of God are neither so sparing and restrict as the first leaving the soule in manner as doubtfull and perplexed as hee founde it by grauntinge to little nor so idle and superfluous as the last to bring a lothing to men by surcharge of his benefites but they are in the middle sorte tempered with good moderation full of humanity kindnesse and grace giving enough and happily more than was askt and sending away the heart ioyfull for that which it hath obtâ—ined According to the phrase of the Psalme dâ—lata os tuum implebo illud aske largely boldly bountifully I will not deny thee Our saviour promiseth as franckely in the gospell Aske and it shal be given you seeke and you shall finde knocke and it shal bee opened vnto you Perhappes hee meaneth of disciples alone No but whosoever asketh receaveth and hee that seeketh findeth and to him that knocketh it shal be opened Giue but thy prayer a voice to aske with for it must not bee dumbe nor tounge-tide giue it an eye to seeke for it must not bee carelesse giue it an hand to knocke with for it must not feare to molest and disquiet and not onely the dores but all the treasures and iewelles of the kingdome of heaven shal be open vnto it You know what labour is made to the princes and states of the earth by travell of body expense of purse mediation of friends suppliancy of gesture and speech intervention of time to obteine but temporary and frivolous sutes A widdow of Macedon had a long sute to Philippe the king wherein shee was perswaded the equity of her cause called for iudgment At length hee aunswered her non est mihi otium which is the manner of most magistrates I am not at leasure shee boldly replieth vnto him Ergo ne sis Rex then bee not King any longer No mervaile if such an aunswere be given by a King or a Iudge when a private and familiar friende in a small request for 3. loaues shall aunswere his friende Trouble mee not my dores are shut my children in bed c. Bathsheba commeth to Salomon her sonne in behalfe of Adoniah about a matter of no great moment as shee interpreted it The King encourageth her Aske on my mother for I will not say thee nay A sonne to his owne mother and one whome hee bowed vnto and set her at his right hand 1. shee requested it 2. a smal thing 2. desired him not to say her nay Yet when she had opened it then goe aske the kingdome too saide hee and he sware in her presence that Adoniah had asked it against his life and forth with gave order that he might be executed Howefearefull was Nehemias though he held the cup to the king to make a request vnto him At last with some invitation from his Lorde why is thy countenance sad this is but sorrowe of heart not without lowly salutation God save the king for ever and prayers to the God of heaven hee disclosed it the gladdest man alive that his suite was heard It was the danger of Esthers life to come before the king vnles shee were called for For it was their law that whosoever man or woman came into the inner courte which was not called should die vnlesse the Kinge helde forth his golden rodde But the scepter of the Lord our God I meane not that iron scepter of his iustice but the golden of his grace is ever held forth to man woman childe bond and free straunger or citizen whether they be called or not called they may safely approch I name neither outwarde nor inwarde courte but even to the throne where the King himselfe sitteth and if they shall crave of him I say not to the halfe of his kingdome as the Persian Monarch saide but to the whole to devide the inheritance with the principal heire Christ Iesus to eate and drinke at his table to sit vpon a throne and iudge the angels of heaven it shall not be denied them Zedekias spake it in folly and in a servile popular affection that he bare to the princes of his land when they required the life of Ieremy but God speaketh it of the abundaunce of his heart and riches of mercies The King can deny you nothing Surely they doe iniury to his grace who talke of warders and porters and maisters of requestes Angels and Saintes to admit vs into presence and to bring vs to speech with God Services not vnmeete for the governours of the earth whose life is the life of the countrie and their people with whome they live as Ieremy in the 4. of Lament calleth their King the breath of their nostrells And therfore it is very necessary that their persons shoulde bee carefully garded and attended vpon Caesar thought that to bee an Emperour was safegard enough against daunger when a little ship or boate a greate tempest being committed togither a very vnequal match the master himselfe doubting the 〈◊〉 fâ—are not saith he thou carriest Caesar. He might haue bene deceived afterwards was in a safer place Maximilian had some like conceite when he told his soldiers dropping away at his heeles with the shoâ— of their enemies You must not adventure as far as I do habent enim principes peculiarem quandam fortunam suam for princes haue a lucke of their owne I am sure they must haue a peculiar regard and garde to their bodies or they may soone fal into dangers Againe it is true of the princes of this world which Iethro told Moses when he sate from morning to evening to heaâ—e the causes of the people Thou both weariest thy selfe and the people that is with thee the thing is to heavy for thee thou art not able to doe it thy selfe alone and therefore infinite suites besides the distraction of many other businesses requiring larger audience than the eares of any one mortall man can afforde driue them of necessitie to the deputation of subordinate officers both to receiue and commence the requestes of their inferiours But is there either daunger in the person of God who rideth vpon the Cherubins and maketh his enemies his foote stoole Or defect in his hearing whose eares are open to the praiers of the poore destitute and his eie liddes soundelie trie and examine the children of men Hee that boweth the heavens and himselfe commeth downe with his omniscient knowledge hath hee neede of intelligenciers and informers to giue him knowledge of earthlye thinges Hee that planted the eare doeth hee not heare Hee that standeth and knocketh at our dores and calleth for entrance vvhen wee stande and knocke at his will hee not graunte entrance Is hee not neare and next of all to all such as cal vppon him with faithfulnesse We dreame of outwarde and inwarde courtes dores and gates porters and mediatours impedimentes and stoppes I graunt in earthly Courtes But the Lorde is porter himselfe at these heavenlye gates For vvhen
no purpose of doing good This then is the meaning and sentence of the decree wee are fallen from labour to idlenes from meekenesse to pride from temperance to riot from mercy to oppression from iustice to violence let vs not onelye leaue and forgoe these vices but let vs returne to their contrary vertues Thirdely It requireth of every man to returne from his evill vvaies his auncient and accustomed sinnes wherein hee had travailed and traded himselfe and made it his walke a long time Therein they imply this secret confession VVe are not fallen by ignoraunce and mischaunce as those that labour to rise againe neither hath our foote slipt alone by the frailtie and infirmitie of our flesh but wee haue wilfully and weetingly brought our selues into an habite of viciousnesse We are not sinners of yesterday and novices in the schoole of Satan but wee haue long trodden the pathes of vniustice and wearied our selues in the waies of wickednesse Fourthly it requireth of every man to returne from the wickednesse that is in his handes not in his hearte alone that is not onely from his proper sinnes which harmed no more then his owne conscience but from his violence rapine extortion vvhich were his open transgressions noysome and hurtfull vnto other men For there are some sinnes private and domesticall the stinge and smarting whereof for the most parte dyeth within the soule and plagueth but the person of him that committeth it Wee commonly saie of a prodigall man that hee is no mans foe but his owne and envie eateth but the marrowe of his bones that envieth not his that is envied And pride is but thine owne vanitie and slouth an ignominie belonging to thy selfe But some their nature is such that vvheresoever they haue their dwelling they are the hammers and mallets to the whole countrey that lyeth about them These are the vnrighteousnesses which before I specified in parte and â—re therefore called the vvickednesse of the handes though other partes of the soule and bodie are not innocent because the hande is the chiefe instrumente and weapon whereby they are wroughte Curtius writeth of the Elephant that hee taketh an armed man with his hande and delivereth him to his master that sitteth vpon him Hee meaneth the bosse of the Elephante vvhich hee vseth as men their handes to doe that service And Achilles asked Palamedes goinge to the battell of Troy why hee wente without a servaunt Palamedes shewed his his handes and asked him againe vvhether hee thoughte not those in steede of servauntes It is the strength agilitie serviceablenesse of the handes by reason of the aptnesse they haue to so manye and sundrye offices vvhich chardgeth them with vnrighteousnesse common to other partes But the chiefe thing to be considered and wherwith I will conclude is the especiall hold that the king and the counsaile taketh omitting other sinnes namelye of this forcible and hande-stronge violence Other thinges wee leaue to your owne consciences commune with your heartes aboute them and purdge your selues We are not the searchers of the hearte and reynes wee knowe not the faultes that lie in darkenesse but that which is open to the world for which wee are hatefull to GOD and man the worme that hath bred of our greatnesse and wealthinesse the daughter of the monarchie a familiar to kinges courtes and not a straunger to the burse of merchantes fraudulency and forgery in contractes bribery in iustice crueltye in common life overbearing of righte by mighte grinding the poore like corne betweene the milstones of oppression and eating them vp like bread pushing at the weake sheepe with side and shoulder and leaving neither flesh nor arme vineyarde nor house free from invasion this wee namely forbidde and precisely giue in chardge that it bee amended I woulde our vsurers woulde marke this that of all those grievous offences whereof Niniveh had laboured a long time the rest are helde a sleepe and their names spared as not worthye in comparison to come in speech vvith their farre superiour iniquity onely the vvickednesse of their handes which is not least in bytinge the poore is remembred and reported in speciall vvordes Spake I of vsurers There are none neither is there a sunne in the skie For mine owne parte I know them not For they haue taken neither horse nor bullocke of mee But for my brethren sake both in the cittye and country I vvish that their bellies and bondes were all heaped togither in the market place and set on fire as they were sometimes at Athens that wee might all ioye and saye as Alcibiades then did vvee never savve a clearer fire But because wee cannot ease our heartes so soone of them nor by such meanes I vvill tell them for their owne comforte vvhat they shall trust too amongest other thinges that although they labour in the fire to gette riches yet the time shall come vvhen there shall nothinge remaine vnto them but this that they shall bee able to knovve and recounte vvith themselues hovve manye debters they haue quite vndonne As for their treasures of iniquitye let them plainelye vnderstande that they put them into a bottomelesse bagge which coulde holde nothinge Ill gotten goodes never descende to the thirde heire Perhappes nor to the seconde nor first nor to benefitte himselfe who thinketh hee hath most handfast Shee gathered it of the hire of an harlotte and it shall returne to the vvages of an harlot They gathered their wealth by vsurye and vsurye or somewhat else shall consume it Gnipho the vsurer as Lucian reporteth lyeth in hell bemoaninge his harde estate that Rhodochares an incestuous vnthrifte shoulde vvaste his goodes so maye these But I leaue their iudgemente to GOD to vvhome it belongeth For vengaunce is his and hee will surely repaye Yet dare I giue sentence against them as farre as the lawes of the auncient Romans did vvherein because a thiefe was bounde to make restitution of double the vsurer of fourefolde their meaninge is plaine enough that they esteemed vsury a double thefte and that at the least is my iudgemente And therefore as Alexander Severus made an acte that none should salute the Emperour who knewe himselfe to be a thiefe so let our vsurers take themselues warned and dischardged so long as their heartes accuse them of their double and treble thefte from saluting Christians and much more from eating drinking conversing most of all from praying fasting coÌ„municating with Christians This cittye of all other partes of the province is not othervvise vnfitte to receiue dehortation from this vvickednesse of the handes Heere are the thrones of David the seates of iudgement in both kindes of lavves Ecclesiastes saide of the one I haue seene vnder the sunne the place of iudgemente vvhere vvas vvickednesse and the place of iustice vvhere was iniquitye And Bernarde to Eugenius of the other A greate abuse Noe manne looketh to the mouth of the iudge all to his
of Christ though they fill all the corners of heaven from the rising of the sun to the going downe thereof yet they are driven from the face of God as far as the East West are sundred lastly though they are libelled and entred into his court by the accusation of the devill and by his most righteous iustice registred yet the bookes are defaced and all those writinges against vs naâ—eâ— to the crosse of Christ by whome we are redeemed THE XVIII LECTVRE Chap. 1. ver 14. Lay not vnto our charge innocent bloud for thou Lorde hast done as it pleased thee THe praier of the Marriners vvithout longer repetition vvas common fervent discreet vocall humble importunate pertinent to the time occasion wel grounded â—n the 7th of these wherein I obserued hovve rightly they applyed theÌ„selues to the deprecation of their present daungers I examined besides their general inteÌ„t in asking pardoÌ„ for bloudshed 2. particulars arising naturally froÌ„ the words 1. the proceeding of God in case of murther life for life 2. in vvhat respect the bloud of Ionas might be tearmed innocent not that the life of Ionas could no way be toucht with sinne but that it was freed in his present and particular behaviour towards this coÌ„pany with whome he sailed I would further haue demauÌ„ded but that the time intercepted me how Ionas could be held innocent towards the Marriners whom hee had actually wronged in the losse of their temporall commodities for he onely was the cause of that generall detriment and the hazard was as great that hee might haue eased them of their better treasure I meane their lives if God had not staied it these though having sense of the one feare of the other yet call his bloud innoceÌ„t bloud The answere briefly is They wrote that in the waters which others vvrite in marble Iniuries Though their voiage vvere lost by this meanes their busines disapointed the season of their marte diverted their marchandize wrackt their provision wasted it may be to some their wiues and children vndone their estate sunke by it yet they forgiue and forget the damages and with a mantel of charity cover al his wrongs The perswasioÌ„ holdeth by coÌ„parison that if nature so newly reformed having tasted but the milke of the knowledge of God haue so quicke a digestioÌ„ of forepassed wrongs much more is required of vs who have bene dieted with the strongest meat to whom the precepts of charity have in most ample manner beene revealed The commendatioÌ„ shall ever live which Ambrose giveth to Theodosius the Emperor being dead Theodosius of happy memory thought he received a benefite as often as hee was intreated to forgive that was wished in him which in others was feared that hee would bee angry Tully reporteth the like of a far vnlike Emperour that Caesar forgat nothing but iniuries There is a learned skilfull vertuous kinde of forgetfulnes It is good to forget some things All Manasses went not over â—ordeÌ„ part staied behind Now Manasses had his name of forgetfulnes and Bernard illuding thereunto saith It is good to forget Babylon to remember Ierusalem to forget the flesh-pots and 〈◊〉 of Aegypt to remember the milke and honie of Canaan to forget our owne 〈◊〉 and our fathers house and to remember heaven heavenly thinges So Paul forgat that which was behinde his former defects delinquishments and it shall be happy for vs all to doe the like not in the mercies either of God or man but in the crosses and grievances which wee have sustained Peter asked his maister in the gospel how of the should forgive his brother offending against him whether to 7. times It is added Luke 17. how often in a day our Saviour telleth him vnto 70. times 7. times that is as Ierome accounteth it 490. times so often in a day as is not possible for thy brother oftner to trespasse against thee Augustine in effect hath the same note Why doth our Saviour saye seventie times seven times and not an hundreth times eight times hee aunsvvereth from Adam to Christ vvere seuenty generations therefore as Christe forgaue all the transgressions of vvhole mankinde parted and diffused into so manye generations so also vvee shoulde reâ—itte as manye offences as in the tearme and compasse of our life are committed against vs. Examine shall I say one day nay all the dayes of our life if all might goe for one haue wee forgiuen haue wee forborne that were one degree lesse haue we not persecuted Turkes Infidelles vessels of dishonour nay our owne brethren 7. yea and 70. times 7. times vvithout number or measure the sunne rising and the sunne going downe vpon our wrath our waies being the waies of destruction our beddes the beddes of mischiefe as the Psalme calleth them daies nights openly privately meditating talking practising howe to avenge our selues of the least discontentmentes It were as â—are a matter in our age as to see the sun go backe to heare of any amongst vs patient of iniuries as that patriarke sometimes of Ierusalem was of whome the proverbe of those times vvente Nihil vtilius quà m Alexandro malefacere Nothinge can more profite a man than to hurte Alexander Yet hee kepte but that rule which they that kepte not are no parte of the Israell of God Not to resist euill To giue cheeke after cheeke cloake after coate to take all that was offered whether vpon or without the body as that precept implyeth nay rather to returne good for euill Rom. 12 loue for enmity blessing for cursing good deedes for hatred praiers for persecutions Math. 5. VVe rather imbrace the instigations of gentilitye and such as the nature of man easilye propendeth vnto beare one iniurye and beare more hee that wrongeth one threatneth all and such like proâ—ocations I will end with the exhortation of our Lorde Luke 6. so giue aâ—d you shalbeâ— forgiuen Or rather with that which Mat. 6. is more peremptory If you forgiue him not you shall not bee forgiuen He indenteth for that by mercye vvhich hee mighte exacte of duetye and equâ—tie and hee that shall bee our iudge almost against the nature and righte of his office sheweth vs the vvay to escape his iudgementes The conditions betwixte God and man in this exchange are very vnequall 1. thine enemy was created by God as thy selfe wert God hath an enemy of thee whom he hath created 2. thou pardonest thy fellow servant God merely his servant 3 thou pardonest standest in neede of pardon againe God hath no neede to be pardoned 4. thou forgiuest a definite summe God an infinit debt requiring the proscription of thy selfe wife and children and al that thou hast body soule if thou shouldest defray it Incredibili me sericordia nos ad certam veniam vocat By vncredible compassion he draweth vs to a limited bounded pitty the extention wherof maketh vs the children of our father which is in heauen but the streightning of our
is imposed So the harlott alleageth for her selfe in the Proverbes I have paide my vowes yet she calleth a yong man to dalliance and filthinesse In an epistle they wrote to the Lordes of the counsell from their Cacus den prefixed before the libell of Persecution in Englande they pleade for the vowes of their church as a custome standing with good pollicie making for the establishment of common-weales They fetch it in by consequence that because a vowe made vnto God must bee fulfilled therefore our promise to our neighbour which is also a kinde of vow must not bee violated Wee they say on the other side by affirming that vowes may bee broken to God make no doubte of our breach with man wherevpon it ensueth that there is no trust nor faithfulnesse in our dealing Philo mee thinketh rightly expressed the qualities of these Saturnine solleine discontented men They are alwaies complaining of the pollicie of their countrey and framing an inditement against the lawes of it With as much right as the vagabondes in the Acts complained of Iason the brethreÌ„ in his house These are they which have subverted the state of the whole worlde here they are Surely I confesse there is a decay and declination as of the state and strength of the worlde so of all goodnesse The refuse and drosse of mankinde wee are on whome not the ende but the endes nor of the world but of the worldes and ages forepassed are not onely come but mett togither by coniunction The alacrity and vigour of the whole creature is worne away Iustice draweth her breath faintly The charity of many is waxen colde and when the son of man commeth though he burne cresset-light shall he find faith There is a daylie defection of the husband-man in the fieldes the marriner at the sea innocencie in the courte iustice in iudgement concorde in friendshippe workemanshippe in artes discipline in manners How shoulde the scriptures els be true that in the latter daies there should be perilous times such as the golden age never knew that men should be lovers of themselves covetous boasters vnnaturall truce-breakers c. which they might find if they woulde cleare their eies with the eie-salve of plaine dealing quocunque sub axe amongst Papistes as much as protestantes without whetting their tongue or pen against our innocent religion But wheÌ„ I heare them hunting for the praise of God man by such meanes I cal to minde an auncient historie of vowes vied revied betweene the citizens of Croto and Locâ—us or great Greece in Italie They were at hote strife and ready to discerne their variance by dinte of sword And the former vowed vnto their Gods to give theÌ„ the tenth part of the spoile if they wan the field the others to goe a foote before them promised the ninth so they might obtaine the conquest Let these admirers of Italy follow the steppes of their Italian predecessours Notwithstanding I doubte not for all their ambitious ostentation but though they goe before vs in making vowes we shall not come behinde them in keeping promises what neede they gape so wide in telling of their vowes and performances when it is not vnknowne as far as the world is christened that they have verified the olde proverbe in straining at gnats and swallowing downe cammâ—lles Admit their keeping of promise for mint and anise seed the smaller things of the lawe yet they will breake a promise in a matter more capitall touching the life of a man though in a generall Councell and in the face of Christendome plighted vnto him And whereas an oth for confirmation is the end of strife and it is not onely a shamefull thing to bee iustly charged as onely of the kings seede in Ezechiell he hath despised the oth and broken the covenant yet loe eee had given his hand but it evermore pulleth downe the iudgement of God for as I live saith the Lord I wil surely bring mine oth which he hath despised my covenaÌ„t which hee hath broken vpon his owne heade yet will these men take an oth not to the king of Babell a stranger as hee did but to their soveraigne lady the Queene of England to be true to her crowne and dominions even with ceremony and solemnity and as Abrahams servant put his haÌ„d vnder his masters thigh taking an oth by him who should come from the thighes of Abraham so these laie their hande vpon their maisters booke wishing a curse â—o their owne soules in the sight of God angels above a whole Vniversitie beneath if they performe not fidelity yet they will breake that sacrament with as easie a dispensation or rather as Bernard tearmeth it a dissipation graunted by themselves as if they had but tied a knotte in a â—ushe to bee vndone againe at their pleasures I maie truely saie vvith the Apostle Saint Iohn That which I have heard and seene and mine eies have looked vpon and I have handled with mine handes that declare I vnto you These bee their holy sanctions their politique and religious vndevoute vowes this the event these the fruites of them In the number whereof I might inserte an other accursed vowe not vnlike to that of the Iewes against Paul that they would neither eate nor drinke till they had killed him Surelye they have taken an othe these runnagates of Ephraim which runne from the chosen of the Lord to Saules sonne and flie to a forreine neste after the partriche hath bred them to doe a mischiefe with Herode and to accomplish as much as the Herodias of Rome shall require of them Whereto they have bound themselves not to the halfe of a kingdome which they have not but to the losse of their heades vvhich thy daylie come in question of If nothing will please Herodias but the head of Iohn Baptist the greatest amongst the sons of women it shall be given her if nothing this other strumpet but the head of a Queene the greatest amongst the daughters of men they will doe their best endevour to make it good When I first began to handle this prophesie I told you that the argument of it was nothing more than mercy and that from the whole contentes thereof knitt vp in foure chapters as the sheete of Peter at the foure corners proceeded a most lively demonstration of the gracious favour of God 1. towardes the Mariners 2. towards Ionas 3. towards the Ninivites lastly in generality not so much by personall and practicall experience as by strife and contention of argument to iustifie his goodnesse which Ionas murmured against The first corner of the sheete hath bene vntied vnto you for some make an end of the first chapter where I nowe left that is the mercye of God embracing the mariners in their extremity of danger hath ben opened after that little portion of grace which the spirit of God hath divided vnto me This mercy is evident in
can preiudice the bounty of our GOD and those rich benefites of his grace which his beloved sonne hath purchased for vs. I nowe conclude GOD saw the workes of the Ninivites and in those vvoorkes not onely their outwarde countenance but their inwarde and vnfeined affection and faith the roote from whence they sprang and as the fruites of their faith so he accepted them not for the worth and accounte of the workes which they dare not themselues rely vpon but through the riches and abundance of his owne loving kindnesse This is the plea that Daniell helde in the ninth of his Prophecie a man of as righteous a spirite as ever the Lateran pallace of Rome helde according to all thy righteousnesse for the LORDES sake for thy greate tender mercies for thine owne sake and vvith direct exception to their inherente iustice for wee doe not present our supplications before thee for our owne righteousnesse This plea we must all sticke vnto Gods mercy in his owne gracious disposition Gods righteousnesse in his promises Gods goodnesse in the Lorde his anointed his Christ his Messias And this shal be a blessed testimony vnto vs at the last day that wee haue stood and fought for the seede of the woman and for the preciousnesse of his bloud and passion against the seede of the serpent that we never gaue place no not for an instant to Pharisee Iew Pelagian Papist Libertine to diminish or discredite the power thereof Giue mee that soule that breatheth vpon the earth in plight as the soules of these Ninivites were nowe called to a reckoning of their fore passed liues their consciences accusing them of hydeous and monstrous iniquities the law pleading the anger of GOD flaming against them the throate of hell gaping wide and ready to swallow them downe when they were to take their leaue of one worlde and to enter another of endlesse punishment vnlesse they coulde finde the meanes to appease the fury of their maker and iudge Giue me the soule that dareth for the price of a soule stande in contention with the iustice of GOD vpon the triall of good workes either to bee iustified the meane-time or heereafter to be glorified and liue by them O sweete and comfortable name nature operation of grace grace and onely grace blessed bee the wombe that bare thee and the bowels that ingendered thee When it commeth to this question iustificemur simul Let vs bee iudged togither if thou haste ought to saie for thy selfe bring it forth O happy heavenly and only grace that bearest thy children safe in thy bosome and settest them with confidence and ioy before the seat of God when the clients followers of their owne righteousnes be it what it may bee with the least flash of lightning that fleeth from the face of God shal tremble and quake as the popler in the forrest O the Ocean maine sea of over-flowing grace and we drinke at puddles We sit in our cels and comment we come into the schooles and dispute about the merit of good workes without trouble But lie we vpon out beds of sicknes feele we a troubled perplexed conscience wee shal be glad to cry grace and grace alone Christ and Christ alone the bloud of Abell and Peter and Thomas and Paul shall be forgotten and the bloud of the Lambe shal be had in price as for the merits of our vnprofitable service we shal be best at ease when we talke least of them The only one fiftith Psalme Haue mercie vpon me O Lorde c. his memory bee blessed that gaue the note hath saved many distressed soules and opened the kingdome of heaven vnto them who if they had stood vpon riches and sufficiencie in themselues as the church of Laodicea did they had lost the kingdome It is vsually given to our seloâ—s for their necke-verse when the lawe is disposed to favour them Wee are all felons and transgressors against the law of God let it bee our soules-verse and God will seclude the rigour of his law and take mercy vpon vs. Some of the wordes of that Psalme were the last that Bernarde vttered even in the panges of death Let them also be the last of ours a brokeÌ„ contrite heart O God thou wilt not despise Finally the choise is briefely proposed and as quickely made if grace not workes if workes not grace if this be the choise let vs humbly beseech God to illighten our eies to open our vnderstandings to direct our affections and to reach forth our handes to the better part which shall never be taken from vs that leaving our workes to his favourable interpretation either to follow vs or to stay behinde and either to bee something or nothing in his sight his mercy may only triumph and his covenant in the bloud of Christ Iesus may ever be advanced that we may sing in our Ierusalem as they sing in the courtes of heaven worthy is the Lambe that was killed to receive the glory and honour and praise and to beare the name of our whole salvation THE XL. LECTVRE Chap. 4. vers 1. Therefore it displeased Ionas exceedingly he was angry THE whole prophecy of Ionas againe to repeat that which ought not to be forgotten is the preaching of mercy An history written to the world and as a publique evidence instrument from God delivered vnto vs in every page line wherof his goodnes towardes mankind is mervailously expressed And as the 4. beastes in Ezechiel were ioyned one to the other by their winges so the 4. Chapters of this booke hang togither by a continuation and succession of Gods loving kindnes Open this booke as our Saviour opened the booke of the prophecie of Esaias by chance and read at your pleasure from the first of it to the last you shall never vvant a text or example of comforte whereby a distressed conscience may be relieved The marriners are delivered from the fury of the elements Ionas both from those and from the belly of a cruell fishe the Ninivites God knoweth from what whither from fire and brimstone or from sinkinge into the grounde or any such like weapons of wrath which in his armoury of iustice in heaven are stored vp and reserved for the day of the wicked but all are delivered Notwithstandinge which rare examples of mercy as Christ spake in the gospell beholde more than Ionas is heere so though the prophet did his parte before in penninge those discourses yet in handlinge this last he is more than himselfe though the mercy of God abounded before yet here it excelleth Then was mercy practised I confesse but heere it is pleaded maintained prooved by argumeÌ„ts apologies parables the equity and reasonablenes thereof vpheld and means made vnto Ionas in some sort that if God be gracious to Niniveh hee will bee pleased favourably to interpret it The distribution of the Chapter is into three partes 1. The affection of Ionas vpon the