the Lord no iniurie measure not his grace by thy feeling he that tooke a rib out of mans side while he slept in such sorte that he felt it not can also put a secret hand of grace into thee to vphold thee while his spirit doth sleepe in thee and thou not feele it and for the proofe of that I say consider with me how often haue many beene tempted to mischiefe themselues and others yea and practised their owne destruction which yet are liuing and well from whence came this but from a secret hand of God within them that still plucked them as a praie out of the hands of their enenemie Some againe that I know haue bene afraid that they should speake blasphemie against God treason against the Queene and haue beene so tempted the runto that they haue held their mouthes with their hands least it should out and yet when they haue beene willed to vtter it they could not but cleane contrarie in stead of treason and blasphemie haue spoken all good in most heartie holy manner that might be both of God and of the Queene by which they haue perceiued confessed in the end to Gods great glory that these were illusions of sathan and that Gods spirit is stronger in them then the temptation whē they had suposed that God had cleane forsakē them Oh I am damned I am dāned thou criest who told thee so Surely it is the voyce of Sathan that would haue it so beleeue him not for he that is compounded all of lying and falshood cannot possibly suggest any trueth vnto thee Oh if I could feele some comfort in my soule I were well if I could pray from a feeling heart and beleeue effectually c. then I were wel Then I should hope that God would be mercifull vnto me but content thy selfe there is a time for all things saith Salomon a time to weepe and a time to reioyce so there is a time of affliction and a time of deliuerance out of temptatiō if that time were come that thou speakest of then were thy afflictiō at an end the tēmptation of no force not effect but now is the time of casting down of the tēpters forcible working but waite on God he is thy present helpe and thy God with patience possesse thy soule vntill the time be come for thy deliuerance and verely when Gods rods haue had their working to frame thee vnto God the time will come that thou shalt haue diluerance though now thou sayest with Dauid Lord why standest thou farre off and hidest thy face euen in the time of affliction yet after the conflict is ended which must be when God will and not when thou wilt thou shalt sing ioyfully triumphantly Lord thou hast heard the desire of thy poore seruant thou preparest thine heart thou bendest thine eare to helpe thy poore comfortlesse seruant that thy hellish enemie be no more cause of feare Againe that in time of thy spirituall conflict thy soule may hope for some more comfort strength in the ende then for the present thou feelest it shall not be amisse for thee to call to mind the former experience that thou hast had of Gods goodnes towards thee in time past whereby thou maist assure thy selfe that he wil be good vnto thee againe as Dauid said The Lord that hath deliuered me from the Beare and the Lion will also deliuer me from this vncircumcised philistime so say thou That God which deliuered mee from such a perill and gaue me strength against such and such temptations will one day deliuer me from this that God which once let me feele peace and ioy and comfort in Christ will surely giue me comfort againe when he seeth fit time For whom the lord loueth he loueth for euer And the gifts and calling of God are without repentance saith the Apostle Thy treasure is laide vp surely in Heauē saith Christ where neither mothes can eate it nor rust can corrupt it nor theeues can digg through and steale it away God doth not keep it from moths and from theeues to let the deuill deceiue thee of it no it is sure for euer where neither man nor Angell nor all the deuils in hell shall take it from thee no nor God himselfe for though we be vnfaithfull yet he is faithfull and cannot denie himselfe And where as thou criest out for it now saying thou canst not feele it in thy heart c. it is for that perhaps thou diddest not vse it as thou shouldest when thou haddest it before thou wert peraduēture a lazy professor of the Gospell or a proud hearer of the word or negligent in the worship of God both with thy selfe and thy familie or it may be thou diddest waxe proud of Gods graces and diddest not giue him his due honour or it may be thou diddest make some rash promise presuming vpon thy owne strength that thou wouldest do this or that or that thou wouldest neuer commit such and such a sinne againe And therfore the Lord to let thee know thy selfe like a most wise father hath for a time taken away his graces from thee and the feeling of all spirituall comfort and yet for all that loueth thee as his child And heerein the Lorde dealeth with thee but as thou wouldest deale with thy owne childe if thou hast anie when the childe abuseth anie thing that he delighteth in it is taken from him and laide vp till another time and he made beleeue that it is quite taken from him the childe woulde haue it alwaies in his sight but that may not be for diuers causes and in like manner dealeth the Lord with his children it sufficed Iacob to heare that his sonne Ioseph was aliue though he saw him not so it should suffice the afflicted conscience to know that Christ liueth in him though his spirituall eye be so dazeled that as yet he cannot see him yea there is a holy desire to see and feele Christ in thee as an earnest-penny though it be as in a bag sealed vp and in time it shal be deliuered thee yea though thou goest as a malefactor that is condemned goeth to execution out of all hope for life yet as some friend of his sueth out his pardon for him and deliuereth it him euen when he is on the ladder readie to be turned of to his greater ioy more then he expected euen to Christ Iesus hath sued out thy pardon and when thou thinkest there is no waie but one with thee and that is to hell euen when thou seemest to thy selfe to be past all hope of recouery then shall the spirit of Christ step vp in thy heart which now seemeth to be gone or to lie a sleepe and shall deliuer it vnto thee with this message of comfort Sonne be of good cheere thy sinnes are forgiuen thee And in the meane time know that Christ is not gone from thee but sleepeth in thee as he did in the ship
and that was but onely during the tempest but when they in the ship were afraid of sinking they cried Saue vs Master we perish else and then he awaked and rebuked the winds so Christ may seeme to sleep in thee during the time of tempestuous temptations but whensoeuer thou art in any danger he is awake to saue thee and in the end will rebuke Sathan and tread him vnder thy feete that Christs spirit is in thee thou maiest perceiue by the voyce of the Church that is in thy case In my bed by night saith the Church I sought him whom my soule loueth but could not finde him so thou seeekest him whom thy soule loueth but canst not finde him that is thou seekest him whom thou hast with thee for there is in thee the loue of Christ which cannot come but from Christ himselfe now the very loue of Christ in thy heart though it be but weake yet is a certaine argument of Christs sanctifying spirit in thee for though the reprobate may in some sort slauishly tremble at the iudgements of God and for some carnall respect ioye in the things of God for a time yet there is not in them a loue of God in Christ Iesus but with their seruile feare is ioyned also a deadly hatred of the Lord as of their mortall enemie Againe if thou feele not as yet the gracious presence of Gods spirit in thee as thou wouldest yet vse the holy means that God hath appointed for the conuersion confirmation of his children frequent the word preached read in the scriptures labours of the godly learned vse praier conference and meditatiō so wait on God who is thy present helpe and thy God but thou saist thou canst not heare with delight thou canst take no pleasure in reading of good books nor hearing of them redd vnto thee thou canst not brooke conference and praier thou doest distast them all yet I say vse them still as a good man taketh meate and drinke and phisicke though it be against the stomacke and cast vp all againe yet he desireth to digest it and so by often taking at last doth gather strength and take that willingly with hope which before hee receiued against his will with a kind of loathing So thy sicke soule by often vsing the holy meanes that God hath appointed at last through his blessing will strengthen thee and make thee to vse them of loue desire which now thou doest but vnchearfully and with a certaine kind of loathing There is a defect in the stomacke or some other part of the body which will not suffer wholsome meate to be digested So in the inward man the defect may be in the vnderstanding which may be darke or in the memory which may be brittle or in the vtterance which may be slowe or in thy faith which may be weak or in thy repentance which may be imperfect or in thy loue which may be small or in thy zeale which may be bitter or colde or in thy minde which may be earthly or in thy affections which may be vnrulie or in thy whole man which may be lumpish heauie and vntoward to good things yet in all these remaine a double comfort First these graces are not counterfet but in trueth are such as they seeme to be thou vnderstandest aright thou vtterest the trueth though but slowly thou remembrest the best things and beleeuest the word and repentest in trueth with hatred of thy sins and thou louest God and his word for themselues sake againe so much as thou vnderstandest and knowest and remembrest beleeuest louest thou also affectest embracest in heart desirest to grow in them to practise them to the praise of God and therfore still hope and wait on God for though God seeme now to thy soule as if he had no care of thee yet he doth care for thee and thou shalt one day ioyfully sing as Dauid doth heere Lord thou hast heard the desire of the poore c. Lord thou hast heard c. The Lord doth heare all mens desires and knoweth all their thoughtes long before but he is said to heare the desires of his children after a more speciall and gracious manner because he doth in mercy both fauour their sutes and grant their requests so this word of hearing is to be vnderstood somtime in the scripture as where Dauid saith If I regard wickednes in my heart the Lord will not heare me that is the Lord will not grant me my desire And so is it taken also sometime amongest vs in our common manner of speaking as when we doe not fauour a mans suite we use to say I heare you not This is that which the children of God doe most groane and long for in praier namely to pray so that the Lord may heare them that is may afford them a gracions hearing which if they may be assured of then are their hearts filled with ioy whatsoeuer happeneth to them in the world And al their feare is least their sins and sinful praiers should stop the eares not of the Lord simplie but of his grace and fauour against them To that end doe they come before the Lord in all humilitie feare and reuerence striuing sighing and groaning and troubled in spirit And to this end the Lord oftentimes seemeth vnto his children as one that is deafe he maketh them no answere but takes away from them for the time all feeling of comfort in praier to that ende that when he doth speake peace vnto their harts they may know what a mercy they haue receiued from his Maiestie But wicked hypocrites regard not so much whether the Lord doth heare thē or no but whether men do heare them that is all their care they pray to be seene of men and to be heard of men onelie labouring with their lips but without anie strife of the heart They pompe it they chant it they howle it and throate it to please themselues and others but whether all that paines of theirs be accepted with God they neuer so much as once thinke So that when they haue done their stint and taske they may saie as the harlot said of whom Salomon speaketh To daie I had peace-offerings I haue payed my vowes and so leaue for that matter it is no matter whether they be receiued or no she hath paid them so saith the Hipocrit I haue said all my praiers to day I haue done al my deuotion there leaue for that matter but the poore child of God whose soule groaneth vnder the buthen of his sins doth not so much boast of the saying of his praiers as he doth of Gods mercy in hearing his praiers Lord I thank thee saith the Pharisie that I fast and praie so often in a weeke but Lord be mercifull to me saith the Publican Lord I praied in thy temple saith the one as the wicked in the Gospell Lord we haue heard thee preach in our streets
God but praise their owne wit doing sacrifice to the works of their owne fingers After Dauid had complained to the Lord of the pride and crueltie of the wicked and very substantiallie proued those articles which he exhibited against them in the 12. verse he doth humbly sue vnto the Lord by praier that he would arise and shew by some gracious effects that he hath the poore in remembrance which doe commit themselues vnto him and namely by breaking the arme that is the power of the wicked which they abused to mischiefe and wronge And at length as one hauing obtained his request hee concludeth this Psalme with a holy gratulation or thanksgiuing vnto the Lord for that by his spirit he did assure him of some remedie by taking a iudiciall hearing of the matter on both sides whereby we are taught to pray for Gods poore distressed people as for our selues as also to be as thankfull to God for his mercies toward them as if they had beene bestowed vpon our selues and in so doing shall we trie whether we be fellow feeling members of the bodie of Christ or dead and rotten members such as are cut of from the bodie and liue not by the life of God that is in Iesus Christ. Lord thou hast heard c. Heere Dauid acknowledgeth the goodnes of God towards his poore helplesse seruants two waies first generally in the 17 verse saying Lord thou hast heard the desire of the poore then particularly amplifying this goodnes of God first by setting downe the efficient cause of the poore mans desire in these words Thou preparest their heart then by noting the formall cause of that readines and willingnes which is in God to heare their desire in these words Thou bendest thine eare vnto them and then by the finall cause of this goodnes in vers 18. that is double first in respect of the poore and oppressed that they may haue iustice and right secondly in respect of their oppressors who are called in contempt the man of earth that they may be no more cause of terrour to the godly The first thing heere to be noted is how Dauid changeth his note for before he said Lord thou hast hid thy selfe but now he saith Lord thou hast heard the desire of the poore that is thou hast shewed thy selfe in the robes of Iustice and iudgement Dauid here was like one that during the battaile could not tell what to make of the matter but after the encounter is past like a valiant conquerer he striketh vp and maketh forward in triumph saying The Lord is King for euer and euer the heathen are destroyed out of thy sight Lord thou hast heard the desire of the poore thou preparest their heart thou bendest thine eare To iudge the fatherlesse and the poore that the man of earth cause to feare no more And heere we see that verified which is in Psal. 126. 5. 6. They that sowe in teares shall reape in ioy And that which is in our prouerbe A harde beginning maketh a good ending for one woulde haue thought by the beginning of this Psalme that he shoulde neuer haue obtained so happy an end for thus he be ginneth Why dost thou stand farre off O Lord and hidest thy selfe in time of affliction that is why haue we not Iustice executed but he endeth as you heare Lord thou hast heard the desire of the poore c. which is as much as can be desired Such a blessed and ioyfull end will God sende vnto all his poore afflicted seruants when he hath well humbled them and throughly exercised them with the buffetings of Sathan and stung them to the very heart with the sence and feeling of their sinnes and affrighted them with a terrible shew of an angrie wrathfull countenance all which the Lord wil do against his dere childrē First to let thē feele know what they haue are of themselues secondlie to make them acquainted with sathans mallice that they take heed how they either obey him or beleue him againe thirdly to make the greatnes of his loue and gracious mercy more knowen in deliuering them at the last for by the want of a benefit we know what a benefite is worth and therefore ioy restored is more acceptable then ioy continued Psal. 51. 12. And lastly to make them fit instruments for the conuersion and strengthning of those that are or shal be in the like case as Christ said to Peter Sathan hath desired to sift you as wheat is sifted but I haue praied for thee that thy faith may not faile Therfore when thou art conuerted strengthen thy brethren But in the meane time it goeth hard for any feeling that the afflicted soule hath of any cōfort in himselfe Oh I cannot feele the loue of God in my heart I cannot find Gods spirit in my hart my heart is not grieued for my sin I cannot pray I take no delight in the word c. Oh that I could pray that I could beleeue that I could feele Gods mercy in assuring my heart of the forgiuenes of my sins but I haue abused his mercy and offended his Maiestie and therefore I am cast out of his sight there is no mercy for me I am damned and shall goe to hell c. And thus the poore soul etaketh on during the winter time of afflictions and temptations but soft a while who telleth thee that thou art cast out of Gods sight that thou art a reprobate c. Againe who told thee that thou wantest faith and repentance other graces of the spirit Againe who is it or what is it that doth so earnestly thirst after those excellent graces of faith of repentance of the forgiuenes of sinnes c. Surely in this Tragedy be three actors and euery one doth his part and here is wisedome to discerne on from the other here is thy owne conscience accusing Sathan accusing Gods law accusing Thy conscience sheweth thee thy wants Gods spirit sheweth thee thy wants Sathan sheweth thee thy wants but that which God doth in loue Sathan doth in malice that which God doth to humble thee sathā doth to destroy thee thou saist thou canst not repent thou canst not beleeue thou canst not pray Oh sweet mercie of God that for the wicked doe not so much as know their wantes thou art sorie that thou canst not repent that thou canst not beleeue c. Oh what better repentance then to bewaile thy impenitencie what greater griefe then that which ariseth for no griefe for sinne What is this but sorrowe it selfe for sinne thou wouldest pray thou wouldest beleeue stedfastly who wrought that hunger and thirst in thee not flesh and blood not Sathan therefore it must needs be Gods spirit content thy selfe thou shalt be satisfied and take that desire of grace for grace it selfe and a pledge of further grace to be receiued hereafter Thou saist thou feelest not Gods loue in thee and therefore he loueth thee not but doe
In all respects it may be resembled vnto a purchased Assises wherin we are to consider First the parties betweene whom the controuersie dependeth Secondly before whom it is to be tried Thirdly by whom it must be tried Fourthly the action that is to be tryed Fiftly the verdict of the Iurie Sixtly the sentēce of the Iudge And lastly the execution of the sentence And this course we may safely take both because Gods spirit hath in like sort set foorth the iudgement seat of God and euerie thing to be tried before the same after the manner of earthly Iudges for our greater capacitie and vnderstanding as also because this kind of teaching doth nearest sute with the teaching of our Sauiour Christ who stil vsed such familiar similitudes to explaine his doctrine by as were most familiarly knowen vnto men Then first of the parties betweene whom the pleading is The plaintiues are poore and fatherlesse such as for want of worldly abilitie are faine to sue for their right In forma pauperum as commonly all good causes doe yea whosoeuer will speed in Gods Court must come In forma pauperis for the Lord taketh no fees and standeth for the poore as well as for any other The defendants or parties arraigned are all oppressors of the poore all Athistes proud and cruell tyrants craftie and subtill hunters of the poore There sit in Commission with the King his owne sonne the sonne of God the Lord Iesus Christ whom God hath appointed to iudge the world And with him sit as it were assistants 24. elders cloathed with white rayments of Christes righteousnes and crowned with golden crownes of heauenly glory and authoritie The ministers or messengers that attēd on this Court are the heauely Angels of God who for their swiftnes in executing their charge are said to haue many wings and for their great power are called principalities thrones and dominations The criers of this court are the preachers of the word whose voices must be lifted vp like trumpets to summon men before the iudgment seat of God The bookes of the court be of two sorts bookes of statutes and bookes of record But where is the prisoner He standeth taken with his owne iniquity and bound with the cordes of his owne sin Now thē the arrainment Crier lift vp thy voyce like a trumpet and call forth the man of earth Sargants strip him out of al his glorious titles and dignities seaze vpon all that he hath let him heare his enditement Man of earth hold vp thy hand thou art endited here by the name of Man of Earth not Gentleman Nobleman nor yeoman but plaine man of earth borne of earth and brought vp like an earth-worme c. For that thou on such a day and of such a moneth in such a yeare hauing receiued an arme that is to say power wealth and authoritie hast abused the same and by force and fraud didst set vpon thy poore brother fatherles neighbour liuing trauelling in gods peace meaning thee no harme didst put thē in feare so that of their credit life goods they did dispaire what saiest thou to this fellonie art thou guiltie or not guiltie Not guiltie my Lord. How wilt thou be tried By my honest neighbors he saith yea sir I can bring the handes and seales of all the parish where I dwell for my good behauiour Yea but that is not inough man of earth thou must be tried by God and his Church Call a Iurie The Iurie that must goe vpon thee is impannelled of Prophets and Apostles Their names are set downe in the old and new Testament what canst thou say against them Oh my Lord I haue to except against them all They are not my friends they I could neuer agree they speake of malice because I woulde not heare them nor be ruled by them nor giue them their demaund well that is no matter they are holy men and such as were led by the holy Ghost 2. Pet. 1. 22. Therfore man of earth hold vp thy hand againe and heare thy second enditement Thou art endited by the name of the man of earth for Athisme and contempt of God vers 3. 4. Also thou art endited for abusing and oppressing the poore by cruell and craftie practises vers 7. 8. 9. 10. Also for speaking blasphemie treason against God and his trueth vers 11. Also for taking part with the wicked and standing against the cause of the innocent Also thou art endited for obstinate prophaning and violating of the Lords saboaths as also for abusing thy stewardship and excessiue spending thy substance vaine and vnprofitable exercises whereby thou madest thy selfe vnfit to doe the workes of thy calling to prouide for thy familie to releeue the poore or to benefit the Church or to maintaine religious exercises for thy vaine sportes and delights lighter then vanitie it selfe What sayest thou to all and euerie of these art thou guiltie or not guiltie Not guiltie How wilt thou be tryed by my honest neighbours I would be tried but if there be no remedie then I must be tried by God and his Church Call forth the plantife Poore man and fatherlesse come forth and feare not you shall be heard what can you say against this man of earth and how doe you proue these articles you haue heere obiected against him My Lord then this we say They haue most proudly and cruelly persecuted vs with inquisitiōs slaunders fines with taxes and vexations and haue almost beggared vs againe they haue boasted of their owne hearts desire they haue blessed themselues and contemned thy seruantes The more thou hast done for them the lesse haue they feared thy iudgementes His mouth is full of cursing and deceipt he hath lien in waite in the villages As a Lion in his denne so lurketh he in waite secretly for his prey by his crouching and bowing he maketh the poore to fall by heapes into his nets thus he hath vsed vs. And as for his blasphemies they are most outragious He hath said in his heart That the Lord seeth not nor regardeth All this we could prooue by manie which are afraide to speake the trueth for feare of their displeasure for that some of them are their landlords some are their masters some are Iustices of peace some are their patrōs some finde them worke c. But Lord thou hast seene it thy selfe for thou beholdest mischiefe and wrong That thou mayest take it into thy handes therefore to thee we appeale You of the grand Iurie you haue hearde your euidence and it is all verie true that the poore and fatherlesse haue enformed for I haue seene it my selfe faith the Lord therfore now giue in your verdict who shall speake for you Dauid because he is a princely prophet and therefore deserueth to be foreman he shall speake for vs. What say you then is the man of
To sit in iudgment vpon the poore mans case So that when God doth proceede against the wicked it is in iudgement And though the poore commit his cause vnto God yet it shal be iudged and without a iudiciall proceeding shall nothing be done for God is no acaccepter of persons as men be though he loueth the godly yet they shall stand to their triall and though he hateth the wicked yet they shall haue their triall all shall be iudged and all wronges shall be righted by iudgement therfore it is saide in the Psalme The Lord shall iudge the people righteously This maketh the godly so willingly to appeale vnto God saying as Sarai said to Abraham The Lord be Iudge betweene me and thee God hath erected iudgement feates on earth vpon whom he hath set Princes and rulers and graced them with his owne name and sittes amongst them to make them to be honoured and regarded And their iudgments are or should be Gods iudgements but oftentimes through corruption good matters are borne downe bad matters are borne vp we see the complaint of Amos proue too true They turne iudgement to wormewood saith hee and leaue of righteousnes And that also of Esay By conceiuing and vttering out of the heart false matters iudgement is turned backe and iustice standeth farre of for trueth is fallen in the streete iniquitie cannot enter yea trueth faileth saith the Prophet and he that refraineth from euill maketh himselfe a pray But what was there no remedie how did the Lotd take this geare marke what followeth when the Lord saw it it displeased him that there was no iudgement And when he saw that there was no man he wondred that none would offer himselfe But is that all verily no. Therefore his arme did saue it that is his power did rescue the praie and his righteousnes it selfe did sustaine it that is he himselfe tooke the matter in hand For he put on righteousnes as an habergeon and an helmet of saluation vpon his head as if he were to goe amongst his enemies He put on the garments of vengeance for a cloathing was clad with zeale as with a cloak as to recompence and to requite the furie of the aduersaries he will fully repaie the Ilands So shall they feare the name of the Lord from the West and his glorie from the rising of the sunne for the enemie shall come like a floode but the spirit of the Lord shall chase him away And this is the godly poore mans comfort Therefore saith the Psalmist Let the people be glad and reioyce for thou shalt iudge the folke righteously and gouerne the nations of the world And Paule saith It is a righteous thing with God to recompence tribulation to them that trouble you And to you which are troubled rest with vs when the Lord Shall shew himselfe from heauen with his mightie Angels And in his first Epistle speaking of the same matter in other wordes he concludeth thus Comfort your selues one another with these words And heere Dauid reioyceth and praiseth God for that he will iudge the poore and fatherlesse Iustice and equitie in the world and from the world are two of the hardest the dearest the rarest iewels that cā be gottē the poore do desire thē God hath granted their desire to iudge the fatherles the poore that the mā of earth cause to feare no more And here now we see that verified which is in Psal. 126. 5. They that sow in teares shall reape in ioy And that which we haue in a prouerbe A hard beginning maketh a good ending for one woulde haue thought by Dauids beginning of this Psalme that he should not haue made so good an end for thus he beginneth Why doest thou hide thy selfe aad stand a farr off O Lord in time of affliction That is Why haue we not iustice but he endeth as you heare Lord thou hast hearde the desire of the poore to iudge which is as much as can be desired But let vs reason a little with Dauid abou this matter How is it that thou beginning so rudely doest speed so well in the end If the God of heauen should haue dealt with thee Dauid as the Gods of the earth doe with their suters it were a wonder that euer thou shouldest finde so much fauour for though thy matter were good yet thou mightest haue marred it in the handling thou diddest vtter one speach that was inough to haue spilled all Why doest thou hide thy selfe c. What an vnreuerent rash and vnaduised speach was this to vtter to the Lord of Heauen and Earth would the Gods of the earth haue takē such a speach at thy hand or at any poore mans hand No Dauid no many haue sustained great wrong by wicked men and haue had good causes that for such a word yea for a lesse offence then thine haue bene very hardly dealt withal whē they haue but craued iustice c. Now thy fault is greater and God is a seuere God it is to be maruailed then how thou diddest escape and speede so well as thou diddest It is true indeed saith Dauid I confesse my frailtie and my fault to be great and so must they also that speake rashly before Gods Magistrates but if the Lord should narrowly marke euery word that is spoken or euery thing that is done amisse as men doe who coulde stand before him No the Lord knoweth whereof we be made and considereth in mercy that through extreame heate of passionate affections and weaknes of faith his children be caried many times beyond themselues but vpon their humble submission and vnfained repentance he freely forgiueth thē though men will not Yea the Lord in mercie doth put a difference betweene his seruants his enemies though men many times will not I recanted my opinion and sayde The Lord is king for euer and euer for all my rude beginning haue through Gods mercy obtained a good ending Praised be the Lord which hath hearde the desire of the poore to iudge the fatherlesse and the poore that the man of earth cause to feare no more A notable example for earthen Gods magistrates I meane to follow and not with bitternes and rigour to censure and in extremitie to prosecute euerie slip and aduantage of poore ministers and other honest men when they come to complaine before them but with loue words of graue and gracious counsell to heale or at least to couer the sore least the vncircumcised doe reioyce and triumph ouer their fathers and brethren as cursed Cham did at his fathers nakednes And so much for the bringing of the beginning and ending of Dauids petition together Nowe let vs heare a little more of the thing it selfe that the Lord hath granted and that is this that it will please his Maiestie to heare determine betweene his poore people on the one side and their cruell oppressors on the other side
earth guiltie of all and singular those matters where of he hath beene endited or no yea Lord saith Dauid he is guiltie Well then Man of earth thou seest that thou art cōuicted by the verdict of the great inquest of the Prophets and Apostles my selfe being witnesse What saiest thou to the recordes of thy owne Court For I haue giuen thee that priuiledge more then all creatures besides to keepe Court in thy owne house to that ende I haue giuen thee will and affections to moue and to debate thy matters iudgement and vnderstanding to descerne of causes and memorie as a register to recorde thy causes and conscience as a Iudge and a thousand witnesses to determine of all thy proceedings And this Court is called the Court of Conscience thou shalt also be tried by that In that Court be many examinations many witnesses and many recordes The hall is common equitie there are many sentences in tables fayrely engrauen as in one place loue God aboue all in another Loue thy neighbour as thy selfe in another doe as thou wouldest be done vnto in another doe no wrong Suum cuique tribuito c. Perhaps thou wilt saie they that belong to that Court haue troubled thee and disquieted thee and therefore they are not thy friends I know it well and therefore thou wouldest not heare them Thou hast also disquieted and vexed them and therefore wouldest be loath to be tried by them I know also thy corrupt dealing with that Court how with false perswasions thou hast blinded reason and peruerted iudgement how thou hast fed vnderstanding with false informations and blinded her eyes with false loue how thou hast put the two Iudges out of commission the loue of God and the loue of thy neighbour in steed of them hast aduanced selfeloue and partialitie How ignorance and wilfulnes haue pleaded thy matters and malice hath euer beene one of the Iurie how crueltie and pride haue beene thy assistantes and weaknes and discretion haue beene put out of doores how falshood and briberie haue informed the Iurie and trueth and honestie haue stood at the barre how Barrabas the murtherer was released and Christ the Lord of life was crucified how thou hast seared that Court with hote iron for offending thee and Conscience her selfe thou thoughtest thou haddest hanged long agoe All this I Know and a great deale more but now I haue raised vp Conscience againe and set all her attendantes in commission againe The recordes are finer written extant Lo where they stand all before me here selfeloue malice haue nothing to doe what sayest thou to all this wherefore hast thou done thus and thus why doth the wicked contemne God why hast thou said in thy heart the Lord doth not regard why speakest thou not what art thou dumbe hast thou nothing to say Besides all this heere commeth in now a pettie Iurie of life and death against thee chosen out from among my dumbe and vnreasonable creatures all which cry for vengeance against thee as thy brothers blood for one the earth that drewe in his blood for another the beame in thy house for another and then the stone in the wall the beast thou rodest vpon thy money that thou tookest for a bribe then thy cruell and craftie Bandes and Obligations then thy merciles pledges and forfaitures that thou swallowedst vp then they pettifoggers thē thy craftie counsellers and then thine owne seruants and children and thy table that thou toldest thy money vpon the verie Penne Inke that thou wrotest withall thy bed that thou laiest vpon and thy chamber doore that thou diddest keepe fast shut while thou committest thy filthinesse and by and by thy owne tongue shall find thee guiltie all these my creatures and subiectes are come in to testifie their humble alleageance and loyall duetie to me their maker against thee that hast abused them what sayest thou now speake art thou guiltie or not Iudas being conuicted by the Court of conscience said he was guiltie in betraying of innocent blood and so went and hanged himselfe Cain being conuicted by the Court of Conscience said also he was guiltie in shedding of his brothers blood and so became a desperate runnagate In like sort was Achitophel conuicted of treason against King Dauid and he went home and hanged himselfe All these were condemned by the Court of Conscience and thinkest thou to escape Conscience bring in thy verdict what saist thou Conscience to the man of earth who thought that thou had dest beene hanged long agoe is he guiltie of those seuerall enditements which haue beene preferred against him by the poore and fatherlesse and found against him by the grand Iurie of my seruants the Prophets and Apostles or no we finde saith the Court of Conscience that such a one man of earth by Gods prouidence sometime Prince of such a Nation and such a one sometime Bishoppe of such a Prouince and such a one Maior of such a towne and such a one Iustice of such a Diuision and such a one Minister of such a congregation and such a one Lawyer in such a Court and such a one Landlorde of such tennantes And such a one Corne badger in such a Countrey and euerie one of them and many moe whose names and bils of enditementes are seuerallie recorded in the booke of Gods euerlasting knowledge and all and euerie of them but men of earth forgetting themselues abusing their place that GOD gaue them and hauing not the feare of GOD before their eyes are guiltie of all and euerie seuerall enditement that hath beene commenced against them Verie well What Did they flie for the same Yea Lord they did flie for as the light of thy word did follow them so they did in a deadly hatred of the same seeke darkenes when they were reproued by the preacher they would come no more at the sermon When they haue beene looked for at the Church then they haue beene at the bowles or at the cardes or at the tables or at the alehouses or at their worldlie busines or about some other horrible wickednes to verifie the saying Qui malè agit odit lucem He that doth euill hateth the light VVe 'l VVhat goods lands or tenements had they at the time of their apprehension They had none of their owne for they were all tenants at will yet we finde that they were very welthy many of them and great in worldly substance For first Thou hast filled their bellies with thine hidden treasures so that they haue inough for themselues and leaue inough for their children after thē Secondly That wealth which thou gauest them O Lord hath encreased neither are they in penurie as others are Thirdly the spoiles of the poore are in their houses and as great fishes deuoure many small fishes so they haue gotten many liuings into their handes and many mens trades and offices into their handes And this is the verdict of the