue for â—asteries though they do it to obtain a corruptible crowne yet abstayne from all thinges that might hinder them and then hee layes before vs to the same ende his owne example howe that hee the better to runne this race bett downe his own bodie and brought it into subiection verse 25.27 And Hebrewes 12. verse 1. most plainelye hee calles vppon vs to cast awaye euery thinge that presseth downe and the sinne that hangeth so fast on and so then saith let vs runne with patience the race that is set before vs c. Wherefore the difficultie hereof considered we had need euery one to runne vnto God for helpe in this case saying with Dauid Oh that my wayes were directed to keepe thy statutes teach me O Lorde the way of thy statutes direct mee in the path of thy commandementes Psal 119. vers 5.33.35 Nowe touching this our walking seeing it must hee as I haue saide or else it is not that that heere the Prophet requires in those whome hee woulde comforte sure wee maye bee that there is prescribed vs by GOD who would haue vs to walke before him that is so that he may take pleasure and delyte in our walking some perfect rule from which wee maye not decline either to the right hande or left and this surely is his owne reuealed will and â—oorde For that is an ancient rule of God in matter of his seruice ye shall put nothing vnto the woorde which I commaunde you neither shall yee take ought there from as wee reade Deuteronomie 4. vers 2. and therefore saith he Esay 8. To the Lawe and to the testimonie if they speake not according to this woorde it is because there is no light in them ver 20. And therfore euen kings are commaunded by the Lorde to reade in the booke of the Lorde all dayes of their life Deuteronomie 17.19 And Iosua particularly to meditate therein daye and night that it might neuer depart out of his mouth that he might obserue and doe according to all thinges written therein neuer turning from the rule thereof either to the right hande or lefte Iosua the first verse 7. and 8. And wee may bee sure God is at the same point still and euer will bee and therefore both Isaiah the 29. verse 13. and Matthew 15. verse 9. as Christ hath alleadged it wee may see that both in the old testament and newe God hath counted them but vaine worshippers howe neare so euer they drawe vnto him in woordes whose feare is taughte by the preceptes of menne teaching for doctrine mens preceptes all which kinde of worshipping or seruing of God Paule condemne vnder the name of will worshippe or voluntarie religion though otherwise it carrie neuer such shew of humblenesse
had then any shipping to send them away withall nor might leaue theÌ„ there behinde him to shift for themselus nor yet lead them away with him captiue without apparant shew not only of further danger to the whole country but also of ineuitable perill to his own company being theÌ„ so few and so weakned with long being abroad being also so meanly victuailed as they were only for them selues that which is most of al hauing to passe home so many 100. miles as they had and most therof most daÌ„gerously through the cuntries of their friends and their own enemies how could he in any wisedome or pollicy vnles men would haue had him coÌ„trary to al nature iudgment for shewing foolish pity vpoÌ„ such vnworthy wretches cruelly childishly haue bazarded both all the cuntry and his own company also to a further perill then they as yet had been in doe any otherwise then he did And the Lord be praised for it though he were in that cuntrey but a short time by experience we haue found the Lorde so blessed his iudgement both in his doing iustice vpon them that deserued no other in shewing mercy towards theÌ„ to whom it was to be shewed indeed that euer since we haue had greater quiet and peace there then was of long time there before or otherwise was likely â—e should there haue had yet The third lesson that wee haue in the places before quoted touching iustice and mercy to learne Michah hath taught vs who though he require that we should doe iustly and lowe mercy yet he requires for al that that they that haue both these should humble themselues to walke before God For though our coÌ„sciences witnes with vs euen before God that vnfeinedly we haue studied had a care to walke before men and him so in iustice and mercy with iudgmeÌ„t that we may as worthily be called righteous mercifull men as any that here Isaiah speaketh of yet we must learne of the same Prophet not in a counterfet humility but because indeede it is so and we thinke so in simplicity to say confesse that when our righteiousnes is compared with that it should be that al our righteousnes is as filthy clouts Cap. 64. vers 6. that so still with Paul our own righteousnes which wee haue framed in the best maÌ„er we caÌ„ to the law we may indeed account of no force or valew to iustify vs before god that as he saith we may be found of him not hauing our own righteousnes which is of the lawe but that which is through the faith of Christ euen the righteousnes which is of GOD through faith for though the titles of iust righteous and perfect men be attributed giuen to sundry in the scriptures yet we are not to take vnderstand them howsoeuer the papists soÌ„e other phaÌ„tastical heads fondly doe as spoken to shew that they were quite without sin and absolutely fully kept the law For what is more plaine in the scriptures then that al meÌ„ be sinners And therfore saith Dauid Psa 143. ve 2. enter him into iudgement with thy seruant of or in thy fight no man liuing shall be iustified 〈◊〉 in an other Psalme namely 1 â—0 ver 30. 〈◊〉 saith if thou O lord streightly markest iniquities who shal standâ—â— Solomon his son most plainly faith there is no man that sinneth not 1. Kings 8.46 therefore pro. 20. ver 9. Eccle. 7.22 he saith againe who can say I haue made my heart câ—eane I am void of sinâ— Surely there is no maÌ„ in the earth that doth good and sinneth not And the new testament is as flat in this point For Rom. 3.10 we read that there is none righteous no not one and Iames most plainly faith that in many things we sinne all Cap. 3.2 and Iohn likewise as plainely writeth speaking of such as himselfe then was If we say we haue no sinne we deceaue our selues and there is no trueth in vs 1. Epist 2. vers 8. And if we doe but take a viewe of those that in the scriptures are most honoured with the titles of iust and righteous men wee shall finde the same scriptures tell vs of some sinnes of the verie same men For who are more commended in the olde testameÌ„t for such then Noah Abraham Loth Iob Moyses and Aaron Dauid Asa Iehosaphat Ezechiah and Iosiah And yet read we not Gen. 9. of Noahs drunkennes Gen. 12. 20. of Abrahams twice causing Sara to dissemble her being his wife to the great peril of her chastity and Genes 19. that Loth was first made drunke by his daughters then therin that he committed in incest with them both And Moâ—â—eâ— and Aaron both of them at the waters of strife Nâ—â—â— 20. ver 12. are told by the Lord because they beleeued him not there to sactify him before the people therfore they should not bring theÌ„ into the land that he promised theÌ„ And as for Dauid it is not only wel known that he grieuously fell in adultery and murder 2. Sam. 11. in nuÌ„bring of the people 2. Sam. 24. but also euen in the administring of iustice in adiudging through his too rash crediting the first and false information of treacherous and bâ—â—bing Sibah to him the landes of his innocent maister Mephiboseth and yet when he saw the innocency of Mephiboseth we read not that euer he reuerst this his vniust sentence 2. Sam. 16. Likewise surely are their faultes euen registred of all the rest how much good soeuer otherwise bee reported of them For of Asa we read that he was wroth with the seer and put him in prison and moreouer that then he oppressed some of the people 2. Cron. 16.10 And of Iehosaphat it appeares that he made affinity with wicked Ahab and ioyned with him to helpe him in battell 2. Chron. 18. for the which vpon his returne he is sharpely rebuked by Iehu the son of Hanani 2. Chron. 19. vers 2. c. And after the miraculous victorie that God had giuen Ezechiel against the army of Senacharib it is recorded of him that therefore he rendred not the Lord thanks accordingly but was lift vp in his heart so wrath came vpon him vpoÌ„ Iudah HierusaleÌ„ for the same 2. Chro. 32.35 Finally touching Iosiah his story sheweth that he came to his death by fighting against Pharao Necho King of AEgypt at Megiddo contrarie to the persuation euen from the Lord as the text saieth that that king gaue him 2. Chron. 35. And if any thinke that it is otherwise now with them that are commended for righteous men in the newe testament they are much deceaued For though it bee saide of Zachary the father of Iohn Baptist that he was a iust man before God and that he walked in al the commandements and ordinances of the Lord without reprofe Luk. 1. ver 6. Yet after in the same Chapter verse 20. for his not beleuing the words of the Angel
died such a one doubtles as he here talkes of was taken away and about that time it may be many others of the best sort died also But forasmuch as howsoeuer the righteous are taken away whether it be by the violent persecution of tyrants by the plague or by any disease or means els yet the prophet might speake of them whatsoeuer he hath done here it is very harde for any man precisely to determine in respect of what time of his life he vttered these wordes Wherefore in that point to leaue euery man free to his owne iudgement by his owne wordes so much is apparant that they were set downe by him in respect of such a time when of that small number that were such as here he describes in his opinion so many dropt away by one kinde of death or other that the security and carelesnes of the rest that notwithstanding considered he had iust cause to complaine that no man would lay the deaths of such to heart or once vnderstand that the Lord thereby prognosticated a further euell to come And vttering this his complaint it is further worthy to be noted that he speaking in the sense of the wicked careles and secure people in his time he saith the righteous perisheth thereby giuing vs to vnderstand that indeede that was the fashion of such so to iudge of those whoÌ„ ether they by their tyranny had dispatcht or whoÌ„ god otherwise by some painefull maner of death whereunto the righteous is as well subiect as others had taken hence And indeede wisedome the 3. vers 2. â—-3 it is said that in the sight of the vnwise the righteous whose soules are in the hand of God and not torment shal touch them ver 1. appeare to die their end is thought grieuous and their departing from vs to be destruction and againe Chapt. 5. vers 4. they are brought in confessing asmuch themselues saying we fooles thought their life madnes and their end to haue beene without honor And this doubtles was some occasion of griefe to the holy Prophet and so some cause of this his complaint that he sawe the wicked so ready thus lewdly to iudge speake of the deaths of such And therefore to reforme them in this point and to make it appeare what he would haue al men to thinke of the deathes of such what maner of death soeuer it were he by and by addeth that such are but taken away or conueyed or gathered hence for so the word is also translated of some from the euill to come Further in that he saith no maÌ„ coÌ„sidereth it in hart that the righteous perisheth none vnderstaÌ„deth that the righteous merciful men are taken away froÌ„ the euil to come it is euideÌ„t that the Prophet was of this iudgmeÌ„t that it was a thing to be lameÌ„ted sorrowed for hartily to be complained of if in such bad times as these were wherof he speaketh men should coÌ„tinue in security notwithstaÌ„ding the Lord seeketh by taking the most worthy away froÌ„ them to driue them from the same yea that it was a strong argument or signe of some great euill likely shortly to fall vpon them that would not thereby be awaken Seing therfore that euen this yeare we caÌ„not but remeÌ„ber that the Lord hath taken hence first the Lord Wentworth theÌ„ the Earle of Darby and nowe as we see this noble and worthy Lord Gray al in their seueral places and countries right excellent men and besides we cannot be ignorant that within these 8. or 9. yeares likewise the Lord hath taken from vs a great number of the most worthie noble Earles Lords and Knights that England hath had many a day and that also by wars the plagne and other diseases we haue lost within a very small time more then we can number of very valiant wise and vertuous men who seeth not that in this respect we may say aswell as euer Isaiah did the righteous mercifull men are taken away And as for the security of the rest for all this surely I feare me we are no whit behinde the people in his time the restâ—â— in as great daÌ„ger as they were God of his mercy giue vs grace to see our fault therein to amend in time Thus we hauing seene in generall what he â—â—â—plained of and what driue him so to doe th◠〈◊〉 we are to make therof is to be as careful a◠〈◊〉 that we geue none such as he was any sin 〈◊〉 to morne and complain of vs as he did of thâ—â— people of his time And the better that we may as we ought indeede make this vse of his complaint let vs 〈◊〉 see in particular how he proues them to 〈◊〉 as of whome in generall he had occasion thus 〈◊〉 complaine The first reason is that none considered in heart or as it is in the Hebrewe no man 〈◊〉 hart that the righteous so perished and were taken away as we haue heard The vse of which phrase in the scripture is to expresse a carefull and harty consideration of a thing and in this place doubtles therby the prophet meaneth that no man so sorrowed in his heart for the dropping away so fast of the righteous and mercifull men as there was cause in respect of the losse of such Otherwise in another sence there were enow then wee may bee sure that laide the deathes of such but too fast to their hearts to harten and harden on themselues in sin and impiety for that by this meanes they that most bridled and curbed them from bold and secure rushing and breaking out beyond all bondes of piety and honesty to wring and wrong others or to defile themselues were taken out of their way And this the prophet himselfe both in the verse immediatly going before my text and in the next verse but one after it plainly sheweth he did perceiue for in the former of these two verses in that I meane next before my text he bringes in the wicked liuing in those very times when the righteous died thus fast hartening themselues in this manner saying Come I will bring wine and we will fill our selues with strong drinke and to morrow shall bee as this day and much more abundant and in the other after that in the very next verse after my text hee hath giuen such their due tyles calling them witches children and sonnes of the adulterer and whore he faieth vnto theÌ„ on whom haue ye iested on whom haue you gaped and thrust out your toung thereby as it should seeme describing the triumphing and insulting of the wicked that the righteous and most worthy men that troubled crossed them in their waies were now as they thought as water spilt vppon the ground And surely it is much to be feared that euen now amongst vs there are in corners and when they are where they may be bold that in this prophane wicked manner lay to their hartes to solace there them withall the
deathes of the most worthie men amongst vs. But whosoeuer they bee that thus take occasion to make themselues merry from hence from whence they shoulde indeede take occasion to mourne and lament let them vnderstand that the Lord by this our prophet Isaiah hauing called that people to fasting and mourning that were in his time and they falling to feasting and laughing he tels them that that their sin was declared in the eares of the Lord of hosts and that therevpon this was his flat decree and sentence of them that that their iniquitie shoulde not bee purged vntill they died Cap. 22. vers 14. Wherefore the better to make vs to take to hart the dying of the worthy men amongst vs not in this wrong fence but in the sence and manner that here it appeares the Prophet wished let vs now consider what reason hee had to complaine and to take this for one speciall particuler signe of intollerable security that men woulde not mourne and lament and so laie to their heartes the deathes of such doubtles he knew that such kinde of men were the bands sinnews yea the very pillors and buttresses of the good estate both of the Church common weale and that therfore the taking away of such howsoeuer secure prophane men made no reckoning thereof was indeed a heauy iudgment of God vpon al that they left behind them For the wicked are therby the more hardned and hartened to al iniquitie so to hasten Gods further iudgements vpon the land wherin such liue the Godly are therby greatly weakned in this wicked world before men for lacke of assistaunce by such against the wrongs oppressions of the vngodly And it is euident that he knew this most perfectly for in his third Chapter he hauing threatned the people of his time that for their sins the Lord woulde take from them the stay and strength though in the particularising wherein the stay and strength of a citty and country lyeth hee name bread and drinke in the first place because as it should seeme wtout theÌ„ men cannot coÌ„tinue at all yet by by he reckoneth the strong maÌ„ the man of warre the iudge the Prophet the prudent the aged the Honorable the counceller c. As them without whom neither Citty nor countrey can long enioy anie good beeing For such being taken a waie be shewes the consequent thereof is likely to be this that some as vnfit as children and babes to rule shal succeede them whereuppon would follow great oppression one of another and confusion And it seemeth by the conference of these 2. places together as he threatned that people for their sins this iudgement about the beginning of his prophesying so or he died he sawe the same in great measure in extention vpon them Howe could he therefore but in this respect mourne in that all this not withstanding he could obserue none that mourned vnder the burden of this iudgement as they should For as it argues a wonderfull harde heart either in childe or seruant that will not once melt or mouâ—nâ— when the he aâ—ie blowes of father or maister are sounding vpon their shoulders so cannot this be taken but as an argument both then no we of inâ—ollerable senselesnes if in the daily execution of this heauie iudgement of God vpon vs we should shew our selues by our not taking or to heart at all to be such as neither see it nor feele it to be a iudgement or any punishment vpon vs. Yea the very wicked themselues howsoeuer in their own foolish vaine conceits they haue cause to be merry for the death of such yee indeede and truth if they looke well into gods dealing with his own deare seruants in taking theÌ„ away through many tribulations often in the end also by painful and tormenting kinde of deathes haue iust cause thereby ministred vnto them to say and thinke with Peter Epist 1. cap. 4. vers 17. â— 18. if iudgement begin at the house of God and the righteous themselues so hardly be saued what shall the end be of them that obey not the gospell of God where shall the vngodly and sinner appeare For if these things be don to a green tree saith Christ Luk. 23.31 what shall be done to the drie But and if this will not serue to make such to bethink them of their owne sinnes and of the iudgements of God due vnto them for the same I would wish them further to vnderstand that when the enemies of gods people were so far off from taking out this lesson by beholding the miseries and afflictions of gods own people that rather they tooke occasion because of their owne florishing estate in health and wealth for that present to insult and to triumph ouer them that the Prophet Ieremie was commanded by the Lord to say vnto al such drink al be drunken spew and fal rise no more because of the sword that I will send amoÌ„gst you but and if they refuse to take the cup at thy hand to drinke saith the Lord vnto him then tell them thus saith the Lord of hosts ye shal certainly drink for loe I begin to plague the citty where my name is cald vpon and shall you go free you shall not go quite Ierem. 25. vers 27. c. Ahab and Iezabell a while made themselues merry at the death of Naboth 1. Kings 21 but marke the sequele of that story and you shal finde that neither of them had any cause to be merry nor any of their posterity ere the Lord had done with them for it Wherefore though the vngoldy for a time liue wax old and grow in wealth and their seed be established in their sight with them and their generation before their eies their houses be peaceable without feare and the rod of God be not vpon them as Iob obserued it was with some of them wheÌ„ it was far otherwise with him Cap. 21. vers 7. c. or though they find it to be with them as Dauid noted when it was nothing so well with himselfe Psal 73. vers 4. c. that there be no bands in their death but they are lusly and strong that they be not in trouble as other men nor be plagued with others that therfore pride is as a chein vnto them cruelty couereth theÌ„ aâ— a garment and their eies stand out for fatnes and they haue more then their heart can wish c. Yet neither let this dismay the godly nor be taken to bee any sound ground of confort for the other Indeede it appeares that euen the very godly haue sometimes beene offended troubled hereat insomuch that Iob himselfe Cap. 21. vers 6. and Dauid Psal 73. vers 2. and 3. Yea euen Ieremie Cap. 12. vers 2. and 3. and Habacuk an other Prophet of the Lord Cap. 1. vers 13. and 14. doe most plainly confesse asmuch by themselues Notwithstanding certaine it is that Dauids rule is very
his people to their smart found most true by experience for though they hadde as it is most cleare by the stories of those times and the writings of the Prophets Ieremy and Ezechiel not onely them two and Baruch sundry other very godly and vertuous men when this euill began first to breake in vppon them yet all these could not stay the Lord from executing his fierce wrath vppon theÌ„ as you may see Ier. 39. in the last of the Kings Cronicles And Ezechiel gaue them the reason why it could be no otherwise saying Cap. 24. vers 13.14 Thou remainest in thy filthinesse and wickednes because I would haue purged thee and thou wast not purged thou shalt not be purged from thy filthines till I haue caused my wrath to light vppon thee I the Lord haue spoken it it shall come to passe and I will doe it I will not goe backe neither will I spare neither will I repent According to thy waies and according to thy workes shall they iudge thee saith the Lorde Hee might well then say that the Lord would haue purged them and that they would not be purged For what shoulde the Lord haue done to his vineyarde which was that kingdome of theirs that he had not done as this our Prophet Isaiah most notably shewes them Cap. 5. vers 12 c. He had bestowed vppon them his holy woorde and lawe he ceased not early nor late no not when the iudgement was in sight to raise vp vnto them most faithfull Prophets to tell them of their sins and to teach them how to preuent Gods iudgements by true repentance he gaue them very many good kings and namely Iosiah euen a litle before the appointed time for this euell who was inferior to none that was before him to purge the Church of al corruptions and somtimes be thought to awaken them by forein wars as in Afa his time in Iehosophats and Ezechias his raigne and sometime by dearth and famine and sometime by the pestilence and notably by the iudgement executed vppon their neighbour kingdome of Samaria and yet neither any of these nor all these togither nor any other good meanes could cause them to shake of their senseles security in sin therefore what should the Lord doe else but giue theÌ„ ouer as he had threatned into the handes of that sterce cruell and merciles nation of the Babilonians Now welbeloued you know the prouerbe happy is he whom other mens harme may make to beware and we know and are taught Rom. 15. ver 4. that whatsoeuer thinges are written afore time are written for our learning and therfore I assure you we had neede to take these thinges to heart and to learne in time to mourne for our sinnes and both to feele the present iudgement of God vppon vs already in that of late we haue lost by death so many worthy menne as wee haue and to feare and tremble at that which this farther doth threaten vs. What meanes hath the Lorde omitted to winne vs to true repentaunce that hee euer vsed to that people Is not the light of his woorde shining now amongst vs vnder the new testament worthily in respect of the more lightsomenes thereof vsually by Paul compared to the daie light when as theirs in comparison thereof is called the night which is now paste and haue not we as many faithfull and painfull ministers thereby laboring to direct vs a right as ever they had and hath not the Lorde bestowed now of late sundry princes especially her Maiesty whom now we enioy and I praie God long may vppon vs very carefull to purge both the Church of corruptions and the common weale of disorders And to goe on to the rest we cannot haue forgotten but that by drough dearth and pestilence we haue beene and yet are by the last as earnestly summoned to repentaunce as euer they were and without warres we haue not quite bene the Lord hath caused the earth about some foureteene yeare agoe fearefully to tremble and shake vnder vs and now agaiue the satterday after this Noble Lorde Greye lefte this life sure I am in many places of this shire and somewhere else it shooke as sensibly and terribly as before And as for our neighbour countries rounde about vs wee knowe and in some sorte feele that the heauie hande of GOD hath lien fore vppon some of them a great while And wee haue founde that such hath beene the cankred malice of the cursed sea of Rome and of the confederates thereof against vs that along time by all treacherous deuises that they could inuent they haue sought to set vs togither by the eares amongst our selues and to queuch they care not howe the light of our Israell that is to bereaue our dread and gratious Queene of her life Finally as yet I hope it is fresh in most of our memories howe when these enemies of ours saw that by their secret practises they coulde noe way preuaile the Lordes name for euer bee blessed for it then they brake out into open hostilitie first in Ireland and sence in comming with a hudge and mighty navye which they counted therefore cald inuincible with a ful purpose to inuade our land and to satisfie their bloudthirsty mindes vppon vs. Indeede we must needes confesse to the glory of God that by the valiant worthy and faithfull seruice of this honourable Lord whose body now lies here before vs by gods blessing thereupon their courage in Ireland was so puld downe and their combseut that neuer since any more of them haue had any hart to giue any like attempt there again and as for their nauy the Lord of heauen led it such a procession about our country that most both of the shippes and men he hath scattered and confounded in the bottom of the sea Yet we may be sure his malice that set them thus on worke against vs is not so abated but that when strength is recouered and fitter opportunity espied we shall tast of it if they can Wherefore if all this notwithstanding we will still continue secure and careles in sinne and vngodlines with the Iewes and so ioine with them in the cause to prouoke God in his wrath to bring a further euill vpon vs what reason is there but that we shall we cannot tell how soone tast as deepely of the same some one way or other He is the same God now that hee was then and he can punish sin as well in vs as in them and there is no reasoÌ„ in the world but that we should thinke if we be iumpe with them in sin wee shall be made iust and iumpe with them in the punishment for the same In the name of God therefore let vs take heede that thâ—s hearing Gods curses be noâ—â—â—ted against vs for out sinnes that wee blesse not our selues in our hearts saying wee shall haue peace although we walke on stil according to the stubbernesse of our hearts so adding