his bowels are harder then the anuile the Smith smiteth vpon therfore there was reason enough to cry Tu misereb Sion Thou shalt haue mercy vpon Sion The rather for the reasons sake that followeth quia tempus miserendi eius because it is time to haue mercy vpon hir Time yeeldeth a strong perswasion when the time is past perijt spes nostra our hope is gone 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 say they to the Ruler of the Synagogue 5. Mar. Thy daughter is dead the time past Master if thou hadst beene here my brother had not died Martha 11. Ioh. now he is dead and buried the time past Nos sperabamus wee hoped it had beene he that should haue redeemed Israel hee is now dead three dayes sithence the two Disciples Luc. 24. the time past I say it is a strong perswasion that floweth from time and it is as strongly enforced in my text nayle after nayle driuen home to the head Time and by apposition time againe and at the period and full poynt appoynted time and time come that is to say time and season of time and season of season or time and opportunity and necessity of opportunity and extremity of necessity and the very dregs and setling of extremety the punctum the nunc the moment and indiuisibility of time Tempus faciendi Domino now or not at all When I see the Spirit of God in the mouthes of these suppliants pressing so strictly and punctually I say not the circumstance but the instance which indeed is the substance of time instanter instantius instantissimè againe and againe and neuer often enough time treading vpon the heele of time incandescit eundo it gathereth strength by going but that the sickle of time which cutteth all things threatneth to clip the wings of my speech how would I vrge vnto you in all your weighty affaires the presentest prensation and pursuit of the very fore-lock of time Will you show mercy to Sion giue helpe to the helplesse Marke not the winde you shall neuer sow then obserue not the clouds you shall neuer reap Say to your selues It is time yea time the appointed time is come Momenti transitê° anni transitê° aeui transitê° est Once lost and euer lost Will you shew mercy to your soules by repenting your sinnes Deferre not from day to day Deterior posterior dies the longer the worse Say to your selues It is time yea time the appoynted time is come 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 good is not good mercy is not mercy that commeth not in time But as a messe of meat set vpon a graue where the dead is no whit the better for it It is thought by many learned Scribes that this Psalme was fitted for the mouths of the Iewes in the captiuity of Babylon When the seuenty yeeres mentioned Ier. 29. were neere their expiration This time they calculated and pitched vpon exactly out of the Ephemerides and Booke of God that could not deceiue them and therefore by warrant from him they pinch thus closely vpon the time Tempus miserendi tempus c. They may boldly and safely do it when God himselfe hath prefined a time Otherwise let no man presume to appoint his times quae posuit in potestate sua they are a part of his royall prerogatiue who can cause the Sunne to stand still and double the day to bring his worke to an end nor tye him to canonicall houres and atomes and puntilio's of time tempus tempus statutum tempus It is a sinfull temptation Vos qui estis Who are you that tempt the Lord when they fixed him a time of fiue dayes to releeue the Citie of Bethulia els to deliuer it vp to the enemie Binde not the counsell of the Lord he is not as men that he should be threatned with much to the like effect O tarry the Lords leasure be strong comfort your hearts possesse your soules in patience if the vision stay stay with it hope euen against hope NulluÌ„ tempus occurrit Regi is the priuiledge of an earthly King much more of the King of Kings who when he is pleased to helpe can doe it in ictu oculi in the twinckling of an eye and sub ictu gladij vnder the dint of the sword as in the case of Isaac when manubrium è manu God so forced the heft of the knife in the hand of Abraham that he could not smite I haue done with my former part Gods part the latter which belongeth to man followeth Quoniam placuerunt For thy Seruants take pleasure in hir stones c. It is but a second reason added to the former that in effect was this Thou shalt haue mercy vpon Sion because the time requireth it This latter importeth but thus much Thou shalt haue mercy vpon Sion because thy Seruants desire it It is both subsequent and subordinate to the other for the mercy of God in the former is both the exemplary and efficient cause of mans mercy in the latter That is to say God doth both lead the way and giue grace to man to extend his mercy Therefore where the vsuall reading is Tu exurgens thou shalt arise and haue mercy Ierome out of the Hebrew readeth transitiuely Tu suscitans thou shalt raise vp others He that brought water out of the rocke and honie out of the stone can wring mercy out of the heart of an enemie He made all them that led them away captiue to pity them Man would grow wilde and degenerate from nature forget that he is a man become a wolfe a Deuill to man but that God keepeth him in tune Amongst these Seruants of God they ranke in the first place Cyrus and Darius Lords ouer men but seruants to God and as a seruant is defined by Aristotle his liuing Instruments to doe their Masters will Thus God speaketh to Cyrus Esa. 44. Thou art my shepheard and he shall do my desire He shall say to Ierusalem Thou shalt be built and to the Temple thy foundation shall be surely laid The story is very strange in the booke of Esdras the first and sixt Chapters especially and shall be opened amongst other bookes at the day of the Lord against many beleeuers that a paire of out-landish and heathen Kings should not only giue leaue to the Iewes to returne to their Countrey and build both their City and Temple and restore them their vessels and iewels that had beene taken from them but allow the expence of their building out of their owne reuenues and supply them beside for sacrifice and sweet odours with a checke to all their aduersaries be yee far from thence and a peremptory decree that whosoeuer should alter that sentence the wood should bee pulled downe from his house and he hanged therevpon and his house made a draught-house And lastly a direfull imprecation against all Kings and people that should put their hands to alter and destroy the house of God in Ierusalem Erunt
shalt arise And wee must arise in our thoughts and not haue so grosse and earthly a conceit of God as if hee arose indeed who neuer sitteth or lyeth downe or giueth any rest to the temples of his head or as if hee returned to his worke which he neuer intermitteth Semper agens semper quietus saith S. Austin It were a phrase of speech fitter to be vsed to Samson sitting in the lap of Delilah Tu exurge Vp Samson the Philistines are vpon thee or to Ionas sleeping in the bottome of the ship Quid tu soporate Vp sleeper call vpon thy God or in scoffe and subsannation of some Idoll-god as Elias of Baal perhaps he sleepeth But viuens vidensque that euer-liuing and all-seeing God whose eyes are neuer closed vp Hee neither slumbreth nor sleepeth that keepeth Israel and whose seuen eyes goe thorow the earth Zach. 4. Nunquam minûs otiosus quam cum otiosus neuer doing more then when hee seemeth to doe nothing at all cannot in propriety of speech thus bee entreated But as himselfe speaketh Hos. 12. after the Latine Assimilatus sum in manibus Prophetarum it hath euer beene the manner of Prophets and the Pen-men of the Holy Ghost to make resemblances and expressions of God from the fashions of man who when he is weary and giueth ouer his worke sitteth vpon a stoole as old Eli or languidus in cubitum leaneth vpon his arme or stretcheth himselfe vpon a couch But when he intendeth his businesse to purpose then hee standeth vpon his feet explicateth and displayeth his limbes and setteth his whole body in a readinesse And thus in a parable and some sort doth God His cessation and pawsing to vs-ward for the time from outward and apparant help carrieth some shew of indisposition and otiation in God as if he were gone to rest and minded vs not But doe we heare of his rising vp We may assure our selues the Lord will neglect vs no longer but the worke of his prouidence and care which hath bin throwne aside for the time will in hand againe To be short that that we gaine by Exurgens is this that the mercy which God intendeth to Sion is not a mentall mercy alone we wish you good lucke nor onely a verball mercy Goe in peace helpe your selues Iam 2. it is a reall and effectuall mercy in that God doth arise that is aduance and exalt himselfe and gather his forces about him to exhibite this mercy And so from his person Thou and his position or prouision shalt arise we are come to the third his disposition which in man is affection passion but in God action Thou shalt haue mercy Misereberis We neuer came at the kernell marrow of my text till now This is the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the word of comfort Sion had no hope of recouerie till shee heard of the sweet name of mercy Crueltie pulled hir downe exinanite exinanite downe with hir downe with hir euen to the ground and drew the line of vanitie ouer hir Mercy must set hir vp againe Tu misereberis is a large theme to preach vpon and I haue but my time yea my set and appointed time and therefore must march like Iehu The heauens are within a span the earth within a circle the waters within the fist the mountaines vpon the ballance the Sunne within tropicks but what number or measure or bounders shall I set to the mercies of God He that had wisedome as a floud the Preacher of Preachers and preached vpon that sad text wofull and disgracefull to the sonnes of men Vanitie of vanities all is vanitie how iustly and euerlastingly might he haue preached vpon this text Mercy vpon mercy all is mercy O mercy the lady and empresse of all the glorious attributes of God what shall I say of thee Heauen and earth are full of thy glory The glorious company of the Prophets praise thee the goodly fellowship of the Apostles praise thee the noble armie of Martyrs praise thee the holy Church throughout all the world doth acknowledge thee Of all those infinite treasures and riches which that immensitie of the Godhead aboundeth with what is there to vs wormes of the earth which lye low at his footstoole that wee dare approch and claspe in the armes of our soules and loue as our eyes but mercy alone His Maiestie astonisheth vs his glory beateth vs downe his greatnes striketh vs dead we adore his omnipotency admire his wisdome stand in awe of his iustice flie from his vengeance in mercy mercy alone we taste how gracious and amiable the Lord is Out of that strong is this sweet out of that lyon this hony-combe out of that greatnes this goodnes that is so much sought and pursued by vs. I could liue and dye in the contemplation of mercy Blessed be hir wombe that bare vs and hir paps that gaue vs sucke we liue and moue and haue our being by her Shee grew vp with vs from our youth and forsaketh vs not when we are gray-headed shee giueth vs our daily bread and hourely breath continueth vs in life comforteth vs in death and crowneth vs with life in the world to come Two things there are which without betraying my text I may not let passe the one the nature and valour of a true generous Christian faith bearing hirselfe so stoutly and resoluedly vpon the immutable eternity of God in the verse before my text Thou Lord abidest for euer whereupon my text ensueth and the yea and amen of his faithfull promises that in a case of greatest extremity as this was shee standeth not vpon termes of vncertainty si fortè it may bee God will haue mercy at this time maketh not so much as entreaty Tu miserere Doe thou haue mercy but out of a strong 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 confident abundant perswasion that God can no more deny to bee mercifull to hir then denie himselfe shee layeth hand fast vpon God and by anticipation before hand maketh a promise and saith to herselfe Tu miserebere Thou shalt as the Sunamite to the Prophet catching hold on his feet though Gehezi thrust her away Viuit Dominus as the Lord liueth and as thy soule liueth I will not let thee goe And as Iacob to the Angell when hee had wrestled the whole night with him Non dimittam I will not let thee loose till I haue a blessing from thee The other the modesty and humility of Faith bold as a Lyon but meeke as a Lambe Sion had as much to glory in as any hill in the world Why hop you so you high hills this is the Lords hill If any other may seeme to be confident in the flesh that is in earthly prerogatiues may Sion say as the Apostle 3. Philip. much more I. I shall say no more at the present but as the Psalme saith Goe about Sion number her turrets mark well her bulwarkes Goe about the Scripture number the praises marke well the
priuiledges of Sion yet will not Sion reioyce sue in her infirmities and the plea of Gods Seruants on behalfe of Sion is not Turetribues thou shalt requite Sion quia dignus est vt hoc illi praestes Luc. 7. Sion is worthy of fauour from thee but in the language of Canaan the true Church of God abandoning all merit and worth in Sion Tu misereberis Thou shalt haue mercy Their speech bewrayeth them as they sayd to Peter to bee of Asdod or Aegypt that bring into the Church of Christ the name of merit That as those of the old world to get them a name vpon earth make bricke of their owne deuising and build them a Babel a Towre that reacheth vp to Heauen and when they had all done they had but bricke for stone the Scripture noteth and slime for morter and the end was confusion So these to get them a name and opinion of being more holy then other men touch mee not I am of purer mold then thou art make brick of their own pure naturals and inherent righteousnes to build vp a Babel of merit that shall gaine them the Kingdom of Heauen and when they haue all done it is but the bricke and slime of mortall corruption and they can prognosticate to themselues no fairer end then Babels was I maruell what region of the world they can rake into to find out merit for By his wisdome he made the Heauens because his mercy endureth for euer And laid out the earth aboue the waters because his mercy endureth for euer Giue me a thousand and million more of the actions of God the amaebaeum and burthen to them all must be because his mercie endureth for euer And I haue read of a Mercy-seat in the Temple of God but I neuer heard of a Stoole of merit but in the Chappell of Antichrist Sion is the obiect of mercy Sion a Mount by nature by nature art togither a Fort by misprision and errour for the time a Fort of the Iebusites enemies of God by conquest and purchase Mons dextrâ Dei acquisitus the Fort of Dauid by accession and improuement of honour first the Palace and afterwards the Citie of the great King by grace the Habitation and Mansion of God God is well knowne in hir palaces by type the figure of the Church both militant in this world and triumphant in the world to come And well might it for there was tabernaculum the tabernacle for the Arke of Gods strength and the seat of Gods worship and there the Coenaculum Conclaue of the Apostles of Christ where they receiued the first Sacrament of his Body and Bloud were inspired by the Holy Ghost had the keyes of the Kingdome of Heauen deliuered vnto them chose Matthias to the Apostleship gaue Orders of Deaconship to S. Stephen and others and formed the first infancie of the Gospell of Christ So that Sion by birth-right and eldership carrieth the honour of the Gospell from all the parts of the earth Lex è Sione And it were no Soloecisme in Diuinitie nor any violent straine to the booke of God to say that the Temple of Ierusalem stood vpon Sion For though it was seated vpon Moriah a lower hill yet was that Moriah a part of the daughter of Sion the issue as it were of hir wombe because in dependance and continuance it grew out of Sion Sion and Ierusalem ioyne them both togither for by an easie coalition in Scripture they may stand for one they differ but as mother and daughter the vpper and nether Citty Mons Sion collis eius a mount and an hillock for salubritie of ayre fertilitie of ground munition of place beauty of building populousnes of inhabitants sowen with the seed of man and beasts commodiousnes of situation placed as they write in the vmbilike and center of the earth the miracle of the world the Metropolis of that land the Metropolis saith Hesychius of all the miracles of God Gloriosa de te dicuntur Ciuitas Dei this Citty Sanctuary jewell dearling of God princesse and paragon of all the places vnder heauen became as the name of Sion importeth specula and speculum and such like the watch towre beacon mirrour looking-glasse terror spectacle parable hissing to all the nations in the world of more stupendious miserie and consequently when the light of Gods countenance shone vpon it againe of more insignious mercy then the whole earth besides They are harder then stones and rocks and viler then the dust that the accursed serpent licketh vp that heare of the stones and dust of Sion and are not grieued at them The bowels of Scythians and Massagetes would be turned within them A Citty so sanctified and dignified possest I grant at the first by the Iebusites and vnder the name of Iebus well neere 500. yeares but afterwards recouered and held by Dauid and his line almost 500. more the strongest and stateliest pile of building that euer the eyes of the Sunne looked vpon more then the Aegyptian spires or all the Mausolaeas in the world and then ouer-turned ouer-turned ouer-turned as a man turneth a platter vpside downe by the proud Assyrian Monarch and after the dead winter of that desolation recouering a fresh spring at the end of 500 yeares more sackt and demolished by the Romane Conqueror and to lengthen the storie a litle farther after all this Saeuitum in vulnera that they spared not the very ruines and fragments but brake them downe to the ground and sowed the whole land with salt And to beare the rest company that glorious Temple of Salomon one of the goodliest limmes of that beautifull body made for the eyes of God and Angels and Men to contemplate vpon worthy enough to denominate the whole City as if Hierosolyma had the name of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that in honor wherof they exalted their tongues like trumpets the temple of the Lord the temple of the Lord this is the temple of the Lord and to say no more of it then God by his Prophet Ezech. 24. Superbia imperij vestri desiderabile oculorum vestrorum super quo pauet anima vestra the pride of your power desire of your eyes and feare of your soules this temple I say in one thousand yeares the same moneth the same day twice burnt downe to the ground and after the Mount Moriah whereon it was built euened with the plaine and the earth of it throwne downe into the valley of Iehosaphat and brooke of Kedron so that sooner or later foxes ran ouer the Sanctuarie saith Ieremie Lam 5. but Ierome goeth farther there ran not a beast neither flew there a Fowle ouer the whole coast of Ierusalem it was so dismall and desolate And now lastly abused to bee the cage of all vncleane birds Satyres Schrich-owles to dwell in the parlors of it I meane Saracens and Infidels he that can heare or read these things without mone and compassion I shall say