Psalme knappeth the speare in sunder casteth the arrowes in the fire I say why would he let the Archers shoot at King Iosias 1 King 22 It was the voyce of the King of Aram to his Captaines concerning wicked King Ahab fight ye neither against great nor small but against the King but that the Lord should direct that fatall arrow to be the death of his darling Iosias this arrow strikes vs with admiration I cannot but beare part with those mourners in Megiddo Alas for this great day Alas for that good Prince Alas that Iosias is smitten When Dauid numbred the people the people dyed they suffered for his sinne 1 Chro. 21 plectuntur Achiui and Dauid cryeth What haue they done it is euen I that haue sinned Is it not I that haue commanded to number the people but these sheepe what haue they done O Lord my God I beseech thee let thine hand be on me and on my fathers house and not on thy people for their destruction There the people were plagued for the offence of the Prince but heere the Prince is smitten for the offence of the people I finde especially two causes why Iosias was smitten First for the sinnes of the time The first cause of the death of Iosias the sinnes of those dayes I collect out of Zephany to be strange and horride In the front of the Prophecie you may see that he prophesied in the dayes of Iosias Zeph. 1.1 in the second verse of that Chapter there is a fearefull destruction pronounced such as in so few wordes is not to be found in all the Prophets It is a generall obseruation that where we heare some strange desolation threatned there is some strange abhomination committed Obserue both here first the desolation thretned I will surely destroy all things from the Land Zeph. 1.1.2 saith the Lord I will destroy man and beast I will destroy the fowles of the heauen and the fishes of the sea and ruines shall be to the wicked and I will cut off man from the land saith the Lord c. It is so terrible as if that in the Psalm were fulfilled Destructions are come to a perpetuall end Psalm 9. a deluge and Cataclisme a deuastation desolation vnspeakable The greatest plagues that euer came on the world were either the particular in the Iudgements on Egipt or the generall in the drowning of the World In Egipt besideâ— flyes and lice and frogs and darknesse there was the killing of the first-borne Murraine of Beasts death of Fishes by the water turned into bloud but I find no where that their fowle of heauen were destroyed In the drowning of the World all mankinde was not destroyed eight Soules were preserued and although the beasts of the field and fowles of the ayre perished yet I can no way collect the destruction of the fishes those watry creatures kept their Colonyes In Egipt beasts and fishes were destroyed not the fowles In the floud beasts and fowles not the fishes but in this Man and Beast Fish and Fowle all things threatned to be destroyed from the earth Secondly therefore consider the abhomination committed in those times you may at first sight collect them out of the following verses In the 4. verse Zeph. 1.4.1 there was a remnant of Baall in the land resembling our Papists Secondly Priests and Chemarims fit parallels to our Priests and Iesuits Verse 5 Thirdly in the 5. verse there were some that sware by the Lord and sware by Malcham equalling the false-harted halfe hollow-harted Hipocrites of two Religions in these dayes Verse 6 Fourthly in the 6. verse some that turned backe from the Lord like to our Ephraimitall Apostaticall reuolters Fiftly some that sought not the Lord nor inquired after him shadowing the Atheists of our land Verse 8 Sixtly in the 8. verse such as were cloathed with strange apparell the characters of the guls and gallants of our dayes Verse 9 In the 9. verse some that daunced vpon the threshold so proudly the note of the quaint Crane-paced Courtiers of this time Lastly those that filled houses by cruelty and deceit the brand of the sinfull and couetous Citizens of this Citie Now measure with the cubit of the Sanctuary whether desolation be not fitted to abhomination Runne to and fro through the streete of that Chapter and see and heare and feare and tremble Sinnes were the cause of that threatned destruction sinnes were the Cart-ropes Engines Pioners the Earthquakes Whirlewindes Thunderbolts finall downefall and funerall and deuastation of that State In the time of the Iudges Iudg. 20.44 the Lord almost extinguished the Tribe of Beniamin eighteen thousand at one time 1 King â—2 In the time of the Kings ten Tribes fell from Israell But this misery is more Roote and Branch head and tayle as the Prophet sore-told Man Beast Fish and fowle are destroyed For sinnes he doth stretch out his hand vpon Iudah and vpon all the inhabitants of Ierusalem for sinnes he doth worry the Sheepe and smite the Shepheard This is the first reason why Iosias is smitten The second cause of smiting Iosias The second reason that Iosias was smitten was that hee might not see the misery threatned to be brought vpon Israell his eyes should not see that euill Euill must come but not in the dayes of Iosias The word of the Lord is good saith Hezekias onely let peace be in my dayes The Israelites must be bond-slaues in the land of Egipt Genesis but not till the Patriarkes sleepe in peace Tenne Tribes shall be diuided from the twelue yet Salomons eyes shall first be shut Ierusalem shall be destroyed but not till they who mourne in Zyon be marked Ezek. 9.4 Al Italy grieuously troubled but Ambrose must first be at rest Africa shal be spoiled but not till Austine decease Germany was distracted but Luther first must peaceably honourably be buryed England was persecuted and fiered but blessed King Edward must first be receiued into Abrahams bosome God reserueth his iust determinate plagues and stayeth his Vyals till his appointed times All the States of the World haue their Criticall dayes and Climactericall yeeres beginnings setled stations declinations and dissolutions at Gods appointment Certo veniunt ordine Parcae Seneca It was a speech that commands admiration from vs that God should say to Lot Get thee hence I can doe nothing till thou art gone hence Was the power of God limited by himselfe he did actiuely limit his power it was not passiuely limitted by Lot God did limit his wil Genesis or rather both were determinated then limited or terminated It exceedes our thoughts that he in so fauourable a Compassion will forbeare for his loue to some particular Seruant the great wrath he hath laid vp in store for a Nation Gen. 39 5. Gen. 30.27 He doth not onely blesse Potiphar for Ioseph and Laban for Iacob but hold his hand stay his Vials forbeare his
vengeance vpon Israel for Iosias sake holy and reuerend be his name for euer I haue numbred and weighed the words hastily and in the Scales of sighes and sorrow let vs see what measure of them commeth to our share Vse And first was sinne the cause of smiting the Shepheard Indeede Sinne is the ouerthrow of Iudgement the staine of Conscience the roote of all peruersitie infection of all actions affections but is it so harmefull to vs so hatefull to him that is the all-seeing all-being all-pure and sacred Maiestie that not onely his owne Sonne blessed for euer and euer was smitten Esay propter scelus populi as Esay speaketh but also those excellent and choise and blessed Instruments of his glory Kings and Princes are often-times taken away for the sins of the people Let vs all then looke into the Calender of these dayes wee haue seene and found and felt their effects and let vs obserue whether the sinnes of this Land and especially this Citie and Court be not equall to any of any Land see whether the sins now be culpable or damnable winckt at onely by the eyes of men or crying in the eares of Heauen You shall finde them to be aspiring mounting towring sinnes Sinnes of the highest eleuation and those sins now committed which in times past durst not be named Men like women women like Diuels common to salute and stab kisse and betray common cheating whoring drinking swearing as common as breathing Neuer were such varnishes put vpon rotten causes or Lawes made such quirkes for mercenary wits or goodnes so deformed Iustice so guilty Vertue so needy Religion so scorned or Whoredome so painted In a word to let passe the Couetousnesse of the rich idlenesse of the poore want of age wantonnesse of youth prophanenesse of all I aske the honest Religious Soule that mourneth for the misery of Zyon Is it not strange that after so long preaching of the Gospel there should be such an inundation of Popery this generation of Vipers seeming to multiply in our time as the Arrians did encrease in the time of the ancient Fathers who preached and wrote against them Ezekiels Prophecie may seeme fulfilled the Idol of indignation is among vs there be some Ancient Idolaters some idolatrous women some idolatrous Priests in our Land These be causes why our Iosias was smitten our sinnes opened that Vena Basilica Secondly would no other Sacrifice serue but the death of Iosias No. Zeph. 1.7.8 The former Prophet Zephany maketh it plaine in his 1. Chapter 7. and 8 verses The Lord hath prepared a Sacrifice and in that day of the Lords Sacrifice he will visit the Princes and the Kings Children No other sacrifice will serue but the branches of the Oliue tree the blossomes of the Figge tree the beautifull young Cedar the glory of the Forrest the beauty of the Garland the Coronet of succession the Patron of Religion the ioy of the olde hope of young comfort of all Nothing would serue but that precious Iewell which Nature only shewed the world and so put vp againe that happy New Starre new eye of Heauen of whose station and influence while we argued it went out againe Nothing must serue but Iosias Si sic in viridi quid fiet in arido what shall become of the negligent ignorant windy emptie shadowy Creatures who liue to eate and eate to play the Beasts He was taken from the euill to come vpon such to the ioy he enioyes Hee is gone to rest with more tokens of Gods fauour then euer Iosias had his precious Soule is bathed in the precious bloud of his blessed Sauiour Patience did here comfort him Confidence did hence crowne him annointed Cherub blessed Angell gracious Master thou art now in glory though wee poore scattered sheepe haue lost thee Teares blind me and sighes chooke and here I cease sorrow doth silence me Correct vs no more in thy fury O Lord let not thine arrowes sticke so fast in vs northy hand presse vs so down lest we be consumed and brought to nothing Magnifie thy arme of Mercy as thou hast exalted thine arme of Iudgement and let neuer the like losse come vpon vs againe till thy Sonne our Sauiour come to vs againe Amen The second Sermon Matth. 26.31 The Sheepe of the flocke shall be scattered WHen Elias was departing the Whirlewinde mouing the fiery Chariot mounting and Elias in his transmigration neque inter viuos nec mortuos as Bias spake of Saylers being not gone vp into the aire as Moses on the Mount or rapt vp into the third heauens for a time as Saint Paul in his Vision but as Henoch before so he vnder the Law caught vp into the heauens for euer 2 King 2.14 Elisha the Prophet lamenteth Elias with the same wordes that afterwards Ioash the King lamented Elisha 2 King 13.14 O my father my father the Chariot of Israell and the horse-men thereof A lamentation sitting our losse who haue lost our Father our Maister the Cedar of Lebanon and Chariot of Israel In the 16. of Numbers it was an heauy Numb 16.49 weighty iudgement that in so small a time so great a number as 14700 should die Moses then cryeth out as if with sorrow shaking his head wringing his hands There is wrath gone out from the Lord the plague is begun Wee will borrow the words of him it is miserable men that we are I say it is our case Wrath is gone from the Lord the plague is begun Now is a time of mourning of cloathing our selues in sacke cloth and ashes nay in dust and ashes and in the shadow of death that as we spent our first dayes in sinne so wee may spend our last dayes in sorrow Is not wrath come from the Lord when our Lilly of the vallyes is blasted our Rose of the field is blemished I say not that our Oliue branch is cut off but the Doue with the Oliue branch is fled from vs. We are the men whom Ieremy mentioneth in his Lamentations we haue seene the affliction in the rod of indignation the breath of our nosthrils the blessed of the Lord is taken from vs our daunce is turned into mourning and the crowne of our head is fallen Lam 5.15 Woe vnto vs that euer we sinned our heart is heauy and our eyes are dimme because this Mount of Zion shall be desolate My Text doth epitomize what euer my sorrow can conuince The Shepherd is smitten and the sheepe of the flocke shall be scattered I haue gathered so much dew of Meditation from the first part as a day and night could yeeld my sorrowfull head and heart to receiue that was our Maisters part this next ours The sheepe shall be scattered In speaking whereof as that wonder of misery the vnhappy Mother in the besiege of Ierusalem hauing eaten one part of her Childe could not thinke of eating the other without vnspeakeable sorrow so assure your selues my sobs and throbs and throwes
then the sheepe of his flocke silly simple innocent creatures Wolues haue dens Foxes holes Birds of the heauen nests but Sheepe wander out of the way in the wildernesse Errant in montibus agni they haue no Citie to dwell in If the seruants of our Sauiour had no more misery then they may collect out of the condition and consideration of being called sheep it is much Poore creatures when they are strongest together they haue no meanes to withstand the incursions inuasions of the Wolues but the Text stirreth vp more sense of sorrow The sheepe shall be scattered Be scattered it were as if they were scattered consumed Be dispersed it is as if they were destroyed Lorinus Psal 119. di-sperdere is bis-perdere they shal be as Dauid speaketh either gone astray like the sheep that perished or as Christ speketh as sheepe prouided for the slaughter Scattered they must be I wil smite the shepherd the stocke shal be seattered Diuisio The parts are two Part. 1 first the death of the Shepheard secondly the dispersion of the sheepe The death of the shepheard plainely in these words I will smite the Shepheard wherein because I will not trouble you with vnnecessary fractions Looke vpon first The person smiting I will smite secondly The person smitten I will smite the Shepheard Secondly in the dispersion of the sheepe in these words and the sheepe shall be scattered obserue first the denomination of Christs Seruants The sheepe secondly the desolation of these sheep The sheep shall be scattered I will smite Nazianzen Non nisi coact us percuitis saith Nazianzen it is neither the Nature nor pleasure of God to be smiting Abaddon Apolluon be the names of Sathan in the Reuelation Reuelat. but the Lord is a gratious God and mercifull slow to anger and of great kindnesse repenteth him of the euill Gloss Ord. Ioel 2. Exod. 34.6 Benignus affectu misericors effectu saith the Glosse vpon the second of Ioel Moses in the thundring and lightning heard no other attributes vpon the Mount Dauid in his sorrowes acknowledged no other Ionas in the belly of the Whale bottome of hel among all the waues and surges remembreth no other Ioel in his day of darkenesse and blacknesse repeateth no other affections of the Lord Ioel 2. but these the Lord is gracious and mercifull slow to anger and of great kindnesse repenteth him of the euil Psal 145. The Psalmist giues God these titles the Lord is strong and patient there is hony in the Lyon sweetnesse in strength he is not onely strong and patient but strong in patience he doth foreslow his vials and forbeare his vengeance till the cart-roapes of sinne doe hurry downe his iudgements It may be he will vpon long expectation cut away the lappe of our garment as Dauid did by Saul but it is a rare example that hee proceedeth againstany as Satans motion was against Iob to stretch out his hand Iob 1.11 August touch all that he had There were foure ages of the Iewes in all foure the people continued sinfull the iudgements expected were fearefull In the first age of the Patriarkes he promised a blessing to their posteritie in the second age of Iudges he setled their Common-wealth and Policy in the third age of Kings he built them a Citie to dwell in in the fourth of Prophets he built them a temple to pray in hee might haue blasted them in their Spring but he suffereth them to come to their Autumne nay further hee endured them till their owne loosenesse brought them to the fall of the leafe It is the most vile and base condition of man that when as God hath no other Fountaine then the fountaine of Grace in Zachary Zach. 4. nor other riches then the riches of his mercy in the Psalmes nor other bowels then the bowels of compassion and that the vnlimited extent of his gracious affection is beyond all imaginable proportions yet notwithstanding man will vnsheath Gods sword will violently force him to his armory to put on his habergion and brigandine as Esay speaketh to whet his sword 〈◊〉 59 1◠to bend his Bow and to prouide him deadly weapons to ordaine his arrowes against them that persecute him as the Psalmist threatneth Psal 7.13 that Heauen shall afford millions of Angels Hell legions of wicked spirits Orbs and Arches of Heauen Stars to fight in their order Elementary regions Haile Frost Snowe Stormes Tempests Mildew Blastings and the earth his great artillery-yard to send out Lice Mice Flyes Wormes the very Nissets Palmerwormes Locusts Caterpillers Cankerwormes small creatures yet great armies as he calleth them in Ioel hereby causing Iordan to runne backe Ioel 2.25 his mercy to retire yea constrayning him to alter his owne desire and nature and tenor of speech as in this place I will smite not onely so but as before they cause the stroke so afterwards they neglect the stroke Pliny as if the iudgements of God were like to those Bruta fulmina among the Romanes which because they fell vpon the beastes neuer came to obseruation So wicked and beastly men neuer obserue neither why hee striketh nor who it is that striketh A father hath no ioy in the continuall chiding or scourging or cursing of his sonne nay his very bowels yearne within him for sorrow his affection can be no lesse Prou. 31.1 then of the mother of Lemuel O my sonne O the son of my wombe O the sonne of my desires The compassion of the Lord can be no lesse whose mercies be aboue all his works yet if a man will not turne he will whet his sword and bend his bow Chrysost in Psal 7. acerbitatem poenae gladius celeritatem designat arcus saith Chrysostome In vaine doe any attribute the inuentions of swords to the Lacedemonians Plin. lib. 7. Nat. Histor Ludolph or of bowes to the Scrythians God hath prepared them eius sunt arma cuius sunt verba ego percutiam Obseruation First The obseruation collected from the words I will smite is this that in all iudgements we ought truly to iudge of the true author he that being asked his name by Moses answered I am that I am Exod. 3.14 he it is that afterwards threatens I will bring famine I will bring the sword I will bring the pestilence In the ten plagues of Egipt in the beginning of them his words be In this thou shalt know that I am the Lord Exod. 7.17 Exod. 15.3 I will smite He is a man of War in the same booke Nay the Lord of hosts and armies often called in his own booke Murraine of cattell is called his hand Pestilence his sword Exod. 9.3 1 Chro. 21 Psal 91. sicknesses his arrowes his bow hangeth in the cloud his sword is euer in his hand his axes hammers be in readines he it is that doth hurt and shoot wound and strike and
third may be challenged by inueterate heresies also and I ad further that the Diuels may pleade for it Consent and not Heretikes onely for Sathan is not diuided against Sathan wherefore let not any voyce be here to be beleeued but that one voyce vnam regulam Scripture as worthily Vincentius in his 41 Chapter doth plainly deliuer Vine Lirin Fourthly be ye all Christs seruants Christ sheepe by honest liuing heartie louing and diligent hearing So much of the first part The second part Psalme The sheepe shall be scattered Dissipentur inimici let his enemes be scattered Quid meruere oues what haue his poore sheep deserued Misery enough to be such helplesse creatures as sheepe but scattered Lorinus disperdere is bis-perdere this is a greater wane of misery poore disciples now they might sit sobbing day and night breaking their breasts with beating wearing their hands with wringing their hearts aking with sighes and their eyes streaming with sorrowes bruised reeds the staffe of their comfort taken from them the Children of the Bride chamber mourning for the absence of the Bridegroome Lambes sent out into the vast world among Wolues poore soules discouraged discomforted creatures hearing their woe feeling their want solitary are they now to be left that had beene his dayly waiters that had been the witnesses of his miracles Looke vpon the Mother the neere kinsewoman of our Sauiour leading her two sons to be preferred to our Sauiour his seruice did they thinke of this scattering Looke vpon his Disciples disputing for prioritie who should be greater did they thinke of this scattering Looke vpon those two Disciples in Luke trauelling to Emaus Luk. 24.13 how were they deiected when they remembred this scattering they trusted it had beene He that should haue deliuered Israel All the life of his Disciples was a scattering iourneying troublesome life they were stil in progresse our Sauiour had no standing house but heauen He promised them in the Gospell Matth. 19. Quando sedebit filius hominis Bernard vos sedebitis But when did he sit saith Bernard He had no ease no place to rest on These his sorrowfull and as it were forlorne followers had heard Christ oft that he was the light of the world and the bread of life that he had ouercome the world yet shall they bescattered It had beene enough to haue caused their hope to vanish like smoake and their Faith to wither like grasse death to sting them to the death Hell to triumph ouer them but they were sheepe therefore silent they expostulate not but obediently and patiently heare their insuing miserie The sheepe shall be scattered Obser The obseruation collected from the world scattered is that the seruants of Christ must be content to be seuered from their fellowes and friends and comforts whatsoeuer One must be like a Pellican in the wildernesse another like a Storcke in the desart some like the Turtle on the house-top others like Doues in the holes of the rockes they cannot be together but like grapes after a vintage here one there one The indorsement of God to his Saints is like that of S. Peter to the Iewes 1 Pet. 1.2 To the strangers dispersed These Apostles were dispersed and translated into diuers countries Peter into Antioch Euseb Iames to Ierusalem Iohn into Asia Andrew into Scithia Philip into Gallia Bartholomew into Armenia Mathew into Ethiopia Thomas into India Iude into Aegypt and Simon Zelotes into Mesopotamia There was a dispersion and dissolution more horrid then this for in this there was a blessing but the scattering I meane was of the Iewes was a full measure of misery that when the Iewes had bin assailed oft as may be found sixe times in the old Testament at the length their vtter destruction their finall downefall and funerall came vpon them the desolation of their country detestation of their Nation abhorring of their Names the scattering fettering consuming of their Citie Temple peace prosperitie and of all blessings sodainly ouer-tooke them Christ his Prophecy of them was fulfilled Behold your house shall be desolate vnto you for neyther the aged for their gray-haires found reuerence nor the suckling reliefe for his infant innocentage nor Matrone nor Priest nor Virgin nor Senatour for Modestie or order Iudolph found any pitie But this is no such scattering There is dispersio tegumenti Bern. and dispersio Tritici the winde scattereth the chaffe the Husbandman scattereth the Wheate the Wicked are the chaffe as in the Psalmes Prophets frequently Osca Ier. Ezek. the Godly are the Wheate sowen reaped threshed ground to powder yet howsoeuer scattered Gods promise was still Capillum de capite iusti non periturum Psal 1. nay more Quodcunque faciet prospere faciet he not onely careth for the bones that the bones which he hath broken may reioyce but the shadow of Peter shall recouer the sicke the handkercher of Paul deliuer the diseased the Cloake of Elias diuide the Waters and the Bones of Elizeus reuiue the dead and as Saint Paul spake by his experience 2 Cor. As vnknowne yet knowne as dying yet behold we liue as chastened yet behold not killed as sorrowing and yet reioycing as poore and yet making many rich as hauing nothing and yet enioying al things in a word as scattered yet comforted The first name that euer was giuen the name Adam was a name of scattering Aug. in Ioan. it contaynes saith Austine in foure Letters the foure Parts of the World East West North South yet the Lord promiseth to gather together the scattered flocke of Israel from the East West North and South Vse I haue ended my weake weather-beaten Mediatations vpon this Text. Application must begin where Meditation ends When our Sauiour entered into the Synagogue vpon the Saboth day Luke 4.18 hee opened the Booke vpon those wordes of Esay The spirit of the Lord is vpon mee he hath sent me that I should heale the broken hearted c. And he shut the Booke and said this day is this Scripture fulfilled in your eares Beloued if euer Scripture were fulfilled in your eares if euer Scripture made your hearts to ake and your eares to tingle this is the day this the Text if euer any Scripture did take downe the crest of Pride and abate the edge of Reuenge to moue you throughly to leaue and loath the World this is it I will smite the shepheard and the sheepe shall be scattered Oh why is there not a generall thaw through-out all mankinde why in this debashed Ayre doe not all thing expire seeing Time lookes vpon vs with watry eyes disheueld lockes and heauie dismall lookes now that the Sunne is gone out of our Firnament the ioy the beautie the glory of Israel is departed Applic. Honourable Worshipfull worthy Gentlemen who either in the greatnesse of your Offices or in the neerenesse of your attendance liued vnder the Branches of our Princely Cedar to you
this is a dissolution not a dispersion disperdere is not perdere with you you onely returne to your owne Families to drinke of your owne Vines and to eate vnder your owne fig-trees yet remember hereafter as the wise Egyptians did bestow more on their Tombes then Houses so hereafter dispose of more time for consideration of death then of prouision for the things of this life Let mortalitie be your meditation you are but earth your best cloaths earth wormes made them your best fed bodies earth wormes must eate them You may say Vidimus stellam we haue seene his Starre and vidimus gloriam we haue seene his glory you saw it rising and setting you will now beleeue that that GOD who hath called Princes Gods he qui homines coelestibus aequat hath made Princes but men quia sceptra ligonibus aequat You haue serued and therein your posteritie may reioyce the most religious gracious holy chaste vertuous valerous Prince of his growth that euer the Christian world enioyed yet you see HEE is departed season therefore this lumpe of luggage all worldly thoughts with the remembrance of death Embrace all holy acts of religion Psalm 37. keepe innocencie and doe that which is iust and seeke peace for this shall bring a man ioy at the last You are all of you I hope to serue another Prince I doubt not you are in Check-roll already mistake me not I meane no other Prince then the Prince of Peace spoke of in Esay I meane no other Roll but his booke of life Reioyce in this Esa 9 6. that your names be written in the booke of life that seruice is heritage instead of your white staues you shall haue Palmes in your hands and your entertainment will be Good seruants and faithfull you haue beene faithfull in a little I will make you rulers ouer much enter into your Masters ioy This ioy the Lord in mercy in his due time graunt vnto you You of the middle sort whose wound is not mortall and yet are ready to sinke vnder the burthen of this sorrow as hauing lost the most incomparable Prince that euer the World had you that setled your thoughts and hoping to haue seene him the Head ouer many Nations haue said to your soules vnder the shadow of his wings we shall be safe here wil we dwell for euer Let your dare-bought experience teach you the lesson that Dauid a great Prince gaue to his People Psal 146. Trust not in Princes for they be sons of men there is no health in them their breath departeth and euery one of them returneth to his earth Chriâ— Si dicendum sit aliquid mirabilâ— saith a Father If a man may speake any thing worthy of the greatest admiration it is this Trust not in Princes they themselues are not in safety their sublimitie is but sublunary they are within the verge the Earth hath prouided an Auello for euery of them to be laid in yeeld them faithfulnes and obedience but settle not in them your faith and confidence Yeelde them duty tribute yea your goods and liues but withall remember Psalm 146. Blessed is the man that puts his trust in the Lord and hath the God of lacob for his refuge liue honest holy religious liues but a while the end is at hand we shal all meete in aequalitie with our blessed Maister in glory You poore soules the poore silly sheepe of his flocke who was wont to giue you meate in due season you that like those in Ierusalem doe arise and cry in the night Lament 3. and in the beginning of the watch poure out your harts like water lift your eyes to heauen for your selues your wiues and children Take the counsell of Dauid Trust in the Lord Psalm â—7 and being good commit thy waies vnto the Lord waite patiently vpon the Lord hope in him and he shall bring it to passe Trust in the Lord and verily thou shalt be fed Heare Dauids example I haue been young saith he but now am old yet I neuer saw the righteous forsaken nor their seede begging their bread Honesty is the best patrimonie leaue but a good report of an honest life behinde you and your Children then haue sufficient Legacies All of you beloued that are in this valley of teares to heare mee this day repent you of your former liues turne from the wickednesse of your wayes or else yee may feare a more fearefull scattering The outrage of apparell surquedry in meate choise of new oathes new exchange of sins the sluce of vengeance that hell hath opened Since the yeeâ— â—â—â—â— haue brought many fearefull scatterings among vs within these few yeeres the death of nine Counsellers of State sixteene Bishops of the Church fifteene Iudges of the Law in one yeere in this one Citie thirty seauen thousand three hundred two stroken with the Plague of Pestilence Lady Mary Lady Sopâ—ia and which is more then al this three of his Maiesties Children the hope ioy to all true hearted Subiects Prince Henry who dyed in the nineteenth yeere of his his age the 6. of Nouember 1612 and was honorably buried at Westminster the 7. day of December following is taken away from among vs which equals all other losses Isaac is offered Ichabod our glory is departed Prince Henry is deceased whom if euer any of vs in his most obseruant reposed thoughts shall forget let his right hand rot and forget her cunning and the harpe of his Tongue hang vp for euer in the roofe of his mouth O God how hast thou plagued vs as * Lament 2.22 Ieremy complained euen in the solempne day In that Moneth thou once gauest vs Queene Elizaheth to take away Prince Henry In that Moneth thou gauest vs Noble Prince Charles the succeeding Charlemaine in that Moneth to take away his blessed Brother In the Moneth thou didst preserue vs from that furious sulphureous plot of our enemies in the same Moneth are wee to our great sorrowes insulted on by our Enemies Hadst thou not left vs a remnant we had ben like to Sodome and Gomorh Wherefore good Lord looke downe from Heauen behold and visit vs looke vpon that Vine thy right hand hath planted blesse the roote and branches of the Royall remnant let the light of thy Countenance shine euer in the Sunne and Moone and Stars of this Firmament let neuer be wanting one of this race to sit vpon the Brittish Throne till the Sunne hath runne his last race and the world hath finished his last course Say thou Amen thou faithfull witnesse of Heauen to the prayers of vs poore wretched afflicted miserable soules Say Amen thou Truth and witnesse of thy Father to our Petitions that come not out of fained lips and let Heauen and Earth seale it and say Amen Amen FINIS