for thy word saying When wilt thou comfort me XVI The comfort to them all is this that their affliction which to them is too too long is but a moment not onely in respect of God y 2. Pet. 3.8 with whom one day is as a thousand yeares and a thousand yeeres as one day but also in regard of the eternity of unspeakeable glory wherewith it shall be swallowed up a Rom 8.18 For I reckon saith the Apostle that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to bee compared with the glory which shall bee revealed in us Glory which these sufferings worke in us b 2. Cor. 4.17 For our light affliction which is but for a moment worketh for us a farre more exceeding and eternall weight of glory even so farre as it subdueth our pride mortifieth our lusts and is the Lords high way unto our eternall blisse Whereunto if yee adde the promise of deliverance even in this life nothing shall be wanting to our full comfort XVII What then shall we doe till the Lord come and deliver us what but waite upon the Lords pleasure The lewes knew by revelation from God the time of their bondage in Egypt and captivitie in Babylon which being come to an end they said confidently to God c Psal 102.13 Thou shalt arise and have mercy upon Sion for the time to favour her yea the set time is come We have no such revelation and therefore we must bee content to relye upon Gods generall promise and say with David d Psal 130.5 I waite for the LORD my soule doth waite and in his word doe I hope assured that howsoever it seeme that heaven and earth conspire against us and that wee are brought to the pinch he shall put a new song in our mouthes and give us a most plentifull subject to sing as David did e Psal 40.1 In waiting I waited for the LORD and he inclined unto me and heard my cry f Heb. 10.23 For hee is faithfull that promised And g Luk. 1.37 with him no word is impossible The Lord in his great mercies give us this patient hope and assurance for Christ Iesus his deare sons sake who with him and the holy Ghost liveth and raigneth God blessed for evermore Amen SERM. IX Of Gods Iudgements upon Persecuters and of the last deliverance of the Church ESAIAH XXVI 21. For behold the LORD commeth out of his place to visite the inhabitants of the earth for their iniquity the earth also shall disclose her blood and shall no more cover her slaine 1. THe last motive to patience is taken from the Iudgements of God 2. The Lord is said to come when he iudgeth 3. He is said to come out of his place when his iudgements and mercies are made conspicuous 4. He visiteth the inhabitants of the earth eyther in iudgement or in mercy 5. Wicked men are called the inhabitants of the earth for godly men are strangers here 6. God will visite the inhabitants of the earth for their iniquity which they thinke to bee good service to God 7. God will be avenged of those which shed the blood of his deare ones 8. Because he is righteous and faithfull 9. Great iudgements on persecuters 10. Namely on great men under the law 11. And principally on those who have persecuted the Christian Church 12. Prosperity in this world is a token of Gods indignation rather than of his love 13. The torments of hell prepared for wicked men 14. Their conscience tells them there is a hell 15. Hell is a place penall in its owne selfe 16. There is there paine of dammage most unsufferable 17. As likewise unconceiveable paine of sense 18. Which is universall 19. And everlasting 20. Persecuters above all others shall be tortured there with most exquisite torments 21. Great shall be in that day the glory of Gods Saints and terrible to their Persecuters 22. Great difference betweene the life and the end of wicked and of godly men 23. The Church cannot be destroyed 24. Exhortation and consolation 1. AS the words of this text are from God the last so should they bee in your hearts a most powerfull motive to a patient tarrying for the blessed time which the wisedome of the Lord hath appointed for the glorious and finall reliefe of his Church from all misery Ye may call the text DAN i e. Iudgement for it threatneth with no small mischiefe all bloody and cruell persecuters and by their overthrow promiseth deliverance to them which are persecuted The time of the one and of the other is not a time of many yeares moneths weekes dayes The afflictions of the Church shall be gone in a moment as ye have heard In a moment also shall come the destruction of those that persecute her who in their greatest prosperity are a Minut. Felix ut victima ad supplicium saginantur ut hostia ad poenam corâ—nantur like beasts fatted b Zeph. 1.8 and crowned with garlands for the day of the Lords sacrifice wherein saith the Lord I will punish the Princes and the Kings children and all such as are clothed with strange apparell II. For behold the Lord commeth O open the eyes of your minde ô bid your faith rise from her sleepe to behold in the immutable truth of the Lords threats in the inevitable power of his iustice in the innumerable iudgements which he hath already dispatched against wicked oppressors in his more than motherly love to his deare ones his promptnesse and readinesse to deliver his Church by the overthrow of all her enemies Hee he himselfe he who is the Lord will destroy them Neither shall they be able to shield themselves against the Lord He will not tarry he will not delay his comming Behold be commeth he is already on his iourney III. From whence commeth he Out of his place O Lord Art thou so in one place that thou art not at the same time in all places O infinite Maiestie c August ad Volusian Epist 3. Novit ubique totus esse nullo contmeri loco Novit venire non recedendo ubi erat Novit abire non desereÌ„do quo venerat Miratur hoc mens humaena quia non capit fortasse non credit thou canst be every where at one time and yet thou art do where Thou fillest with thy presence every place and loe thou art not contained in any place Thou canst come and not goe from the place where thou wast Thou canst depart and not leave the place whereunto thou didst come Our soules wonder at this but because of their narrownesse they cannot comprehend it O Lord grant that we may beleeve it And tell us how thou who hast the heaven for d Esa 66.1 thy throne and the earth for thy footstoole thou who sayest of thy selfe Doe I not fill the heaven and the earth O most wonderfull God teach us how thou commest and goest Dost thou not speake so not of
THE RIGHTEOVS MANS EVILS AND THE LORDS DELIVERANCES By GILBERT PRIMEROSE Minister of the French Church of London PSAL. 129.2 Many a time have they afflicted me from my youth yet they have not prevayled against mee LONDON Printed by H. L. for Nathanael Newberry and are to be sold at the signe of the Starre in Popes-head Alley Anno 1625. TO THE RIGHT NOBLE RIGHT HONOVRABLE AND RIGHT RELIgious Lord IAMES MARQVESS of HAMMILTON Earle of Arran and Cambridge Knight of the most noble Order of the Garter Counsellor of the Kings most honourable privie Councell in both Realmes of England and Scotland Lord Great Steward of his Majesties houshold c. RIGHT HONOVRABLE WHat reading of holy Scripture and of Ecclesiasticall stories what experience hath taught mee of the Righteous mans Evils and the Lords deliverances that I preached to my Church at London in nine Sermons which in this booke I have dedicated to your Honour as an acknowledgement of the heroicall and Christian vertues which shine in your most Noble and Honourable person and as an homage due to them not as having any worthinesse and excellencie from their author whereby he should presume to offer them to such a Lord in whom all things excell in worth and shine in a most eminent degree of excellencie In Empires Kingdomes States Cities Families wee read and see the truth of the Oracle which said to ATTALVS King of Bithinia THOU AND THY SON NOT THE SONS OF THY SON His Maiestie who now holdeth the raines of this peaceable and flourishing kingdome is the onely King knowne in the world by stories who can reckon neere two thousand yeeres since his roiall Ancestors of whom he is lincally descended wore Crownes and Scepters In France they thinke it much if a man can prove his Nobilitie by foure Descents Since three hundred and odde yeeres that SIR GILBERT HAMMILTON came from England to Scotland was there advanced to all titles and degrees of honours of dignities of greatnesse among the most noble and honourable of the Realme by the HEROS of those dayes and King without peere ROBERT BRVCE who had knowne in England the antiquitie of his noble house and of all men then living could best iudge of his courage martiall actes and deserts and being preferred there to the mariage of the onely Daughter to my Lord Earle of Murray the Kings Nephew by his Princely Sister became the Stocke of the illustrious Race of the HAMMILTONS in Scotland whereof your Honour is the golden head how many Descents how many generations may be reckoned The fables tell of BELLEROPHON how after he had done many feates of armes not so much by his owne wisdome and strength as by the helpe of his winged Horse called PEGASVS he waxed proud and attempting with the same wings to mount up to heaven was flung to the earth and brake his leg whereby they teach us in a mysticall sense that many after they have beene borne upon the wings of their Princes favour and thereby have done good services conceive too ambitious and proud hopes and as if favour were desert aspiring to ascend into heaven to exalt their Throne above the rest of the starres and to be like unto their Maker are cut downe to the ground in an instant where all their pompe is laid in a grave of shame and dishonour as the Scripture speaketh of the King of Babylon under the name of LVCIFER In all the ancient stories hardly shall we finde any great man whose predecessors or himselfe have not beene stained with the blot of rebellion against their Soveraignes or of some negligence of their dutie towards them But your Honours forefathers had ever their affections so addicted to our Kings that King IAMES the third with the consent of the States and applause of the whole Realme thought them worthy to be rewarded with the mariage of his onely and deare Sister whom he gave in wedlocke to IAMES Lord Hammilton of whom your Lordship is come by many lineall successions This proximitie of blood to our Kings hath ever beene to your Ancesters and to your owne selfe a most attractive Adamant drawing and tying inseparably your hearts desires wills affections duties and services to their will and desires in all innocencie and uprightnesse according to Gods commandement the practice whereof is the stay of the State and the maintainer of peace in the Church and Common-weale FEARE GOD AND THE KING AND MEDDLE NOT WITH FACTIOVS MEN. So that this may be the Poesie of the Cognizance of your Honours most ancient and honourable Family FIDEET OBSEQVIO Of this fidelitie of these long profitable and acceptable services to our Kings continued in your Lordships familie from generation to generation and most effectually confirmed by your owne generous wise and good cariage in the Court and in the State the Kings Maiestie is a most glorious witnesse and a most magnificent rewarder For that affection which his Maiestie sheweth to your Honour those Dignities wherewith hee hath honoured you namely this last of LORD STEWARD of his royall House what are they but publike testimonies of the continuation of your good faithfull and well liked services to his Maiesties Royall person to our most excellent and hopefull Prince his Royall and onely Sonne and to the states of both kingdomes In the Court you are to his Maiestie that which IOSEPH was to PHARAO King of Egypt OBADIAH to ACHAB King of Israel MORDECAI to AHASVERVS King of Persia and ELIAKIM to whom God gave the key of the house of DAVID to the good King EZECHIAH and most like unto THEODORVS in the Court of VALENS Emperour of the Orient who being come of a most ancient and noble stocke and well brought up from the Cradle was not inferiour to any of the Imperiall Court in modestie wisedome erudition and good carriage ever seemed better than the charges and places whereunto he was advanced and was the onely man whose tongue was never licentiously unbridled never spake without consideration and foresight yea was never shut through feare of danger or hope of preferment and therefore was equally loved of great and small as your Lp. for the same vertues is much respected and loved of all states and degrees in both nations For by Gods speciall and rare blessing you carry your selfe in all your demeanour at Court and abroad so wisely that I may boldly affirme that to none if not to you doth belong that rare and wonderfull praise which Cicero giveth to BRVTVS and Marcellin to PRETEXTATVS saying that they did no thing to please yet whatsoever they did pleased and that other which all men gave to ANTHEMIVS Governour to the religious Emperour ARCADIVS HE SEEMED TO BE WISE AND SO HE WAS. The Royall Prophet David saith most truly in the twelfth Psalme that wicked men walke on every side when rascals are exalted among the sonnes of men Then DAVID fleeth and DOEG triumpheth But innocencie is protected oppression is repressed the states flourish
adde the crimination of rebellion against the higher powers of sedition against the State of contriving of plots against their native soyle that the Kings and Princes of the earth thinking their States to be much interessed by the doctrine of godlinesse may be moved to joine hands for the extirpation thereof To that purpose Satan had never want of Doegs So Ahimelech the high Priest was accused to have conspired with David against Saul their King because f 1. Sam. 21.10 13. Ahimelech in his innocencie had given victuals and the sword of Goliah to David and had enquired of the Lord for him So Ahab imputed to the Prophet Eliah that g 1. King 18.17 he troubled Israel so he confessed that h 1. King 22.8 hee hated the Prophet Micaiah because he did not prophesie good concerning him but evill So Amazia the Priest of Bethel sent to Ieroboam king of Israel saying i Amos 7.10 13. Amos hath conspired against thee in the midst of the house of Israel the land is not able to beare all his words because Amos prophesied against the Idolatry of the ten tribes and that in Bethel which was the Kings Sanctuary and the Kings Court So Sanballat did write calumniously of Nehemiah that k Nehem. 6.6 7. hee and the Iewes thought to rebell that hee might be King and that he had appointed Prophets to preach of him at Ierusalem that he was King in Iudah So the adversaries of Iudah and Benjamin to hinder the building of Ierusalem writ to Artaxerxes l Ezr. 4.12 13 15. Be it knowne unto thee ô King that if this rebellious and bad citie be builded and the walls set up againe then will they not pay toll tribute and custome for this city is a rebellious citie and hurtful unto Kings and Provinces and they have moved sedition within the same of old time for which cause was this City destroyed c. This was Hamans common place against the Iewes m Est 3.8 They keepe not the Kings lawes therefore it is not for the Kings profite to suffer them Because n Ier. 37.17 Ieremiah warned the people of Ierusalem to yeeld to the King of Babylon according to the oath of fidelitie which they had made unto him hee was deemed to be a traytor who had falne away to the Caldeans Because Shadrach Meshach and Abednego would not worship the golden Image which the King had set up their enemies went presently to the King and said o Dan. 3.12 O King they have not regarded thee So the Presidents Princes of Persia finding no occasion against Daniel concerning his carriage in the Kings affaires charged him with contempt of the King saying p Dan. 6.13 Hee regardeth not thee ô King nor the decree that thou hast signed but maketh his petition three times a day The Iewes dreading that Pilate would not be much moved with all the accusations which they should set on foot against Christ for matters of Religion shuffled the second table with the first rebellion against Casar with blasphemie against God and said unto him q Luk. 23.2 Wee found this fellow perverting the nation and forbidding to give tribute to Caesar saying that he himselfe is Christ a king And again r Ioh. 19.12 If thou let this man goe thou art not Caesars friend whosoever maketh himselfe a King speaketh against Caesar They held the same course against Christs Disciples for seeking the meanes to wrap them in rebellion The Rulers ſ Act. 4.18 commanded them not to speake at all nor teach in the Name of Iesus whereunto refusing to obey they t Act. 5.28 40. were arraigned before the Councell and condemned to bee beaten for their rebellion The Iewes of Thessalonica set all the citie on an uprore against Paul and Silas slandering them all the Christians of the town that v Act. 17.7 they all did contrary to the decrees of Caesar saying that there is another King one Iesus After that the tyrant x Tacit. Annal lib. 15. Nero had at diverse times set the towne of Rome on fire to please his wicked humour withall and purchased by such execrable acts the ill-will of the whole people he shifted them off himselfe and suborned false witnesses to lay them upon the Christians At that time and long after the y Tertull Apologet c. 40. Cyprian ad Demot Arnob. advers Gentes lib. 1. Aug. de Civ Dei li. 2. c. 3. Christians were accused to be the cause of all publick calamities and popular incommodities If at Rome the river Tibris running over his bankes overflowed the walls If in Egypt the river Nilus did not rise to a just height that overflowing the whole countrey it might make it fertile If the heavens were turned into brasse and refused to distill their dew upon the drie and dustie ground If the earth hardned into iron disappointed the painfull labours of the husbandman and defrauded the sower of the expected crop If the plague of famine if warres if anie epidemicall sickness went ransacking men and beasts who were blamed but the Christians Christians said they are the authors Christians are the causes of all our mischiefs 7 This hath ever beene since the reformation the heavie accusation against our fathers and us that as we are blasphemers against God so wee are rebellious against the high powers unprofitable to our selves offensive to our neighbours enemies to all mankinde So the Iesuites and other Romish Clergie perswaded the young King of France who knew us not that wee were plotting to set up a State within his State a Democracie within his Monarchie and intended to cast off the yoake of subjects that wee might become Reipublicanes subject to none but to our owne lusts and wills like the Swissers So when raine falls seldome upon the earth when the earth is unpleasant with the sluttishnesse of dust when the meddowes drawne dry with heate make the owners to sigh and the mowers to weepe when the hayle finisheth the vintage before it begin when the stormie whirlewindes plucke up the fruitfull trees by the rootes and beate downe houses when the ayre infected breatheth a mortal plague upon men and beasts when the licentious souldier steps into his neighbours house as if it were his owne when going out of it hee leaveth nothing behinde him but his owne filth and the cobwebs forgetteth nothing but to reckon with his Host and bid him farewell all ages all orders upbraid the Huguenots or as they call us now in France the Parpaillants that is to say Butter-flies as authors of all because we beleeve a new Law and will not hold the good old Law of our fathers who were as honest men and had as much insight into matters of Religion and more devotion than wee have The old world was a good world our fathers who worshipped our Lady the Queene of heaven and all the Angels and Saints which the Pope hath sent thither