King David's Sanctuary OR A SERMON Preached before His MAJESTY the fourth of Febr 1643. at Christ-Church in OXFORD By RICHARD HARWOOD Master of Arts. Psal 108.10 11 12. Who will bring me into the strong city who will lead me into Euom Wilt not thou O God who hast cast us off and wilt not thou O God go forth with our hosts Give us help from troubles for vaine is the help of man OXFORD Printed for H. Hall and W. Webb 1644. TO THE HIGH AND MOST ILLVSTRIOVS PRINCE CHARLES PRINCE OF WALES DUKE OF CORNEWALL and Earle of CHESTER SIR BEsides the Honour your Highnesse hath done the Truth by casting so early an eye upon Her though in the plainest dresse You have given a Happy Omen to this Nation that the True Religion which is now trampled under foot by Heresy and Schisme hath yet Messem in Herbâ and is Revirescent in your tender yeares As Theodosius the Emperour after the Apostolicall Faith had beene long buried by the Arians Soc. Eccl. hist l. 5 〈◊〉 6. erected a Church in Constantinople and christened it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Resurrection So by your timely Patronage of the Truth You have raised our Hopes into a Confidence that we shall yet see a Resurrection when the Kings Crowne shall rise the Brighter out of these Flames and the Dry bones of Learning and Religion live and stand in Your sight For by commanding this Sermon to the presse Though I must say to Your Highnesse as Tully to Brutus Quamvis Placebam nihil feci quod placeret It being like Martial's Fly of no Worth in it selfe but onely for the Amber and Grace You have cast about it You have already insome part They have made lyes their refuge and under falshood hid themselves Isai 28.15 not onely vindicated the Kings Honour and Your owne Spotlesse Innocency from the Blasphemies of those who have made Lyes a refuge For he that pleaseth to read may here behold the liberty and boldnesse we are still allowed against the Romanists Even in the presence of our King His Posterity and the whole Counsell But also confirmed the Faith of this Kingdome that according to the Vnparallel'd Example of Your Royall Father you will be a Constant Defender of the Protestant Faith you have received from a Religious Education To the glory of God the future Tranquillity of these Kingdomes and your owne Immortall Honour which is the prayer of Your HIGHNESSE Truly devoted but most humble Servant RICHARD HARWOOD King DAVIDS Sanctuary PSAL. 73.25 VVhom have I in Heaven but thee O Lord and there is none upon earth that I desire besides thee AMong the bookes of Canonicall Scripture there is but one stiled the booke of the Preacher not as if our doctrine should all be confin'd to Ecclesiastes Proloq in Ecclesiast but as Gregory Nyssen 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. because it is a choice Tract of Ecclesiasticall policy and no Text more fit for the Preachers study or the Peoples practice then the vanity of the creature the immortality of the creatour For since the soule of man is restlesse unquiet out of its center and the whole world is but a wide circumference since like the needle in the compasse she hath a naturall trembling to the fruition of happinesse and this temporall as Basil truly Basil in Psal 61. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 steales along by it as an impetuous streame rowles by the bankes and who can aime steedily at a moving marke The Prophet here is a true Ecelesiastes if he draw you a right line to the immoveable center and direct the quaking soule to its true pole God himselfe For having coasted the whole world in his thoughts for a resting place with Noahs Dove he returnes again into the Arke with this Olive branch in his mouth Non est Mortale quod opto He findes no sanctuary but in heaven no safe repose but in the Almighty Whom have I in Heaven but thee O Lord and there is none upon Earth that I desire besides thee In this verse King David seemes to be placed as Augustus once fancyed himselfe inter suspiria lachrimas betweene sighes and teares yet he looks cheerefully up to Heaven fetching comfort thence in the full assurance of the divine favour And because 't is musicall I shall once more crave leave to follow the allegory please you to observe The Disposition of the parts And Opposition of the notes in both First The Disposition of the parts and those are Acutum and grave High and Low High in a passionate expostulation Whom have I in Heaven but thee O Lord Low in a deliberate resolution There is none upon Earth that I desire besides thee I. In the expostulation you have 3 notes 1. Quem in coelis Whom in Heaven whilest others lay up their treasures on earth in heaven my exchecquer in heaven my treasury 2. Quem praeter te Whom have I there but thee O Lord God alone is a Christians portion he is truely possessed of nothing but the Deity 3. Quis mihi according to the hebrew 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 who is for me who pleades my cause in heaven not any Saint or Angell but thou O Lord thou art my redeemer thou my advocate which makes the question past all question I have none in heaven but thee O Lord. II. The resolution There is none that I desire on Earth besides thee Et tecum non 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The negation is Personall no man for his favour Reall no creature for its excellency that I desire with thee the treasures of the earth are but guilded poverty the favour of a Prince but a gratious snare without thee give me thy blessed selfe and what can this earth adde to my happinesse that I may in the next live for ever with thee Lord let me never live in the present world without thee For non est in terris there is nothing on earth that I desire but thee Secondly The Opposition or distinction of the notes in both parts For as Synesius in his panegyricall oration 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in their discord is a most sweet harmony The opposition appeares 1. In the order of the places In King Davids thoughts Heaven takes praecedency of the earth Whom have I in Heaven that 's his first care then desire on earth followes after 'T is honour enough for this vile earth to wait upon Heaven 2. In the sense of the Verbes Habeo and Desideravi Habeo in Coelis Have in heaven Desideravi in terris only desire on earth Here we tyre our selves with a restles coveteousnesse wandring through the whole creation but finding no satisfaction yet what we crave on earth we are sure to have in heaven there our desires shall be satisfied with fruition and though some vessells may conteine more then other yet every one shall be full no vacuity no want in any 3. In the diversity of the
the least ray of the Deity Though thou beholdest our King dishonoured our religion martyr'd our fortunes ruined and whatsoever is deare unto us in this world threatned with destruction Nunquid tibi Deum sayes Angustine yet they cannot rob us of our God keepe we our interest in him we have yet a Treasure inexhaustible an Army invincible a Castle impregnable a Treasure an Army a Castle All in our God what would you have if Peace againe he is Deus pacis If more power he is Dominus exercituum Psal 144. v. 10 If Victory It is he that giveth victory to Kings and delivers David his servant from the perill of the sword Peace Power Victory All from our God Aske no more who will shew us any good Psal 4.6 but Lord lift thou up the light of thy countenance upon us For he alone can be all these to us who now begs all these for us our partrimony on earth our patron in heaven which brings mee from Quem praeter te to Quis mihi who pleads for mee not any Saint or Angell but thou O Lord thou art my redeemer thou my advocate Whom but thee 3. Quis mihi why Is the new Hierusalem become desolate what use of many mansions if no inhabitants there Or if inhabited why but thee O Lord Can God be solitary among so many regiments of Cherubims and Seraphims or hath David never a friend in that Army of Martyrs to usher his prayers to the Allmighties care were the Court of heaven like a Kings on earth Exam. decret concil Tridentini part 3. loc de Invoc Sanct. 13. many might conclude as the man in Chemnitius hearing a Bishop on this subject Tunc simplicitér actum conclamatum nobiscum or at least despaire of a gratious answer that have no friende at Court But the Almighties care is not confined to a privy chamber he that would speake with God needs not bribe any Saint or Angell to be his Sollicitour a creature so base and servile on earth that the heavens scorne the use of him the finitude of the Kings presence requires an officer of state to state our requests to His Majesty but the ubiquity of God needs not the flattery of a creatures mediation His eare is omnipresent as his essence Itur ad reges per tribunos a tribune or Lord must open the doore for a petition to the King Ambros in Rom. 6.1 ad Deum suffragatore non opus est sed mente devotâ To speake with God we need no other Key but a devout heart this unlocks the heavens and presents the suite to the Kings owne hands Indeed mediation supposes a quarrell for 't is scarce sense to say I will reconcile friends had God and man never fallen our there had beene no use of a Mediator but now we all bend our knees to an offended justice and might despaire of mercy for ever unlesse as Themistocles once to the King of Molossy we present our requests under the protection of the Kings onely sonne Plut. Mor. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the most prevalent kind of supplication If Manoah offer sacrifice Exod. 25. v. 16 Gen. 27. v. 27 Judg. 13.20 this Angell must open heaven for it If Moses ascend to God he must be covered with this cloud If Jacob would obtaine the blessing He must enter in the garments of this elder brother Eph. 3. v. 12 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by him alone our persons have admission into the royall presence of the Allmighty But Quis praeter te is no antheme for the Popes quire who allowes as many mediatours as he hath Canonized Saints Though he fill his Calendar from Tyburne Masters of requests he will have for all necessities Saint Geogre for the field and to open the roule no farther Saint Gregory for the Schooles Yea as great a turne of State or if you will reformation you have in heaven as we now feare on earth Christ is put out of his office and Saint Francis stept into the mediatour-ship the Church of Rome being therein as bold with the King of heaven Anselm I 'de excellentia Virg. Bonavint in Spec. c. 8. Mendoz in 1. lib. Reg. c. 4. n. 11. An. 12. Sect. 1. as some are with our King on earth not onely to counterfeit the Great Seale in the Sacraments but to deny him the choice of his owne officers Nay they have given away halfe the Kingdome that of Mercy to the Virgin Mary so free are they of the divine prerogative allowing God himselfe but the dreadfull tribunall of Justice of purpose to draw all suiters to her Court Ambr. in 1. cap. ad Rom. Aug. l. 8. de civile Dei prolixe A Platonicke superstition that hath too many gray haires upon it to survive to this age of the Gospell for either the Jesuite doth Platonize or Plato did Jesuitize when he first sent abroad his Deos intermedios A sacrilegious religion to rob the very Deity they worship of his honor An impious piety ot degrade our high Preist of that honourable title he hath purchased with his bloud How doe they defloure the memory of the blessed Virgin whilest they force her loyall Spirit into the Throne of God there to dispense those Acts of grace which are in the sole power of the King of Kings 't were too ridiculous to heare Francisco del campo at his thanksgiving that he swam over a river with his armes a Sculler that never before tryed the waters yet made very nimble and kept to the true stroke by the helpe of our Lady When though necessity hath wrought greater miracles a spaniell shall doe more without imploring the Virgins ay de A Pure Virgin she is still for any violence the Church of England ever offered her which hath alwayes given her Due honour but not Adoration 1. Tim. 2. 5◠Habemus legem We have a Salicke law in Scripture that will not allow of any Queene Regent in heaven Christ called her Woman who was his mother that we might not esteeme her a Goddesse who was but a Woman She may desire our salvation but cannot bestow it Wish us well in heaven yet not know much lesse releive our wants on earth Ignorance of our misery is some part of the Saints happinesse As Saint Hierome reads the Epitaph on Nepotians tombe Foelix Nepotianus qui nec videt nec audit haec omnia happy Nepotian who neither seeth nor heareth the sinfull affaires of this world But their own Schoolemen have fancied the Deity Abulensir Durandus Cajetan All transparent and as the bright Opall presents to the eye the various colours of all precious stones so the Saints have a cleare sight of all affaires in the world if they cast but a looke on the divine essence Indeed the whole world is resplendent in the Deity yet by no meanes do we make it a looking-glasse for the Saints curiosity For either their vision is unlimited and
patronage of it Heaven you see layes clay me to your first thoughts and at this time 't were the highest sacriledge to bestow them on your private interests What we intend is first not what we pretend but if we make it a pious glosse for our worldly designes wee seeke not heaven but our selves God hath placed it in nature beyond all things that we might place nothing beyond it in our affections Make it we the prologue of our actions and God will make it the Epilogue of our lives the end of this life is life without end here we have it only in expectation but in heaven the full fruition Which presents unto you the next particular the Different sense of the Verbes Habeo and Desideravi Have in heaven only Desire on earth This life is a Christians minority 2. The sense of theverbes He is truely possessed of nothing himselfe but is a ward to the Almighty he never enters upon his Inheritance till he comes to heaven there he hath livery and seisin given him from the hand of God himselfe Come ye blessed of my father Mat. 25. v. 34 Alex. in Strom. receive the Kingdome c. Clemens Alexandrinus calls him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 one that lives in the confines of heaven whilst he is in this world he wants but the courteous hand of Death to put him into possession Here the law flatters us with firme conveihances and perpesuities but there is no freehold of any thing here below our surest tenure is in Heaven We contend for the Property of the Subject when nothing on earth can be the Subject of true Property For the Lawyer is mistaken that saith the Clergy man onely is borne to no inheritance when the noblest birth brings forth but a great heire of nothing For how can I truly call him possessour of that which in it selfe hath not the truth of a possession or if it hath the longest here is but the short lease of a mans life when death comes he cuts off the entayle of the fairest hopes your Crownes and Soveraignes you must lay down at the pits brinke your Lordships and manours must be contracted within the narrow compasse of a Grave that 's all the Land you can carry with you As we reade of Abraham All the Heritage he purchased for his posterity was but the Cave of Machpelah a burying place Never let the Dreame of any lasting possession here enter into your breasts If you would be freeholders indeed you must lay up your treasure in heaven there an Inheritance incorruptible undefiled that fades not away is reserved for us 1. Pet. 1 v. 4. An inheritance so large that foure pradicaments can scarce hold it For Substance Incorruptible for Quality Undefiled Immarciscible for Duration and Coelestiall for Site yet 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 'T is All reserved for us in surer hands then Orphans estates here on earth which are too often a prey to anothers avarice this is safe in Gods owne keeping till we shall lay downe our non age and lives together And what doe we meane to spend our precious soules on these perishing treasures A Kingdome prepared for Us and we not yet prepared for the Kingdome doe you not heare the world call upon you upbraiding as it were your mistaken confidence in it For what are all these Warres and Tumults but the worlds out-cry to us what are those Defects and Imperfections in the creature but their Broken Language whereby they doe beseech us to depart from them and seeke after our Aeternall patrimony in the Creator For we love not God at all if he hath not All our love Neither Cum nor Praeter must devide it that 's the particular the Diversity of the Praepositions Nothing with nothing besides thee that I desire The originall admits of no variety 3. The Diversity of the praepositions 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is but once in the verse but the accent Revia as Chimki observes distinguishing both parts makes it tuneable in both Yet behold the modesty of Scripture which rather understands the same word then suffers a Tautology much unlike some audacious devotion that hath many petitions in it but not diverse Not to stay though at the grammar of the text To love the creature for the creature is Epicurisme To love the Creator for the creature is Mercenary To love the Creator with the creature is spitituall adultery but to love the Creator for the creator is true charity Uno oculorum said Christ of his Church Thou hast wounded my heart with One of thine eyes True love hath but a single eye Cant. 4.9 or if more the Naturalist sayes there is such a motion of consent betweene them that one will not suffer the other to be disloyall but are both fixed upon one object Cypr. A lascivious glaunce upon the creature had made the Spouse Adulter a Christo In the Schooles Aquinas Daven in ◠col Principale obiectum God is the principall object of humane charity the creatures deserve not our love but in ordine ad illum as we espy some darke lineaments of the Diety in them Indeed we may use the creatures as so many rounds in Iacobs ladder whereby we climbe up to God himselfe and therefore Richardus Victorinus Integer amator Dei L. De gradibus charit quocunque se vertit a perfect lover of God cannot turne about his eye but he sees every creature ready to catechize his love in the meanest created object he calls to minde that increated charity so farre we love the creatures that we may love the Creator the more Fruimur Deo utimur aliis we doe but make use of them to enjoy God Qui diligunt Deum propter aliud Simoniacè diligunt sayes Gerson wittily he that loves God for any thing but himselfe commits Simony in his love Gerson centilogio dec 4. 'T is not the Clergy mans sinne onely though our Country Patrons force us too often to aske the price of our owne patrimony but there is a Lay Simony too when you love God no longer then you can get by him like those people that worshipped Nilus only so long as his rich inundations filled their barnes with corne 'T was Saint Austines argument to such men and may it prevaile with us Ser. 46. de tempore Si dulcis est mundus dulcior est Christus If there be such sweetnesse in the creature which is but a drop as to allure thy desires shall not the transcendent delight in the Creator who is the fountaine command thy affection Could I present the King in the Text with all the delights and treasures in the world nay could I fetch you backe that Beloved peace that is fled from us Nibil dulcescit nisi hoc uno condiatur We should finde no sweetnesse in it unlesse it were seasoned with the Deity Had we kept our God with our former peace we had not beene to seeke it now Were every souldier in our armies multiplyed into a thousand Chrys in Psal 7. v. 3 every Garrison environed with a wall of brasse and Castle of Diamond Nay 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 were the whole world on the march for us against the enemy it were an inconsiderable force unlesse God himselfe lead up the Van◠And why should we neglect him any longer without whom are conquered even when we are conquerours Whilest we thinke of recruiting our Armies let us not forget to reruite our affiance in God The Eclipses we have suffered are but the Interpositions of our own carnall confidence The losses we have undergone are but the corrections of our mistrust Take it from the mouth of a King though in a more desperate condition then We God be blessed have ever yet seene yet Jehosaphat in as great a streight as ever Prince was stood up and said O Judah and ye inhabitants of Hierusalem beleeve in the Lord your God so shall ye be established beleeve his Prophets 2. Chron. 20. v. 20. so shall ye yet prosper O our God though we know not what to doe yet our eyes looke up unto thee Let not this Kingdome we beseech thee be made an Aceldama We have beene thy Eden O make us not now a desolate wildernesse but be favourable to Sion build up the walls of Hierusalem For whom have we in Heaven but thee O Lord and there is none upon earth that we desire but thee To whom be ascribed of Us Men on earth and Angells above All glory honour power and thanksgiving world without end Amen FINIS
Magnum mirabile sub tanta majestace When I consider the eternall joyes of that place how heartlesse and dying are the best of earthly pleasures T is a very Turkish heaven that is composed of nothing but your temporall delights Aug. a Christians is above made of pure everlasting blisse But Saint Hierom's Ghost strikes me dumbe in this point who departing in Bethlehem hasted to Hippo where Augustine was Bishop and then studying the joyes of heaven and interrupted his meditations with this question Quid quaeris brevi immittere vasculo totum mare Why doest thou endeavour to contract the Ocean in a thimble or to draw eternity within the narrow limits of time The fading honour of this world 'T is but a popular breath the butt of envy or what is worse too often the stage of treason and revenge in heaven 't is in triumph above the reach of malice or oblivion The Dying life we live here 't is a lampe that must out a shadow that will vanish a grasse that shall wither in heaven 't is lengthened into eternity beyond the threats of mortality or corruption The sinfull company we enjoy in this life 'T is a mixture of virtue and vice gold and drosse wheat and tares in heaven the society of Saints and Angells yea the beatificall vision of God himselfe O King of glory 't is the revelation of thy royall presence that makes heaven to be it selfe as we use to say Ubi imperator ibi Roma Where the King is there is London his presence creates a metropolis of any place which leades your attentions from Quem in coelis to Quem praeter te The second note in the song Whom have I in heaven but thee O Lord thou my portion thou my riches Divitiae parentes sunt absurditatis sayes a Father 2 Quem prater te worldly happinesse is the parent of absurdity for what more incongruous then to forsake the glory of the creatour for the vanity of the creature This were 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in Synesius opinion In epist ad Pylens Plin. l. 12. nat hist to exchange gold for brasse or with those people in Pliny tributum pro umbra to pay tribute for a shadow Alas we creatures need not one another so long long as we are possessed of thee O Lord. Ambros Cui portio Deus est totius possessor est naturae He is Lord of the whole universe that is but possessed of God himselfe And how unsatiable art thou O man whom God cannot satisfye What doth thy religious avarice determine thy desires to name it what thou wilt thinke what thou canst nay thinke once a miracle what thou canst not thinke yet this shalt thou finde in the al-sufficient God Arist in Morral 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 saies Aristotle by the light of nature the Deity is in all things and all things in it 'T was Saint Cyprians wonder Deum solis nobis that God esteemes us enough for him nobis non sufficere Deum and yet we thinke not God a sufficient boone for us Quid avarius co cui Deus non sufficit cui insunt omnia What so coveteous as he that is not satisfyed with God who is a monopoly of all things 'T is the ambition of every man's coverteousnesse to reach after the greatest and most lasting fortune he can but can your desires compasse a larger inheritance then Immensity can your Lawyer draw you a firmer conveyance or give you a surer tenure then Immutability can you take a lease for a longer tearme of yeares then Aeternity Let Saint Augustine speake Quantum libet sis avarus sufficit tibi Deus be as coveteous as thou can'st yet God is enough for thee He is an immense immutable aeternall inheritance Avaritia terram quaerit adde coelum Avarice carries thy desires uppon the earth but to make thy fortune compleat adde heaven to thy desire Nay wouldst thou have this world and the next too Plus est qui fecit coelum et terram He that made heaven and earth is more then both Who so rich as he whose maker is his Wealth Who so fortunate as he that enjoyes him who enjoyes all things Aug. manuale c. 34. Qui hoc bono fruitur quid illi erit im ò quid non erit he that possesseth this good what will it be nay what will it not be unto him I have here discovered a Mine opened a Treasure to you and certainely in these times of publique necessity it cannot be an unwelcome message Ambros Ser. 8. in Psal 118. In te Deo est ampla possessio In God alone is the most ample possession as the greatest abundance without him is extreame poverty so the most extreame poverty with him is the greatest abundance Omnis mihi copia quae Deus meus non est egestas est sayes Bernard all my wealth which is not my God is downe right penury Dominus pars haereditatis the Lord is the part of my inheritance David esteemes not that an inheritance whereof God is not a part Ps 16. v. 5 Menath 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Principall part Heaven it selfe being but a poore fortune without him The Romans were wont to say 't was good looking in a Map ubi nihil alienum videmus if all they beheld in it were their owne I have here drawne you to a Map wherein were there as many Worlds as Epicurus dream't of All 's yours if you make but God your owne O let us advance our thoughts from the creature to the creatour the mine is in heaven 1 Sam. 1.1 the treasure above every Christian should be an Elcanah that is by interpretation a possessour of God else he is no Christian but an Atheist My coveteous heart why doest thou vex thy selfe with restlesse thoughts for this world let them looke after earth that have no right to heaven God is a Christians patrimony and what penury of gold when thou hast the mine What want of water at the spring head can he complaine the lacke of any thing that is possessed of the Lord of all things a bottomlesse coveteousnesse which the Author of all things cannot content My ambitious spirit why doest thou breath after greatnesse and honour If God be not in thy preferments thou art advanced but upon a pinnacle which gives an advantage to thy more ruinous downefall All true honour is derived from heaven there are a Joh. 14.2 many mansions places of honour A b 1. Pet. 5.4 Crowne of glory the ornament of c Revela 7.11 Saints and Angels attendants of honour d Mat. 24.35 Rom. 2. Bene speremus de eo in quo aliquid Des cernimus Calvin A Kingdome the support of honour A Luciferian ambition that is not satisfyed with the glory honour and immortality above But once more My despairing anxious soule why art thou cast downe why disquieted within me Let not thy hope sinke so long as thou seest
penetrating unto all things or else restrained to Gods pleasure as he shall open or shut the vaile to them If unlimited then the knowledge of a Saint must be as infinite as the divine not a mystery of State not a record written in that great diary of the world the Mind of God from the beginning but must be published to the creatures view All there must be of Gods Cabinet counsell and nothing kept secret in that Kingdome Things past present and future the very thoughts of our hearts the knowledge wherof hath ever yet been Gods peculiar Yea that Arcanum Dei the day of indgement which our Saviour protests no man knowes not the Angells in heaven no not the Sonne of man Every Saint would behold in this Chrystall If their knowledge be confined to his will as he shall please to draw the curteine aside more or lesse to them since the Scripture assures mee not that God hath or will discover my necessities how absurdly must I fall upon my knees to beseech God to reveale that to my Saint which I first prayed my Saint to reveale to God This were to mediate for my Mediatour as Saint Augustine once scoffed at Aplló Libâ—â— decir Dei Interpres Deorum eget interprete the interpreter of the Gods must speake by an interpreter himselfe May we not then be so unwise as to goe from the living fountaine to the broken cisternes for the water of life from the bright sunne to the languid beames for the light of knowledge from our powerfull King to the impotent Subjects for the Crowne of glory We acknowledge no Mediatour but our Redeemer He is not worthy the name of an Intercessour that hath not his garments dyed in bloud Christ alone is the Center where God and man must if ever meere friends and why should we range about the circumference Chemnit exam concil Tâ—id de invoc Sanctor Sarcerius relates how that George Duke of Saxony lying upon his death-bed and the Monks striving who should commend the most propitious Saint to his devotion one of his Nobles told him In publicis negotiis In matters of State your highnesse alwayes used this Proverbe Rect a sine ambagibus progredi Viam esse maximé compendiariam to proceed without deviations was the most compendious method And in a businesse of so high concernement as your eternall felicity will you fetch a compasse to it and not rather goe directly to Christ in whose power are the keyes of life and death can you thinke that he who breathed out his soule on the crosse for us will spare any breath to plead our cause in heaven that he who poured out his precious heart bloud for our redemption will not also poure out hearty prayers for salvation Never doubt of your cause so long as you have such an Advocate a Iesus in heaven With what boldnes may we addresse our selves to the throne of grace when he that is sued unto is easy to be intreated Pater non Judex a Father not a Judge he that petitions for us is gracious to prevaile Filius non peregrinus an onely Sonne not a Stranger Et quando pater a filio Deus avertetur a Christo how can a father deny his sonne Prosper God his Christ when he shall supplicate with strong cryes and teares Heb. 5 7. When all the Saints in heaven shall sit with cheerefull and dry eyes and he alone shew the frailty of a man to move compassion for us Nay when he shall come before him Heb. 12. v. 24 with that Rhetoricall bloud of sprinkling that speakes better things then the bloud of Abell when the wounds he received on earth shall becoÌ„e oratours for us in heaven Quot vulnera tot ora each wound being a mouth to beg mercy for us Saint Ambrose can hold no longer but cryes out O Domine Jesu Amb l. de interpell 4. c. 12. tu portio mea c. O Lord Jesus thou art my portion a bounding to mee in all things whom because I have in heaven I desire nothing else on earth which brings mee from the Expostulation to the pious Resolution the second part of the song There is none upon earth that I desire besides thee Lo chaphasti 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 None that I desire love trust or delight in All in tha word and because Vnisons all I shall tune them together The procession of the creatures from the Creatour is like a ray shot from the body of the Sun 3. The Resolution which is weakned and spent by extension and hath no way to recover it strength or vigour but by reflexion on the point that first sent it forth even God himselfe In Plato our desires are styled Vela animi the sayles of the minde because in this life the soule is tossed in an unconstant motion she hath no security till she hoist sayle for heaven no haven of peace but in the Deity 'T is a Rabbinicall observation that all the letters in Gods name Ichovah are quiescent preaching unto us that Quies animae Drus. q. heb the soules rest is in God alone For in God there is such a confluence of goodnesse such a quintessence of perfection that the soule of man cannot desire with what it may not be satisfied from the bountie of his fulnesse As Origen said of the Israelites Manna that it answered every mans tast even the most curious courtlike palate so there are such infinite delicacies in the deitie that there cannot rise án appetite in the longing soule that may not be satiated with his plenty Philosophie rankes our desires into those of the Vnderstanding after truth of the Will after virtue and of the Affections after felicitie Now to all these God is a full satisfaction to the intellectuall with his infinite wisdome to the voluntarie with his transcendent goodnesse to the affective with his eternall glory and if the senses can desire Origen saith he is singul a Canâ— â—â— 30 singulis a most pleasing object to every sense Beauty for the eye musick for the eare b Joh. 6.48.53 bread for life for the tast c Cant 1. v. 2 a perfume to delight the smell and d Joh. 20.24 Hom 1. in cant flesh for the incredulous touch but why doe we looke on these objects at the wrong end of the glasse what we call beauty is indeed deity musick felicitie life eternitie sweetnesse perfection perfection essence essence what shall I say Honours riches peace I am too short yet All things how should this enflame our love to God who like another Proteus as I may say converts himselfe into all formes and natures to please the covetous heart of man He that seeks contentment in any created good layes a foundation in the moving ayre for when the figure of the great Empires were represented to Zachary in a vision Zechar. 6. V. 5 the Angel told him isti sunt quatuor venti those are but