when their bodies were most tormented and straitned their souls were most comforted and enlarged and the prison doors being opened and the prisoners bands loosed by the singing of a Psalm shew the great power of the key of David that the readiest way to get out of prison is to make use chiefly of that key which will turn thraldome it self into liberty and therefore cannot but turn liberty into a blessing for surely such men who can make heaven where it is not can much more enjoy heaven where it is they who can finde liberty in their captivity cannot but finde a great blessing in their liberty which they esteem to consist not so much in their free egresses and regresses unto men as in their frequent approaches and addresses unto God wherefore let my soul be evermore busied in contemplating Gods eternal mercy and my heart in loving it and my mouth in praising it that when I am driven to such exigencies as least to enjoy my self I may then finde such opportunities as most to enjoy my God Let me alwaies be saying with Israel I am not worthy of the least of all thy mercies Gen. 32. 10. I am not worthy of the least of thy temporal mercies and much less of that eternal mercy which caused them I am not worthy of the least of thy mercies whether shewed me as a natural man or as an Israelite and a Christian or as a true Israelite and a good Christian whether mercies that concern the state of nature or the state of grace or the state of glory I am not worthy of the least of them all and what then shall I offer thee for the greatest I will offer mine heart for an holocaust I will offer the calves of my lips for a sacrifice of praise and thanks-giving that though I cannot deny in my self the greatest unworthiness yet I may never discover the least unthankfulness for though my being unworthy did not keep me from receiving Gods mercies yet my being unthankfull will keep me from retaining them it being alike against the very nature of mercy to look for recompence and not to look for acknowledgments nor can there be a truer acknowledgement of Gods undeserved goodness towards us then by ascribing all that we have are and hope for to his mercy this one thing alone is to us as God even all in all 't was creation when we were not 't is preservation now we are 't is glorification in what we hope to be Mercy is illumination to those in darkness Confirmation to those in weakness Comfort to those in sadness Health to those in sickness Liberty to those in prison Clothing to those in nakedness Joy to those in life and Life to those in death he that can truly and heartily ask for mercy cannot want a prayer to shew his necessities and shall not want a remedy to redress them for he hath both the Spirit and the gift of Prayer the Spirit of prayer in the zeal and sincerity of his affection the gift of prayer in the congruity and fitness of his expression Jesus thou Son of David have mercy on me S. Luk. 18. 38. was enough to open the blinde mans eyes to see his Saviour his heart to beleeve in him his mouth to glorifie him we may from those few words observe the Spirit of Prayer in the earnestness of the supplicant and the gift of prayer in the fitness of his supplication so that neither did he stint the Spirit by confining himself to a set form of words for he cryed saith the Text shewing the earnestness of his affection nor did he quench the Spirit by confining himself to the very same words till he had obtained his answer for he cryed so much the more saith the Text approving the fitness of his expression thereby intimating that they might justly have been ashamed who rebuked him for praying not he who maugre all their rebukes and taunts would not be driven from his premeditated and set form of prayer I will also use the same prayer in all my wants distresses will not doubt but as this form is already to me the opening of my mouth or rather of my heart to pray so it shall be also the opening of heaven to let in my prayers that they may have immediate access to him whose mercy is himself who therfore delights in mercy as in himself Thus have I briefly spoken of mercy as it is in God and now come as briefly to shew how mercy is also in the true Religion the service of God for in this above all is the true Religion to be discerned distinguished from faction for all false faith is faction whether it be addicted to blindness or to perversness to superstition or to separation the true Religion is alwaies most inclinable to mercy but the tender mercies of the wicked are cruel Prov. 12. 10. where the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is translated the wicked hath its derivation from commotion or agitation and doth most properly signifie those wicked who are turbulent seditions and factious even their tenderness is hard-heartedness even their mercy is cruelty whereas a righteous man regardeth the life of his beast rather then not shew mercy he will shew it to his beast though in some respects uncapable of mercy in others unworthy of it thus then it is the righteous is mercifull to his beast the unrighteous is not mercifull to his brother so near a conjunction is there betwixt righteousness and mercy faction may often pretend to piety but never to mercy but the true Religion admits of no piety without mercy wherein it follows both the pattern and the precept of its Founder who hath left his minde concerning this matter no less then thrice upon publick record once in the old twice in the new Testament in the old Hos. 6. 6. For I desired mercy and not sacrifice and as he desires so he accepts for to what purpose is the multitude of your sacrifices saith the Prophet Isaiah at the very same time while your hands are full of bloud Is. 1. 11 15. In the New Testament S. Mat 9. 13. But go ye and learn what that meaneth I will have mercy and not sacrifice and again S. Mat. 12. 7. But if ye had known wha◠this meaneth I will have mercy and not sacrifice ye would not have condemned the guiltless where our Saviour Christ requires of all that will be his disciples that is good Christians In the first place to look after mercy 1. in its nature and then in its exercise 1. In its nature here is mercy with sacrifice by way of conjunction mercy in sacrifice by way of command and mercy above sacrifice by way of comparison I will have mercy and not sacrifice affords all these three Expositions 2 In its exercise for we are bid Go and learn what this meaneth Our Saviour sends us all to his School and he sends none onely to look on like idle spectatours
this sin to their charge And I doubt not but that prayer of our own Church That it may please thee to forgive our enemies persecutours and slanderers and to turn their hearts will yet in Gods good time work the conversion of some of those men who now think they do God good service by denying others to serve him and God forbid that we should ever cease thus to pray even for those that most resist and oppose our prayers though thereby they do also resist and oppose their own conversion The Church of Christ may in times of persecution lose its power but may not lose its mercy for it can be no longer Christian then it is mercifull Mercifull in giving freely ye have received freely give S. Matth. 10. 8. Mercifull in forgiving not untill seven times but untill seventie times seven Saint Matth. 18. 22. Deus semper miseretur puniendo citra condignum praemiando ultra condignum saith the Schole God is always mercifull in punishing less in rewarding more then we deserve so is God Church always mercifull both in its rewards and in its punishments The dispensations of Baptismal and of Penitential grace both such acts of mercy that they fall under an 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that no sufficient retribution no sufficient amends can be made for them yet both these acts of mercie are so proper to the Christian Church that among all the sects of the world we cannot find one which comes near the Christian Religion in the zeal of bringing those that are born in sin to Baptisme and of those that have lived in sin unto Repentance It was a question in S. Cyprians time whether infants might be admitted to baptism before the eighth day and Fidus the Presbyter thought not because the law of Circumcision required a stay till the eighth day and Baptism succeeded in the place of Circumcision but S. Cyprian and the orthodox Clergy of the Church of Carthage were of another opinion and the sixtie six good Bishops give this as the chiefest reason for it in their Epistle to Fidus the Presbyter Cypr. epist. 59. cum Pamel Universi poitùs judicavimus nulli bominum nato misericordiam Dei gratiam denegandam nam cùm Dominus in Evangelio suo dicat Filius hominis non venit animas hominum perdere sed salvare quantum in nobis est si fieri potest nulla anima perdenda est We all with one consent agreed that the mercy and grace of God was to be denied to none for since our Lord and Master himself hath professed in his Gospel that he came not to destroy mens souls we translate lives but the Greek is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 souls but to save them 't is our duty as much as lyes in us to keep all souls from the danger of destruction This was that Councils main argument why children should be baptized in case of necessity before they were eight days old though we have now a generation that will not baptize them till almost twice that number of years But Solomons judgement stands upon record whereby still to discern which is the true mother and which the false for she who hath the tender bowels is certainly the true mother not she who cares not what becomes of the childe 1 King 3. so is it still Faction is merciless and cruel fears not to see the sword drawn to be not onely bathed but also sheathed in bloud whereas the true Religion is of tender bowells would have none of her children perish or be in danger of perishing therefore since baptism is the onely ordinary means of saving children by taking away the guilt of their original sin and repentanee is the onely ordinary means of saving men by taking away their actual sins the true Christian Church never yet thought fit to delay the one nor to deny the other but even in the strictest discipline that ever was exercised against notorious offenders they that returned to the bosome of the Church were admitted to penance and those penitents that were in danger of death were also admitted to the holy Communion we have Presidents or rather precepts for both in the first Council of Nice the 11. Canon admitting the offenders to penance the 13. Canon admitting the penitents to the holy Communion 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 saith the 11. Canon those that under Licinius had denied the Christian faith being not compelled thereunto by the violence of persecution though they were unworthy of mercy yet they were not excluded from it but the Council admitted them to penance Again 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 saith the 13. Canon those that were under penance if they were in any imminent danger of death were presently permitted to receive the holy Communion as the provision necessary for their last journey though if they recovered of their sickness they were to be reduced back again to the order of penitents till they had fully accomplished their enjoyned penance and this relaxation or indulgence saith the same Canon was the ancient and Canonical Law of the Church 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and the like may be proved from the Epistle of the Clergy of Rome to S. Cyprian Cyp. cum Pamel Epist. 31. wherein they profess a relaxation of penance to those that by sickness were summoned to Gods Tribunal though they were resolved that the rest should stay till they had a new Bishop Thus we see it was the Law of the Church in the times of the severest discipline that mercy should be above justice and the holy communion administred in case of necessity even to those whom the ecclesiastical censures did still exclude from it against this Law of the Church Novatus was peccant in the defect for he would admit none to penance that had once fallen away but Novatianus was peccant in the excess for he would needs have all promiscuously admitted without any penance And S. Cyp. mightily opposed them both which may shew us the antiquity of this discipline for he lived within 230 years after the passion of our blessed Saviour as well Novatus his inhumanity in admitting none as Novatianus his facility in admitting all for Novatianus was so zealous of encreasing his party that what heretick or apostate soever would come to him and be rebaptized might be received into his Congregation without any recantation of his errour or of his apostasie but Novatus on the other side was so rigid and severe that he would not receive those that had recanted and made earnest suit to undergo their penance that they might be again fully reconciled to the Church S. Cyprian in many of his Tracts especially in his Epistles complaineth frequently of the petulancy of both these Sectaries and their Adherents advising all Christians that had a care of their souls to abstain from their company and much more from their communion and to keep themselves to the well grounded and well setled discipline of the Church which as it refused no penitents so it durst not
unto God blind lame and sick prayers but in so doing we do rather in truth offer him defiances then prayers we do rather contemn then worship him unless we will say that God is less honoured with the Christians prayers then he was with the Jews sacrifices or that we have a greater priviledge granted us that we may more securely dishonour him Again if we seriously consider that there is an incomprehensible mysterie in this incomprehensible majestie three persons in one God we will labour for such prayers as may be suitable with the properties of the persons no less then with the majestie of the Godhead thus if we consider the power of the Father the wisdome of the Son the charity of the holy Ghost we will earnestly desire to have our mouths and our hearts filled with powerfull wise and charitable prayers not guilty either of emptiness or of indiscretion or of faction but however it is necessarie that in all our prayers we invocate One God in Trinity and Trinity in Unity neither confounding the persons nor dividing the substance for the Father Son and holy Ghost are equally to be worshipped and equally to be glorified nor may we communicate with other Christians in their prayers who worship not one God in three coequal and coeternal Persons no more then we may with Turks and Jews who worship an idole in stead of God for S. John in saying Whosoever denieth the Son the same hath not the Father 1 S. John 2. 23. hath plainly taught us that Turks and Jews do not worship the same God with us Christians and since we do certainly worship the true God it must needs follow that they do worship an idole in stead of God wherefore doubtless all Anti-Trinitarians are idolaters for though many of them talk much of the spirit yet they have kept him onely in their mouths but thrust him out of their Creed and consequently in vain do they pretend to godliness whiles they fight against God for they cannot truly honour him in their prayers whiles they falsly conceive of him in their belief not acknowledging Three Persons Father Son and holy Ghost in one immortal invisible and onely wise God The fourth Name of God alledged by S. Hierome is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 quod Septuaginta virtutum Aquila exercituum transtulerunt saith he which the Septuagint translate Powers but Aquil a translates Hosts And this name we find Isa. 6. 3. Holy holy holy the Lord of Hosts which is the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of the Cherubims the true ground of the hymn called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the Church for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is but a declaration of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Holy O God Holy O Powerfull Holy O Immortal is but an exposition of this Holy Holy Holy Lord God of Sabaoth and who can say Holy Holy Holy Lord God of Sabaoth and not say also Heaven and earth are full of the majestie of glory and who can confess that heaven and earth are full of Gods majestie and not earnestly desire that his own soul may not be empty of it And indeed this Name of God the Lord of Hosts is able to strike terrour into their hearts who make it their work to terrifie all the world multitudes of armed men who have violence in their mouths to threaten and swords in their hands to act their threats for 't is not their multitudes or their strength can bear them out in their impiety and injustice since there is far greater strength there are far greater multitudes with God then with them even all the hosts of Heaven and earth Let this consideration move me to take that care of my soul which the approach of an army would me to about mine estate that I may take heed above all least I be spiritually plundred for what have I worth the keeping if I have lost my Saviour and how shall I not lose my Saviour if I lose my Religion Let therefore those angry fellows of the children of Dan ransack me as they did Micah Iudg. 18. yet shall they never get any power over my Religion nor shall it ever be said They have taken away my God for I am commanded by my Saviour who best knew the right way of salvation not to fear those hosts which kill the body and are not able to kill the soul but rather to fear him who is Lord of hosts and is able to destroy both body and soul in hell and will certainly so destroy all those hosts that oppose him if they impenitently persist and persevere in their oppositions Let me thus in my greatest frights think more of spiritual then of carnal Terrours and though I may perchance be almost frighted out of my wits yet I shall be sure of this that I shall not be frighted out of my Religion The fifth Name of God is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 quod nos excel sum dicimus saith the same Saint Hierome the most High and this Name is recorded Gen. 14. 18. where it is said that Melchisedeck was the Priest of the most High God and thus let me with the heavenly host say Glory to God in the Highest S. Luke 2. 14. let me always think of his Highness who is no less above heaven then above earth He is in the Highest I am in the lowest in a twofold deep in duplici prosundo inobedientiae miseriae as S. Gregory said of Jonas when he was swallowed up in the whales belly in the depth of disobedience and in the depth of misery and therefore in the depth of misery because in the depth of disobedience Out of these depths have I called unto thee O Lord Lord hear my voice and let thine ear consider well the voice of my complaint that I may be delivered out of the depth pf misery and let not thine eye be too extreme to mark what is done amiss that I may not be confounded in the depth of disobedience so shall I say with great admiration and greater consolation Who is like unto the Lord our God who dwelleth on high who humbleth himself to behold the things that are in heaven and in the earth Psal. 113. 5 6. the higher he dwelleth the lower he humbleth himself to behold me the greater is his condescension the greater is my consolation let me then delight in my devotions as being the only means to bring down my Saviour to raise up my soul. The sixth Name of God is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 QUI EST unfit me I AM hath sent me unto you Exod 3. 14. and again I AM that I AM. This Name of God should make me constant in my Religion zealously to practise it at all times and resolutely to maintain that practise in the worst times for my Master in calling himself I AM forbids me to be a changeling in his service and indeed true Christianity is able to say with Christ Before Abraham was I AM John 8. 58. for the same
appointed by God to limit it though not in regard of laws now what the law doth limit not man but God doth limit Aristot. 3. Pol. 16. doth make the Soveraignty of God and the laws all one in that admirable Axiom of his the foundation of all Politicks or of all good rule in them 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 He that bids reason govern bids God and the laws govern he makes God and the laws but one government but he that lets in a man le ts in a wilde beast we let not in the man upon the laws when he is a King much less when he is a Subject in saying he is powers but we let in God upon the man and therefore call him powers plurally because he is many powers nay powers indefinitely because he is All powers in one person whereas no one subordinate power may be called powers without some limitation or qualification but the Supreme power may be called so absolutely and sine additamento because all powers are originally in him and derivatively from him if not by mans for some have lately questioned that yet sure by Gods law 1 Pet. 2. 13 14. Submit your selves to the King as Supreme unto governours as unto them that are sent by him even as all motions are originally and virtually in the first Mover the power of judging whether it be to make laws or to repeal them the power of punishing offenders against those laws or the power of the law i. e. of peace and the power of the sword i. e. of war are his powers and our Saviour Christ though he openly said My kingdom is not of this world which may shame them that under pretence of Christs kingdom would engross Supremacy to their consistories yet did he at that very time as openly declare what was the power of the Kings of this world saying If my kingdom were of this world then would my servants fight that I should not be delivered to the Jews S. John 18. 36. Then would my servants fight not against me but for me go you that say and practise otherwise and tell the Eternal Truth that he was mistaken and knew not the constitutions of your kingdom while indeed you know not the constitutions of his But withall take heed that then you put not your kingdom out of this world for the words are undeniable and irresistable If my Kingdom were of this world then would my servants sight that I should not be delivered unto the Jews they would fight with their hands and with their hearts when their hands fail them fight with earth by striving against men in battel fight with heaven by striving with God in prayer and much more fight with hell by striving against devils black-mouthed slanderers and back-biters scorning their mammon rather then their King should be delivered to the Jews to his malicious and bloud-thirsty enemies whatever the Subject can lawfully do by his hand or by his head or by his heart to defend the King and bring his enemies to condign punishment that is the Kings power both for himself and against his enemies nor may we seek to pull this power from a King no more then we may seek to pull a King from his throne for if assistance be the servants duty Then would my servants fight that I should not be delivered saith Christ making it their duty so to do 'T is not possible but resistance should be his guilt a dangerous guilt to himself a scandalous guilt to his Religion so saith S. Paul 1 Tim. 6. 1 Let as many servants as are under the yoke count their own masters worthy of honour that the name of God and his doctrine be not blasphemed What an unsufferable impiety doth possess those men who think God may securely be blasphemed by their Oaths but what an unpardonable impudence hath bewitched those who think there is a greater blaspheming of God in an hasty Oath then in a studied Rebellion Those tongues will certainly and deservedly one day want a drop of water to cool them that are now set on fire from hell customarily and impenitently to blaspheme the God of heaven but yet we must say what we cannot but see that God is and may be blasphemed with the hand as well or rather as ill as with the tongue 't is not a yea and a nay in the mouth will keep us from being blasphemers if there be a rebellious sword in our hands the unruly tongue and the unruly hand do both blaspheme our God and this text of S. Paul seems to make the unruly hand the greater blasphemer for that blasphemes not onely the name of God as the tongue doth but also his doctrine That the name of God and his doctrine be not blasphemed Is not our Religion the Doctrine of God and how shall we dare to blaspheme that our selves or give others the cause of blaspheming it 'T is not onely a false but 't is also a blasphemous doctrine to say that a servant may count his own master not worthy of all honour much more to say that a Subject may dishonour and reproach nay disobey and resist his King 't is a doctrine not onely against the Law but also the Gospel 't is against the wholsome words of our Lord Jesus Christ v. 3. and none can preach or approve it but men that are Proud doting upon questions and strifes of words supposing that gain is godliness v. 4 5. and from such we must turn away for 't is easie from their conversation to judge of their condition if that be the conversation of the godly which is there described by the Apostle then are such men in the state of grace and condition of godliness but if it be not then in vain do they come with godliness in their mouthes and with Rebellion which is the greatest ungodliness in their hands and in their hearts so that we may now answer the Preachers question in my Text Who can say unto him What doest thou Even such men as S. Paul here speaks of but no other if they be ashamed of owning the character let them be ashamed of answering the question and to shew to all the world that this is the doctrine of all good Protestants I will set it down at large as Musculus a learned protestant writer hath delivered it upon the Psalms and I will bring my instance as Job doth his interpreter but One of a thousand and that shall be upon the fourth Psalm This Psalm saith Musculus is of the same argument with the former though it appear not by the Title or Inscription was made upon the same occasion viz. King Davids being driven from Jerusalem his royal City and Palace by Absalom and his confederates accordingly first he makes supplication to God for mercy v. 1. then presently falls expostulating with his enemies v 2. O ye sons of men how long will ye blaspheme mine honour and have such pleasure in vanity and seek after leasing He
our unbridled fury and of motives more then enough to make us restrain it that he who hath purchased all this mercy for us hath taught us not to pray for it and therefore not to hope for the blessing of it upon other terms but onely upon this very condition if we practise it Forgive us our trespasses as we forgive them that trespass against us as if he had said make us to forgive as we desire to be forgiven no less then make us desire to be forgiven as we stood in need of forgiveness and this is agreeable with S. Chrysostome's gloss of the words not upon the place but in his 27 Sermon upon Genesis for it was his way of preaching to explain many Texts as he quoted them 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Let us not think that in forgiving others we do a courtesie to them for indeed we do the courtesie onely to our selves who by this means do reap the benefit of that forgiveness which God hath promised and our Saviour Christ hath purchased but without forgiving can have no hopes to be forgiven and this lesson are we taught all along throughout our Saviours whole life and doctrine examine we his doctrine 't is for the greatest part nothing else but so many several instructions and injunctions of mercy I will make but one instance and that in his Sermon upon the mount S. Mat. 5 39. But I say unto you that ye resist not evil and v. 44. But I say unto you Love your enemies bless them that curse you do good to them that hate you and pray for them which despightfully use you and persecute you as if he had said what ever others have said before it matters not if you will be my disciples you must observe and obey what I say unto you and I say unto you that all your labour and zeal must be to overcome one another in goodness and in mercy Again examine we our Saviours whole life we shall finde it nothing else but one continued practise and president of mercy sometimes we find him preaching and praying to cure the souls sometimes working miracles to cure or relieve the body sometimes helping the body sometimes helping the soul but always doing some good either to body or soul so that we can have no truer touchstone to discover and discern gold from dross true Christianity from vain Hypocrisie then is this of shewing mercy nor may we object That many and great injuries have provoked us to wrath and that solicites us to revenge for though it cannot be denied but this last and worst age of the world hath silled our mouths with too many such objections yet our hearts may in no case be full of them but herein also we must imitate our blessed Saviour who though he were the party offended yet came himself to make the atonement and reconciliation and hath left not onely his example but also his blessing behinde him to encourage us to do so to saying Blessed are the peace-makers S. Matth. 5. 9. If thine enemy come first to thee he will get this blessing and thou wilt lose it and if thou lose this blessing how wilt thou keep thy Saviour that pronounced it It is a mere madness in any man to break down that bridge over which himself is to pass the bridge over which we hope to pass in our journey from earth to heaven is mercy he that breaks down this bridge breaks off his own passage into eternal rest Hypocrites may pretend zeal for an occasion of cruelty but true Christians will be sure to follow the example of Christ to be always doing some act of mercy and wheresoever we find massacres and outrages we may safely say there is the pretence but there is not the power of the true Christian Religion that looks after no bloud but the bloud of Christ to contemplate the merit of it with admiration to congratulate the mercy of it with thankfulness that bloud never baths but it likewise supples whether the bloud of a goat will soften the Adamant or no let the naturalist dispute but that the bloud of the immaculate Lamb doth soften the most stony hearts the divine must determine Therefore if the heart be still in its hardness 't is still in its uncleanness for it cannot be cleansed but by the bloud of Christ and that bloud never cleanseth but where it softens 'T is the part of salvages to overcome good with evil but 't is the part of Christians to overcome evil with good Rom. 12. 21. Be not overcome of evil but overcome evil with good every Christian must look for this fight and strive for this victorie the fight is to encounter with evil the victory is to overcome it the fight is against a twofold enemie the one without the malice of the devil and his instruments the other within our own weakness and impatience and the victorie is likewise twofold one is over our enemies for we overcome evil another is over our selves for we overcome evil with good this is the way to be more then conquerours and to get the victory over the greatest Potentates even while they trample us under their feet not by resisting much less returning their outrages but by forgiving them Father forgive them they know not what they do was a voice of our dying Saviour and therefore perchance weak in its noise but sure strong in its power for if it did not shake the foundations of hell to conquer the devils tyrannie yet it did pierce the battlements of heaven to open Gods kingdom insomuch that those thousands which were afterwards converted at two several sermons Acts 2. 14. Acts 4. 4. did ow their conversion more to this one voice then to those very sermons which converted them And as the Head himself declared his Almighty power most chiefly in shewing mercie and pitie so hath he given the same priviledge to his members to conquer more by their mercy then by their power by their praying then by their fighting by their tears then by their swords Saul was the man at whose feet the witnesses laid down their clothes whiles they stoned S. Stephen so that he seems to have had the chiefest hand in that Protomartyrs bloud Omnium lapidantium vestimenta servabat ut omnium manibus lapidaret saith S. Aug. in Psal. 147. He kept the clothes of those that stoned Stephen that he might stone him with all their hands Was there ever a more bloudy persecutour then this Saul that embrued not onely his hands but also his heart with bloud That breathed out threatnings and slaughters against the disciples of the Lord andcunningly acted his threatnings by others hands that he might not put himself out of breath yet even this persecutour is presently after made a convert and the text intimateth in the history no other reason of his conversion but this prayer of S. Stephen immediately before the stones had beaten his soul out of his body Lord lay not