A Brand taken out of the Fire Or The Romish Spider with his Webbe of Treason Wouen and Broken together with The seuerall vses that the World and Church shall make thereof Gathered out of the 64. Psalme Psal. 112. vers 18. This shall be written for the generations to come and the people that are created shall praise the Lord. AT LONDON Printed by G. Eld for Iohn Hodgets and are to be sould at his shop in Paules Church-yeard 1606. To the High and excellent Princesse ELIZABETH eldest Daughter to our Soueraigne Lord IAMES by the grace of God of Great Britaine France and Ireland King defendor of the faith MOst gracious Princesse vouchsafe I pray you the remembrance of that blessing the enioying whereof I doubt not was exceedingly welcome vnto you And let your fauourable acceptance pardon the boldnes of the remembrancer who hauing nothing of his owne worthy to congratulate your Highnesse comming vnto our Cittie hath beene glad to take the oportunitie of that gift which the Lord hath bestowed vpon you in this great deliuerance and to present you with the remembrance of your owne renewed estate For as in this deliuerance whatsoeuer you are or haue is newly giuen vnto you your most renowned Father and Princely Mother your louing brethren and tender sister yourselfe all all new gifts euen newly created by this great worke of God so is this remeÌ„brance a renuing of this great deliuerance as reuiuing the worke daily vnto you prouoking you thereby to answer it in newnes of life Accept therefore I beseech you most excellent Lady the reuiuing of that worke by which you are that which you are that so it may further you to that which by Gods mercy you shal be And to this end shall my vowes and praiers be renued vnto our God for you And so I humbly commend your Grace to the grace of God Your Graces most bounden Thomas Cooper To the right Honourable the Lord Harington and his most vertuous Ladie RIGHT HONOVRABLE seeing the Lord hath ioyned you both in the benefit of this great deliuerance therefore haue I beene emboldened to ioyne your Honours also in this remembrance thereof Though I doe not say with the Iewes concerning the Centurion that you are worthy of this blessing yet I may safely say what Peter did of the other Centurion that herein hath the Lord remembred your loue vnto the Gospell and care vnto his Saints My hearts desire is that this deliuerance may encrease these blessings vnto you that so you may grow vp from grace to grace 'till you attaine vnto the full measure of the age of Iesus Christ to whose blessed protection I commend your Honours and your Princely Charge And so I humblie take my leaue Your Honours in all dutie Thomas Cooper To the Right Worshipfull my Christian friends and Auditors maister Mayor of Couentrie Maister Arch-deacon the Iustices Maister Steward All those of the Councels together with All that doe vnfainedly loue the Lord Iesus and do long after his glorious appearance RIght Worshipfull two causes there are which haue moued me to put forth these plaine and vnpolished meditations the one is the generall good which we haue all receiued from the hand of our gracious God in this late great deliuerance of Prince and people Church and common-wealth from that bloudie and hellish practise of our desperate aduersaries the other is that particular good which I haue receiued from you since my comming among you Concerning the common good which we haue all beene partakers of surely it hath beene such and so great as that if we should holde our peace the very stones would speake And therfore that they may not be a witnesse against me I haue in your hearing spoken of this deliuerance And because it is required that we should not onely declare the worke of God but commend it also by writing vnto the generations to come therfore haue I taken this further paines to commit to writing such notes as I haue obserued concerning this great worke that they may be trials of our present thankefulnesse for the blessings receiued and furtherances also to strengthen our faith and establish our posteritie that they may waite vpon the Lord in the affiance of the like mercies And the rather haue I beene incouraged herevnto by that particular good which from time to time since my comming among you I haue receiued from you that so it might be some pledge of my thankefulnesse vnto you for the same I may well say you haue comforted my body and my soule not onely my outward man when I was a stranger to you and by reason of the visitation of my familie in some affliction A kindnesse which by Gods mercy I shall not faile to leaue recorded to posteritie when opportunitie shall serue but specially my soule and inward man in beholding your Order and loue vnto the Gospell Which though it hath made you stincke in the Nostrels of the common aduersarie yet hath this sauour of your oyntmens caused the Saints to loue you yea the hatred of your enemies hath the Lord recompenced with such extraordinary pledges of his fauour As that you haue not onely your liues liberties giueÌ„ you for a prey but further also the Lord hath honoured your Cittie with the presence and protection of a gracious Princesse not onely by making your Cittie an harbour for a season vnto that royall branch but thereby in mercy opening a way if you shall accept it by so comfortable a protection to the strengthening continuance of your holy libertie in the waies of God And surely if you shall not vse your libertie as an occasion to the flâ—sh if the dead flies of hypocrisie and luke-warmnesse shall not corrupt that pretious ointment but you shall strengâ—hen that which is ready to die and doe the first workes and continue therein you shall vndoubtedly be a sweete swelling sauour in the nostrils of the Lord and so not onely haue your Cittie blessed with the dew of heauen and fatnesse of the earth but by the mercie of God you shall be lead forth in your most holy faith to receiue the ends therof euen the saluation of your soules Which as I do heartily sigh and long after so haue I to this end thought fit to stirre vp your pure mindes by these meditations that you might haue somewhat of mine with you as a pledge of my thankefulnesse vnto you for your loue towards me and a Spurre to prouoke and continue our thankefulnesse vnto God for his wonderfull mercies renued and continued vnto vs in this great deliuerance and that herein I may free my selfe from imputation of vanity and negligence which may happily arise from the strangenesse of the Title and plainenesse of the matter giue me leaue I pray you to yeeld you reasons of them both Concerning the Title my purpose is therein to discouer the nature of our aduérsaries who would haue done vs so great euill A very cursed
generation and full of deadly poyson extreamly cruell where they can preuaile and yet by the Iustice of God breeding their owne bane when their sinne is full euen bursting a sunder with the poyson thereof and iustly confounded with their owne malice So is the Spider Yea as the Spiders Webbe is cunningly Wouen and quickly broken so are and shal be the deuises of our aduersaries they shall not be established by their iniquitie but their owne cunning hath and shall be their confusion And let this satisfie you concerning the Title As for the plainenesse and rudenesse of the matter if you doe duly consider the rule of my direction I trust you will acknowledge that the power of the spirit is best seene in weaknes and that plaine lines doe best answer a straight and euen leuell the euidence of the spirit is best seene in plainenesse You see I haue informed my selfe in these meditations by the most perfect Paterne a Psalme of that Princely Prophet Dauid that man of afflictions when his life was indangered by the subtiltie and violence of his close and trecherous enemies To be deliuered from these he flies vnto his God in prayer and the rather to preuaile he layes before the Lord the desperate practises of his enemies thereby implying that vnlesse the Lord stood vnto him hee iustly feared that they would swallow him vp This feare of his is the rather confirmed because he saw them soddaine and fearelesse in their mischieuous practises And why they should be thus fearlesse he discouers in the next words because they did by many sorts of incouragements meet with this feare And here begin our meditatioÌ„s deriued as you see froÌ„ this pure fountaine and watered all along with the streames therof If this heauenly treasure hath so shined in this earthen ves sell that the excellencie of that power may appeare to be of God and not of vs giue God the glory in the treasure and be humbled in respect of the vessell If the vessell hath receiued that honour from this beauenly treasure as not to haue handled it craftily and deceitfully but in declaration of the truth shal be approued to euery mans conscience in the sight of God Then if our Gospell be hid it is hid to them th 〈…〉 〈…〉 ish But I perswade myselfe better things of you euen su 〈…〉 〈…〉 company saluation And let this be your triall that you are contented to heare the same things againe So accepting these paines according to the entent thereof you shall happily ease yourselues of the Mother and the Daughter forgetfulnesse and vnthankfulnesse and burthen me willingly with further paines for the further building of you vp in Iesus Christ. To whose protection I commit you I pray you to beare with the faults escaped in the printing and correct the grosser of them as followeth Pag. 19. lin 11. for rest read cost ead lin 21. for that may read that we may ead lin 1. for we read he ead lin 29. for bloudie execution read for the bloudie execution pag. 22. lin 30. for Rhamaes read Pharaoes pag. 23. lin 5. for perpetuall read externall ead lin 8. for framing read foaming ead lin 30. for so Satan read superstition pag. 29. lin 30. for thing read change pag. 34. lin 28. for saue read some pag. 35. lin 24. for life restored read life are restored pag. 43. lin 28. for meane read mayne pag. 44. lin 28. for the read these THE Romish Spider THE FIRST PART The weauing of the Webbe Psal. 64. Vers. 5. They encourage themselues in a wicked purpose they coÌ„mune togeather to lay snares priuily and say who shall see them 6. They haue sought out iniquities they haue accomplished that which they sought out euen euery one in his secret thought and the depth of his heart THe holy Ghost hauing in the latter end of the former verse set out the desperate resolution of the wicked in their attempts against the Lords Annointed by two Circumstances The one That they are suddain in execution implying their desperatenesse The other That they feare not arguing their boldnesse and confidence in their proceedings doth in the two next verses yeeld a reason for this their desperate confidence by discouering their diuelish policie in the maner of their practising as also in the varietie and secrecie thereof For whereas of all other sinnes the sinne of treason hath cause most to affright the heart of man not onely in regard of the maiestie of the Prince who carries the Image of God full of terror and astonishment to the wicked but also in respect of the haynous punishment that attends the same not to omit the racking of the conscience in the horrour of the sinne may it not therefore seeme strange that wretches should not feare to commit so great a sinne that Subiects should runne of boldly and desperately to lay hands vppon the Lords annointed The Prophet Dauid was so affected when hee had but cut off the lappe of Saules garment a wicked and reprobate King that his heart smote him with conscience of some great euill in lifting vp his handagainst the Lords Annointed And when the Amalekite brought newes vnto Dauid that he had slaine his enemy Saule hoping to receiue some great reward the good King was so farre from delighting in the death of his enemie as that rather remembring him to bee the Annointed of the Lord hee not onely bewailes his death with a great lamentation but further reprooues the Amalekite with this seuere checke How wast thou not affraide to life vp thy hand against the Annointed of the Lord and rewards him with such wages as so haynous a murther did require To feare then in attempting against the liâ—e of a Prince as there is great reason in regard of the haynousnesse of the sinne and the Maiestie of the person against whome it is committed so there had neede be great policie vsed to banish this feare What this policie was the holy Ghost proceedes to relate vnto vs in these two verses following leading vs to the consideration of diuers notable points of policie in the practises of these Traytours against their Soueraigne to make them confident and secure therein that so they may bee taken in the pit which they haue digged for others The first whereof respecteth the manner of their plotting and it is here set out vnto vs to be two-fold First saith the spirit They encourage themselues in a wicked purpose they commune together wherein the meaning of the holy Ghost is to lead vs to a policie verie vsuall in great and desperate attempts that they are vndertaken and prosecuted by combination of all sorts of strength as so many helps to further the accomplishment thereof Secondly whereas close carriage conueyance is an especiall helpe to further dangerous designes therefore the holy Ghost addeth that the speciall matter of their counsell was how they might lay snares priuily signifying therein that they
punishment of what we haue committed Thus when Nero had set fire on the City of Rome he laid all the blame vpon the Christians Thus when any calamitie befell the Empire presently the fault was layd vppon the Christians they cried to the rack to the fire to the mynes with the Christians this is longe of them And thus had these deadly enemies purposed if their plot had taken effect which God forbid to haue fathered it vpon those who endeauour to serue the Lord with a pure heart But blessed be God who is good vnto Israel euen vnto those that are pure in heart And blessed be the name of his Maiestie for euer who hath preserued his Annointed and his seede from these fatall engines and hath iustified the innocencie of his seruants in the sight of their enemies And let this now be the subiect of our ordinary meditations great deliueraÌ„ces giueth he vnto Dauid his king to his seed for euer As for these policies of our enemies in laying their snares priuily as this may teach vs to iudge them by their workes and manner thereof They hate the light and therefore their workes are euill that wee may not be bewitched with their abhominations so let vs learne not to be affraide of their snares howsoeuer they be cunningly and secretly conueyed Certainely howsoeuer they may hide them from the eye of man yet our God who watcheth ouer vs for good and them to disappoint them he beholdeth their practises and his secret is with the righteous to bring to nought the deuises of our enemies and to hide his seruants in the secret place of his pauilion from the pride of men He that would not hide from Abraham what concerned the destruction of the wicked that so his brother Lot might escape the danger hee will not hide from his children such dangers as are comming towards them but will open their eyes to see the plague that so they may hide themselues vnder the shadow of his wings Onely let vs not wilfully shut our eyes by presumption or securitie lest hereby we betray our selues wilfully vnto the subtiltie of our enemies Let not foolish pity or policie bleare vs in seeing these snares or iudging slightly of them Let not loosenesse in our selues take away courage from vs that so wee may not dare to take notice of the practises of the wicked lest the conscience vpon this knowledge be amated and deiected and so possessed with a fearefull expectation of theÌ„ Let vs not depriue our selues of that true light which may informe the conscience herein lest otherwise we bee giuen vp to be blinded by the enemies Let vs not imitate the wicked heerein either seeking for the darkenesse to commit sinne more securely or in vsing any carnal cloakes to hide the same lest our secrecie in sinne giue power to their secrecie in plotting such punishments as are due to the same Let vs not presume of impunitie though wee haue committed sinne secretly seeing what we haue done couertly the lord wil opeÌ„ly discouer to our greater shame and when man ceaseth to punish then the Lord himselfe will awake to execute vengeance If we may haue a cloake for sinne to carrie it clenly if authoritie may out-face or money buy it out if wit will defend it or impudencie denie it if example may colour or custome extenuate Oh let vs not be deceiued by any of these cloakes seeing there is nothing so hidden which shall not be reuealed and the more we haue cloaked our sinne the more wee shall inherite shame and confusion when it shall be discouered yea the very cloakes which we vsed to hide our sinne shall one day be meanes to lay open the same and the rust of that riches which we haue vsed wrongfully shall at the day of iudgment giue in euidence against vs and be a means to consume vs with fire Oh consider this you that forget God and say in your hearts the Lord seeth not Behold your owne iniquities shall finde you out and such weapons of vnrighteousnesse wherewith you haue fought against the Lord they shall now prooue his weapons to be auenged of you Remember that â—he Babilonians with whom Israel plaide the harlot were the scourge of God appointed to strippe her naked and fearefully to spoyle her who while she was faithfull with her God was a terrour to all our enemies Oh let vs therefore take heede of daubing with our enemies take wee heed in any case of buying our peace by committing abhomination with them lest it come to passe that as we haue serued our selues of them by taking part in their filthinesse so they shall serue themselues of vs by making a spoile of vs. And the Lord shal serue himselfe of vs both purging vs by them of such dregs as remaine hardning them by vs to their final confusion Oh let vs therfore cleaue vnto our God that he may stil keep the city and preserue his Church among vs then vndoubtedly though many snares be laid for vs yet the lord wil awake to discouer theÌ„ vnto vs yea this blessing shal a faithfull king receiue at the hand of God that his hand shal find out all his enemies and his right hand shal find out theÌ„ that hate him So it pleased his Maiestie to direct the heart of our Annointed to apprehend this mischiefe and principally out of the Letter contrarie to all graÌ„maticall or reasonable constructioÌ„ to scan the same yea though the snares might happily take hold vpon vs yet wil the Lord arise to deliuer him that is snared the snare shall be broken and we deliuered As for our enemies that haue thus secretly layd these snares Behold the Lord will raine snares vpon them and so take them in the pit which they haue digged for others onely let vs trust in God and wait vpon him so when the iniquitie of our enemies shal be discouered and disappointed there shall our righteousnesse all come foorth as the light and our wel doing as the noone day that the Lord may bee glorified in the iustifying of his children and wee comforted in the experience of his protection It followeth And they say who shall see them That is They say in effect that none shall see them and so they doe put out the eie of Gods prouidence and thereupon conclude indeed that there is no God Such was the grouÌ„d of Rhamaes oppressioÌ„ Who is the Lord that I should heare his voice and let Israel goe Such was the ground of the Idolatrie of the Iewes they say the Lord seeth vs not the Lord hath forsaken the earth Such was the ground of the persecution of the wicked that he not only thinketh alwayes There is no God but further also he contemneth God and saith God hath forgotten he hideth away his face and will neuer see And this doth the holy Ghost yeeld to be the reason why the Gentiles
acknowledge that our cause is Gods yet they shall continue their malice against so good a cause yet they shall thus desperately fight against heauen and prouoke the holy one of Israel to their iust confusion And yet behold the Lord will open their mouthes further to their fearefull condemnation euen by the gratious deliuerances that he performeth vnto his children It was much that Saul should iustifie the innocencie of Dauid wonderfull was the Lord herein to wring from a reprobate the approbation of his seruant and very holy herein was the Iustice of God in discouering this wilfull obstinacy of a cast-away that so hee might prepare him thereby to his further condemnation But all this while innocency though it were praised yet it went a begging Dauid might be promised a kingdome yet was not sure of his life Nay for the safegard of it he is driueÌ„ to a narrow shift euen in a sort to venture his innocency it selfe So are Gods children to seeke of that which is theirs in hope that God may haue the glory of what they do enioy so doth the Lord prepare his to the obtaining of a blessing that comming vnto it at so hard a rate they might more highly prize it when they shall obtaine But did not the Lord heere giue his seruant some token that hee would recompence him according to his innocency yea surely the Lord that opened the mouth of his enemy to giue testimony vnto the one hee also opened the same to be a Prophet of the other HarkeÌ„ my beloued woÌ„der at the prouidence of God I know saith Saule that thou shalt be King and that the kingdome of Israel shal be established in thy hand Loe here Saule is amonge the Prophets to declare glad tidings to the Saints to speak feareful things against themselues Harken howe the wife of Haman becomes a prophetesse vnto her husband of the deliuerance of the Church and a swift witnesse of the destruction of the enemies thereof If Mordecay saith she be of the seede of the Iewes before whom thou hast begunne to fall thou shalt not preuaile against him but shalt surely fall before him Marke I pray you the ground of this prophecye the wicked haue begunne to fall before the righteous nation some vpper hand haue they had against their enemies what doth this infidell collect herevpon surely the wicked shall fall more and more before the righteous till at lenght the righteous shal haue dominion ouer them in the morning Wouldst thou then haue a token that thine enemies shal be confounded consider then howe from time to time they haue fallen before thee certeÌ„ly if thou be of the seed of the Iewes and of that royall generation thou shalt one day haue all thine enemies thy footstoole Wouldst thou haue a further euidence to confirme this vnto thee behold the Lord shall open the mouth of thine enemie to bewray their fainting spirits that so thou maist be comforted as Gideons Souldiers were by this testimony of thine enemies that the Lord shal giue them vp into thy hands and thou shalt make a ful end of them Oh but thou wilt say how can these things stand together Saul tells Dauid he shall certenly be King and yet hee continues persecuting him to take away his life from him May not this be a policy to make him secure that he may the more easily seaze vpon him I see indeed will the weake Christian say that God hath deliuered his church from time to time I heare euen the enemie giuing ouer for a time as confessing with the Pharesie Behold we preuaile nothing against him for all the world runneth after him and yet I see the aduersaries are in hope stil I see they are stil practising and plotting against the soules of the righteous what may I conceaue hereof may I not iustly feare with Dauid that I shall one day perish by the hand of Saul that at length these aduersaries shall obtaine their desire against the church and therevpon resolue rather vpon some indirect course to corrupt my conscience or abate of my sincerity that so glosing with them I might finde fauour in their sight Oh stay here whosoeuer thou art that shalt be thus affected giue mee the hearing a while to satisfie thee herein Tell me I pray thee why doth Sathan our maine aduersary so violently and incessantly persecute the Church of GOD doth not the spirit giue thee the reason because his time is short if thou therefore seest the instruments of Satan still to rage more fiercely against the spouse of Christ know thou for a certenty that their time is but short and that thou maist not want a prophesie to confirme thee herein consider but what their desperate practises doe speake vnto thee If they were not affraid to loose their kingdome if they had not a presage in their conscience that Christs Kingdome would one day preuaile surely they would be still and follow their flesh potts they would not so persecute and plot as they doe they would not thus spend their goods and venture their liues and all against the poore Church of God Alas it is not for Christs kingdome what pretence soeuer they haue for they haue said plainelie We will not haue this man to raigne ouer vs. But the trueth is to holde their own Here is the matter the Iewes had this Oracle from their Father the Deuill that if they let Christ alone the Romanes would come and take away their Kingdome And therefore they resolue that Christ must bee persecuted his death must be the life of their vsurped power their conscience told them that they were but vsurpers the very life and holy conuersation of Christ was a manifest conuiction and condemnation of them so that their conscience told them that Christ Iesus was that holy one whom they ought to haue obeyed and yet their hypocrysie replyed if wee giue him honour wee shall loose ours and so their deuilish policy concluded to their owne confusion better one perish then our whole Kingdome goe downe faine would they haue done him homage so he would haue serued their turne to Daube vp their hypocrisie and vnderproppe their toâ—tering Kingdome but yet because they saw his course to bee cleane contrary a sharpe reprouer of their hipocrisie and a mayne beaterdowne of their carnall pompe and vanity hereupon against their conscience they followed their persuite against him and doe you marke herein how their Father deceiued them their practises against the sonne of God made way to his Glory and the redemption of mankind and so proued the occasion of the ouerthrow of their kingdome So doth the Lord Confound the wisdome of the wise and turneth their malice vpon their owne pates In like sort the aduersaries of the Church haue carried themselues A kingdome they haue vsurped vpon by the power of Sathan and through his Subtilty and violence they haue seazed vpon the Lords
the power of God in the confusion of his wisedome and to make the memory of an enemy to stinke to posterity they called these dayes the dayes of Purim So did Iudas Machabeus institute the feast of the dedication in remembrance of the purging of the Temple from the prophanations of Antiochus a feast which our Sauiour Christ himselfe seemed to approue by his owne presence in the 10. of Iohn So did our Gratious Soueraigne set apart the 5. of August in remembrance of his wonderfull deliuerance from the conspiracies of the Gowries And so for euer may the 5. of Nouember be separated and recorded amongst vs as by the wōderfull prouidence of God in discouering the horrible treasons of the Papists beeing turned vnto vs from sorrow to ioy and from murning into a ioyfull day to be kept with feasting and ioy and to all posterities so long as the name of Great Britaine shal be had in remembrance Thus hath the Lord appointed dayes of ioy and thus hath man vpon iust consideration celebrated and confirmed such daies to posterity not inuenting therein any other worship then God hath appointed but vpon such extraordinary occasions giuing more liberty thereby vnto the publicke worship of God as beeing vnder God the determiner of order and decency according to the general rules of equity prescribed in Gods blessed word And thus may euen priuate persons set apart some howre nay some day in the weeke vpon the like occasions to a more intire and immediate worship of God then in their ordinarie callings as not beeing otherwise tied to bodily labour on the sixe dayes then that they might be better fitted to the spirituall workes on the seuenth and not beeing excluded otherwise from this extraordinary worship on these dayes of labour then for the prouision of their families and obedience to authority and that without presumption of Gods prouidence and opinion of necessity or merit Other institution then this of such festiuall dayes I can finde none lawfull Neither indeed do I account euen this institution anie otherwise lawfull then it is kept vndefiled from abuse and superstition Considering what the holy Ghost addeth to trie our ioy by that it must bee in the Lord. And being thus bounded the spirit giues vs free liberty Reioyce in the Lord alwaies and againe I say reioyce And surely verie necessary it is that our ioy should be thus bounded least our liberty being an occasion to the flesh sowing thus to the flesh wee of the flesh reape corruption and so our ioy shal be turned into sorrow But howe shall I approue my ioy to be in the Lord surely there are these markes to try it by Hath the Lord done great things for thee whereof thou maiest reioyce surely thou maiest reioyce freely if thou keepe a right order and measure therein both which must be according to the diuersity of the things wherein thou doest reioyce That we may keepe a right order in our ioy for the blessings of God the holy Ghost giues vs an excellent rule setting downe the true subordination of the blessings themselues Who spared not his owne sonne but gaue him to die for vs how shall he not with him giue vs all things else Signifying therein thus much vnto vs that in that the Lord hath giuen vnto vs the Fountaine hee will not denye vs the streames and thereby teaching vs this order in reioycing for Gods benefits as to deriue our ioy from the Fountaine to the Streames not to rest our ioye in the streams but to returne it to the fountaine that the giuer of all good blessings may be first and last in our ioy First he must be in our ioy that thereby as we haue these blessings and fauour of him so we may bee assured also that wee haue them in him and thereby haue a testimony that they are sanctified vnto vs that so now we may haue a right vnto and comfort in the vse of them and last also must our God be in this affection of ioy It must at no hand rest in the blessing for so it wil be a meanes to drawe vs from the fountaine and our resolution then must bee so farre from reioycing in the streames as that we must count them all as dung in respect of the fountaine Iesus Christ. But seeing God is the Giuer and receiuer too Seeing he is the ending as well as the beginning therefore must our ioy be determined in nothing but in him that so hereby giuing him the Glory of the good wee haue receiued this may bee a meanes to receiue that further good which shall perfect vs vnto glory And as this is generally to be obserued in the ordering of our ioy that the Fountaine must be first and last therein so also in proportion seeing such Streames as are neerer to the fountaine are more pure so ought they to haue their place accordingly in the ordering of our ioy The Blessings that God hath renued vnto vs in this great deliuerance are very manie and yet some come neere vnto the fountaine then others Some that haue beene giuen vs as we say with the right hand As whatsoeuer principally concerne the life to come Namely the Nursery of the Church consisting of the Nurses both temporall and spirituall 1. Thessal 2. of the Milke of the Gospell and communion of Saints to be nourished thereby Together with the manifold pledges and fruites thereof as Peace of conscience our ioye in the Spirit and growth in Christ and such like Others haue beene the blessings of the left hand as our Goods Country Friends c. Examine wee now our selues whither our ioy hath beene ordered aright or no if it hath beene first the blessings of the right hand rather then for the other Nay if wee could haue beene contented to haue redeemed the blessings of the right hand with the losse of the blessings of the left nay if nowe wee can bee contented to abate our ioy in the one that wee may take our fill in the other these are good tokens that our ioy is ordered aright So was the affection of Mephibosheth ordered aright when the King would make him some part of a mendes by diuidyng the Lands bewixt him and Ziba his ioy was so inflamed with the enioying of the greater blessings that his Lord the King was come home in peace that hee euen resolued let him take all the lands as beeing not willing that the lesser blessinge should haue any part in his ioy Oh that wee had this testimonie of our true ioy for this deliuerance that wee did nowe more reioyce in the reuiuyng of the Gospell and the meanes thereof the publique blessing of happie gouernment then in any priuate blessing whatsoeuer prefering Ierusalem to all our mirth Oh that many may not iustly be charged with this disordered ioy that they could haue beene contented to haue lost the bessings of the right hand and haue thought it
enough that the things of this life restored vnto them Wel let vs bee wise in the examining of our own hearts heereby certainely whatsoeuer wee ioy in aboue the Lord it shall be the meanes to bring a curse vpon that blessing and so bee the occasion that in the end it shall be taken from vs that wee which would not reioyce aright in GOD shall now haue nothing wherein truely to reioyce But if so bee that wee haue so reioyced in the principall blessings that in steed of them the other haue beene vile vnto vs certainely this will teach vs to ioy in them though these bee taken from vs and beeing wise with the blessed Salomon to preferre the greater blessings we shall haue the lesse also cast ouer and aboue into the rekoning vnto vs that so our ioy may be full wanting nothing and so vsing the lesse that wee do not set our hearts vpon them but are able to extend our ioy vnto the giuer of them wee shall by this meanes beeing found faithfull in a little bee made stewardes of greater blessings that so returning all vnto our God in that small measure which we enioy in this life he may be all in all vnto vs in an heaped vp measure in the life to come And thus ordering our ioy shall wee find it to bee in the Lord and so shall wee also find it by the right measure thereof proportioned both according to the things wee doe inioy as they doe exceede each other in worth and excellencie and also to the right vse and imployment thereof So doeth our Sauiour giue his disciples the rule when he had giuen them that excellent gift of subduing all aduerse power But reioyce not in this that the Spirits are subdued vnto you but reioyce rather that your names are written in heauen therein not forbidding them to reioyce at all in these excellent gifts for they were great blessings of GOD and therefore they might lawfully reioyce in them but teaching them therein a true measure of their ioy that they should more reioyce in the more excellent blessings The best apprehension of this right measure shall bee gained by the discouerie of two extreames either of reioycing too much when the cause doth not require or of reioycing too little if the matter be of moment Wouldst thou know in this deliuerance howe thou maiest reioyce too much If it hath not bettered thee in the way to heauen If thou hast not answered the end of a deliuerance euen to serue thy God more conscionably in newnesse of life If thou art so set vpon thy lyes and bound in the seate of the scorners that thou hatest to bee reformed for all these mercies though all things are renewed vnto thee yet thou remaynest in thine olde sinnes If it bee not more ioy vnto thee to doe righteously then to receiue good at the hands of GOD Why takest thou the name of GOD in thy mouth seeing thou hatest to bee reformed wretch that thou art what hast thou to doe with ioy that still reioycest in thy sinne Thou maiest well say vnto laughter thou art madde and vnto ioy depart farre from mee Surely any ioy in this case is too much vnto thee Wouldest thou haue a president to direct thee heerein when the Lord had deliuered the Iewes from the handes of the Ethiopians it is recorded by the holy Ghost that Asa their King beeing incouraged by the prophets of the Lord the First worke that hee did was to purge the land of all it abhominations And so performed true thankefulnesse vnto his GOD in deedes and not in wordes Afterwardes hee gathered togither all the remainder of the people to Ierusalem to offer sacrifice vnto the Lord and to make a couenant with him of most faithfull seruice Which when they had performed in most solemne and effectuall manner and bound themselues further to the same by an oath yea further by a most grieuous penaltie of death for default therein The Spirit witnesseth that all Iudah reioyced at the oath and therevpon followed a most comfortable blessing that the Lord gaue them rest round about Marke I pray you in this example the true vse and intertainment of a deliuerance Heere is sinne first remoued which was the cause of the former danger that so the like might not after befall them Then heere is a course taken to preuent sinne to come by most euident signes of true conuersion vnto GOD that so they might inioy both temporall and spirituall happienesse And then when the Lord was first made glad with the conuersion of his seruants and when the Angells had cause of ioy for the repentance of sinners then came ioy in a right order from heauen vnto earth and the vessells beeing thus fitted to receaue this heauenly influence the holy Ghost recordeth that the people reioyced and showted euen vp to heauen as making a sweete consent therein with God and the Angels Oh neuer let vs looke to reioyce aright in earth if by our vnfained sorrow for sinne we haue not caused ioy in heauen And if so be wee haue reioyced before the couenant bee made know wee that our ioy is vnseasonable and too much if any The very ioy of the Dragons shall be better accepted of God then the reioycing of such sinners that proceedes not from repentance Oh let vs haue respect at least vnto our Seede and posteritie Doe wee know what we doe by this entertainement of a deliuerance as to reioyce therein without reformation of our liues Surely wee prouoke the Lord to hate our feast dayes hee hath protested hee will not smell in our solemne assemblies But doe they prouoke mee sayeth the Lord and not rather themselues to the confusion of their faces Yes surely as our Sauiour would doe no more workes in his owne countrey because of their vnbeleefe so let vs not looke hereafter for the like wonderfull worke of GOD if this bee the best fruite the multiplying of our sinnes and then consider what wrong wee shall doe vnto posteritie from whome wee shall bee the occasion to take such great mercies and so expose them vnto such fearefull desolations as follow therevpon To leade thee a little further in the examining of thy selfe concerning thy exceeding in this measure of ioy art thou deliuered and therefore thou mayest reioyce Oh but remember that Ioseph is in affliction and therefore thou must sorrow too If therefore thou canst not bee more sorrowfull in the sorrow of the afflicted then ioyfull in respect of thine owne priuate good surely thy reioyfing is not good Thou takest too much ioye vnto thy selfe and giuest too little sorrow vnto the cause of thy brother To lead thee yet a step further in the examining of thine excesse Is the Church of God deliuered and therefore thou mayest reioyce Oh but remember the Apostles rule in a case not vnlike As hee would not
that wee do not wilfully shut our eyes or blindfold Gods workes 4 Nor Imitate this policy in our secret cariage of our owne sinne VVhatsoeuer cloaks we may haue for the same Seeing they will deceiue vs. Luk. 8. 17. Ia. 5. 2. Ezech. 8. 12. As did the Babilonians the Iewes Ezech. 23. Rather let vs make God our hiding place by true repentance Psa. 127. Psa. 21. So shall he either discouer or deliuer vs out of the secret snares of our enemies Psal. 11. Exod. 5. Ezech. 8. 12. Psa. 10. 3. 1. Ioh. 2. 1. Tim. 2. Psal. 124. 2. 3. A third policie of multiplying snares And that very dangerous 1. Sam. 27. This is roâ—eâ— policâ—e bâ—t vsed of ola by the wiâ—ked against the godly As by Saul against Dauid 1. Sam. 16. 14 23. 1. Sam. 18. 11 17. 1. Sam. 24. 24 By Satan and his instrumeÌ„ts against Dauids Lord. Math. 4. 5. Math. 6. 15. Ioh. 10. 31. Math. 22. 17. Math. 27. Math. 26. Math. 12. Math. 22. Luk. 22. Math. 27. Ioh. 19. And by our adversaries against vs in this conspiracie Esay 9. VVhat doth this teach vs. 1. The nature of the wicked fruiâ—full and restlesse in sin Prou. 4. 16. Mich. 2. 1. Ierem. 2. 2. To trie our selues whither this nature be changed in vs. 1. Ioh. 1. 8. Psa. 103. 3. 4. Eph. 19. Rom 7. 22. 20. vers Iob. 39. 38. 3. To be plentifull in good workes not to bee wearie of well doing Psa. 37. 15. Psa. 9. 15. The fourth policie of the wiâ—ked namely 〈◊〉 confidence and pâ—esumâ—t on of good sâ—ccesse and why So did Dauids enemies Psal. 35. Psal. 41. Psal. 71. Psal. 14. 6. Ps. 22. 8. So did Senacharib Esay 36. So did the mother of Sisera Iudges 5. So haue our aduersaries been confident as by The like Practizes in 1588. Aâ—d their practizes at this time appeareth Theâ—r insolencie before the day Preparations as if theâ—r mischiefe râ—eâ—e aâ—complished The reasons of this theâ—r confidence Resolution of conscienâ—e 2 ApprehensioÌ„ of the cause 3 ApprobatioÌ„ of it from their holy Father 4 The notable contriuing of their mischeifes in such strength secrecie and variety 5 Aboue all iustice of God iu giuing them vp to this confidence to their more fearefull confusion 2. Sam. 17. 2â— And therefore let vs not be amated at this confidence of the wicked But admire the power and wisedome of God herein And learne we hereby to trie our standine in grace To be confi dent in wel-doing Heb. 10. 32. Ioel. 3. 13. To looke for the confusion of the wicked when we see them thus confident 2. King 6. 17. Exod. 14. As being a certaine token offered vnto vs by the Lord to discerne the confusion of our enemies Prou. 16 8. This is the second part of the Scripture describing vnto vs the defeature of their practises and confounding of the enemies First from the Author hereof almightie God Rom. 13. 4. Prou. 21. 30. Hence haue Kings a notable comfort that God will maintaine his owne calling Psa 30. 1. Psa. 75. 7. Psal. 144. And are hereby taught that they are vnder God And being excluded his protection are subiect to the malice of the meanest And therefore should learne to kisse the sonne to keepe themwithin Gods protection And to vse their authoritie vnder God to the punishmen of sinne And then shall they be sure vnder shadow of his wings And their enemies shall in due time be met withall VVhen their finne is ripe 1. Kin. 2. 34. in the time of vengeance Let Oppressors and all blood suckers read their successe in the Booke of this prouidenee Prou. 21. 1. Let all male-contents and presumptuous opposites take heed how they abuse the patience and clemencie of gouernement The second circumstance in the defeature of the eenemie leading vs to the wisedome and power of God in the manner of defeature As first by sounding their warie and long hatched treasons with his sunaeden geance As he hath done of old And why Heb. 12. 8. 1. To shew that he punisheth the wicked in anger Psa. 2. 5. 2. To pledge vnto the wicked in temporal Plagues eternall punishments Heb. 10. 27. 3. For the good of the elect Rom. 8. 29. In whome securitie is preuented and comfort giuen in their troubles by this difference betwixt the godly the wicked herein 1 Here 's a lesson for careles and presumtuous sinâ—â—rs to feare asuddain surprizall To remember suddaine coming of Christ. 2 Here we may learne 1 Not to feare suddaine iudgments if we be prepared 2 Not to put of our repen tance till death 3 To wish that we may see the plague before it cometh Confidence in sinne makes euerie Iudgement sudden and feare of sinne makes no Iudgement suddaine 1. Thes. 3. 5. A second circumstance describing the maner of Gods wisedome in the defeature of the enemie Namely meting with their manifold practises with one blow or stroake of his vengeance 1. To confound their policie herem 2. And to destroy them more fearfully So hath the Lord threatned And so hath he executed 1 Nah. 12. And so especially hath he met with this sin of treason In Cora Dathan and Abiram Num. 16 29. Ver. 32. Absalon 2 Sam. 18. 19. 14. 1 King 2. 27. Let Traytors thinke hereaf in the pride of their manifold practices Psa. 14. That so they may regaine Gods fauour in their obedience to his ordinance Lest the Lord confound theÌ„ in the things they most trust in A third degree of Gods iustice against the wicked confounding their secrecie from their owne mouths Prou. 11. 8. Pro. 11. 8. So doth the Lord threateÌ„ â—sa 7. And so hath he executed Hesth 7. Sam. 1. 17. And thus shall the Lord make away to his further acknowledgment Psa. 9. 16. And the wickeds further confusion So dealt he against the late conspiâ—ators Confess VVinteâ— Lo here the equity of Gods iustice Eccle. 10. 13. Let malecontents take heed of the secret thoughts or practices against the King seing their owne tongues shall discouer them Let Athiests learne that there tongues are not their owne but that their is a God that oâ—erâ—rules them Ier. 3. vers 25. vers 23. Let Papists hate the darknes that hath thâ—s deceiued them As for the Saâ—nts of God let them not fearethe secret policies of the wicked Nor close with them But resist them And then they shall fall euen with their owne waight A fourth meanes of the wisedome of God in confounding the leagues and confederacies of the wicked by scattering and dispersing them Not onely the Actors in the mischiefe but the spectators also So hath it been in former time Iosu. 5. 1. 1. Sam. 15. 51 So hath the holy Ghost witnessed of Egypt Rome Ashur c. Ezek. 31. Reuel 18. Esay 13. 14. And that iustly because they labour the dissoluing of the Communion of Saints Learne wee hence that no confederacie can preuaile against God Pro. 1. But to delight in the Lord in his