meant Aliis seruiens me ipsum contero by giuing light to others I burne out the lampe of my owne life If he thought this to be the duty of a secular prince how much more should we thinke it the dutie of a spirituall prophet of one that is set apart for the holy function of the ministerie to spēd his happie daies in Gods seruice to preach in season out of season neuer to giue ouer but to runne the race with chearefulnesse vnto the gole and end of his life knowing that his labour shall not be in vaine in the Lord. We know the Heffers that carried the arke they went lowing continually but these Estridges these Heffers these fatte Buls of Basan they neuer low at least so low that none can heare them or if they doe it is but tanquam partus Elephantinus as Elephants bring forth that is once in ten yeares and well too if they themselues who duly looke for their tithes at mens hands will giue the tenth yeare as tithe to God These men doe not giue that portion of meate in due time vnto the hunger-starued soules with Demosthenes they doe pati argyranchen they are molested with a siluer squinancie mute as S. Mathews fish with twentie pence in his mouth they haue bought a farme purchased possessions bought a yoake nay a hundred yoake of oxen and yet all them teames of oxen can not draw them out vnto the plow of the sanctuary vnto the solemnization of the mariage of Iesus Christ and his blessed spouse Whom for their securitie and supine negligence we may tearme as Athanasius cals the wicked that florish like a greene bay tree in this world 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 hogs that are larded for the day of destruction And the Lord Iesus open their eies that they sleepe not in death nor suffer the slumbering soules of Christs flocke committed to their charge to become as fuell for hell fire and that they may at the length after their long scandalous silence speake Salomons diure Kephets his pleasant words 3 Lastly In one word I will couch all the proiect comes to be considered He sought to find out that was his care and studie he beate his braine about this to speake pleasant words The hebrew word bickesh doth signifie with an earnest endeauour and care to find out a thing euen as a mettalist would search for a golden minerall or as a merchant for a prizelesse orient pearle and this Salomon he did no doubt by them foure christian exercises in Augustine Lection meditation oration contemplation neither are here by the way meditation and contemplation to be confounded as some dote for meditation is a painfull searching out of the hidden truth and contemplation a ioyfull wondermēt at the truth reuealed Thus Salomon he sought to find out this pretious pearle of pleasant speach with all industrie If then in breefe Salomon who was inriched with an extraordinarie knowledge and wisedome that he might worthily threby be esteemed and tearmed the Non such for wisedomes residence the very quintescence of science the pretious balme of the wounded soule If he I say did studie to be wiser did seeke carefully to speake pleasantly then let vs who cannot espire to his heauenly pitch striue with might and maine to grow in all good gifts from grace to grace from knowledge to knowledge from faith to faith from vertue to vertue vntill wee become perfect men in Iesus Christ and let vs carefully indeauour that the meditations of our hearts and the words of our mouthes may euer be acceptable to God our strength and our redeemer that we may speake these diure kephets Salomons pleasant words And by your leaue here we may taxe a fourth sort of teachers insinuated in this our text which fitly might be called psittaci plain parrats but that they cā not crie Aue Caesar I meane our extemporarie start-vps who without preparation premeditation feare and trembling are wont to speake of the mightie name of Iehoua they neuer seeke with Salomon studie to speak these pleasant words We know Gedeons souldiers held in one hand a trumpe in the other hand a lampe and so should euery dispenser of the word who are the Lords souldiers to fight his battaile against the kingdome of sinne Sathan Antichrist and the wicked world they should I say hold in one hand the trumpe of the word in the other the burning lampe of spirituall vnderstanding and meditation they should both speake and see what they speake for cursed is he that doth the worke of the Lord negligently Those are they whose fiery deuotion is not managed by discretion they wholly relying on Dabitur in illa hora as if they had the spirit of God at commaund which as elegant Nazianzen whom I cannot mention too often saies 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 heriliter non seruiliter it is present to vs all in dominion not subiection as a Lord not as a seruant and these are our Donatists and Brownists men of separation who are wont to vse such excursions in their preaching wandring in the wildernes of wofull digressions when they are the furthest from the mark shewing the hottest zeale and vociferation like your bastard plouer that beeing furthest from her nest will euer cry the most The zeale of Gods house did euen eate vp Dauid but they with their irregular zeale haue eaten vp the house of God These are vsually your hot spurres against the state against Caesar against the Gordian knot of the two worthy kingdomes against necessary tributes princely and noble recreations against our reuerend prelates blessed hierarchy all spirituall gouernement running in a fierie indiscretion they know not whether like Iehu the sonne of Nimshi that droue the coach as if hee had beene madde crying and shouting for a reformation or rather a deformation for a new presbiterie and sage senioury and for our our gouernement downe with it downe with it euen vnto the ground And it were very necessarie that in many places of this land they beeing growne vnto the height of Brownisme drawing an infinite troupe of the brainesick commonalty especially from their loyable allegeance that these eares of cockle and darnell were quickly cropt or their heads were pruned off in time and that these little foxes were taken with a quick sent and a full crie which will in time if not prevented with the hand of wisdome in my simple iudgement waighing with my selfe some priuate circumstance by a giddie and headie commotion by their burning firebrands of sedition set a wild fire on the vineyard of the Lord which the Lord in mercy forbid pardon me O Lord if in a feruent zeale of the peace of our Sion I may seeme as a rigorous and mercilesse inueigher against those schismatikes who violently would raught away the oliue branch of vnitie from the mouth of thy spotlesse doue and O pray for the endlesse peace of Sion they shall prosper that
loue thee peace be within thy walls and euermore plenteousnes within thy palaces and I charge you you by an oth O ye daughters of Ierusalem ye that are well-willers vnto Sion euen by the roes and the hindes of the field that ye waken not and disturbe this blessed spouse of Christ least that her comely garment her vestment of honour and tranquility be cut like Ieroboams coat in twelue peeces which if those smokie firebrands be not in time put out ciuill dissention is like to bring to passe Neuer was there in open speach especially by them and others too who haue not taught their tongues to speake Salomons pleasant words so great contempt of state nobilitie magistracie learning religion and of God himselfe as now as if Lucifer had broke loose from the chains of deepe darknes had possessed mens hearts tongues Fastus festus literae sunt liturae curia spuria sacerdotium sacrum otium Musae muscae religio religatio heluones Hellenes iusiurandum iocus honos 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Proud contempt is their best feeding content with them learning 's a blemish the court a bastard our ministery vnhallowed securitie the Muses like flyes too many in a swarme Religion a bannishment gluttonisme a merry Grecisme cannon othes are forsooth but Lady Lingua's recreation and Honour is made a foole vpon a stage witnesse some of our audacious theatres now made as spanish strappados for luxations like Pityocamptes his bending pine-trees to racke the best good names persons of state and Vniuersities withall too to intolerably permitted in that O blessed and thrise and euer blessed God to what a dead low ebbe of grace is this world growne to now for irregularity both of speach and action How are the bitter waters of Marah distilled â—oÌ„ the sweetest flowers Gods abundant graces are prooued the limbecks and the seminaries of all vices the most men are hardly yet in the Christ-crosse-row of Christianity babes and infants in diuine knowledge who haue not yet learnd to speake rather spellers then gospellers Let vs euery one euen euery one from the eminent Cedar vnto the lowlyest shrub seeke to imitate Christ Iesus as in all our actions so in all our speeches of whome the blessed Euangelist speakes thus froÌ„ the very mouth of his enemies Neuer man spake as this man doth the Church therefore the spouse of Christ being enamoured with him and with his comfortable words she thus begins her sacred Canticle Let him kisse me with the kisses of his mouth that is cum eius dulci alloquio with his sweete and honie-flowing speach as if thus she should breake out into a feruent passion of her loue saying O sweete Iesu thou fountaine of the gardens thou well of liuing waters thou fountaine of Bethlem thou Ocean of blisse thou minerall of all perfection thou heauenly manna the bread that came downe from heauen thou that art hony to the mouth and harmonie to the eare a iubile to the heart loe I O Lord am sicke of loue of the loue of thy lawes which are dearer to me then thousands of gold and siluer comfort me O comfort me with thy heaueÌ„ly words the balsame of my wounded soule O Lord O my deare Sauiour list vnto me that I may so list to thee as the Hart brayeth panteth for the riuers of waters so my soule panteth and thirsteth for the riuers of Paradise flowing and gushing out of thy mouth O Lord kisse me I beseech thee with thy lips that distill downe the pure myrrh of sauing doctrine Lord O my Lord for thus my liuely faith imbraceth thee thou hast kissed me by Moses by the Prophets these brightsome lamps that now are consecrated to th'euerlasting shrine at their blessed lippes their learned lips a long time haue I bin fed now O Lord I humbly sue for the kisses of thy mouth of thine own mouth say thou vnto my soule I am thy saluation let these my poore praiers be as powerfull aduocats and suppliant oratours to plead for mine vnworthines I know the impure vessells of mine eares are vnfit to drink in so heauenly a moisture of grace beeing neither seasoned nor sufficiently capacious to intertaine thy hallowed word the food manna of my soule yet Lord thou that openest no man shutteth thou canst open my heart as once thou didst the heart of Lydia for sacred attention O let me claime that interest in thine vnspeakeble mercies let me take a faire coppie out of thy mouth that I may learne to speak thy words deliuered in their due place are like apples of gold with pictures of siluer they are as flagons of refreshment O stay me with these flagons and comfort me with these apples for I am sicke of loue Thy words are the sweet sauour of life vnto life to euery one that doth beleeue The precious spikenard ointment in the alabaster boxe the sacrifice of Noah sweet smelling in gods nostrils Aarons holy incense the Queene of Sheba her sweet odours the wisemens frankincense the fragrant orchard of Alcinous they are but as the putrid smells of Golgatha nothing in compare with the sweete perfume of thy heauen-dropping deaw of those thy surpassing pleasant wordes Thus the spouse of Iesus Christ in a sanctified deuotion thirsts after the words of Christ as well for her speaches imitation as for her sorrowes limitation And thus let vs all in the feare of God as wee tender our owne dearest soules ransomd with the prizeles blood of Iesus Christ that immaculate lambe propose him vnto our selues the liueliest patterne of all complete perfection in whome was hid all the treasures of wisdome sanctitie and knowledge let vs adore and kisse in all humilitie of soule and bodie his worthy footsteps whose happy tract will lead vs vnto immortality and let vs humbly craue at Gods hands to giue vs hearts and hands and tongues malleable for good impressions that we may thinke and doe and speake what is most pleasing in his sight And let vs for our speach which most concernes our text remember that one verse of Dauid which the good old Heremit Pambo could not learne in nineteene yeares I said I will take heed vnto my wayes that I offend not in my tongue calling to minde how many by their tongues haue lost their lands their liberties their liues and all to the wofull preiudice of their posteritie And if either this or any other way we do offend if in the day time with Penelope we weaue the spiders webbe of sinne ah let vs at night by teares vntwist it and by our true repentance let vs dissolue our soules into sighes and melt our braines into brinish teares to lauer and rinsh away our crimsen deep-dy'd spots And grant good Lord that we who haue too long serued Satan by Indenture writing it with our tongues in this the pen of too ready a writer subscrib'd it with our hearts dated it euen from our very infancy
seal'd it with the kisses of our lips deliuered it in the presence of many witnesses our consciences God Angels men and euery creature may now at last haue this our grieuous bond cancelled by thy mercy O sweet Lord since to remit a sinne is no lesse nay greater glorie then to reuenge it And if we chaunce to lull and hush our selues a sleepe or slumber in future senfuality O thou the keeper of Israel who neither slumbrest nor sleepest rouze vs vp with the shril sound of the truÌ„pet of thy fearfull iudgement that wether we eat or drink or what ear we doe we may with holy Hierom say Me thinks I heare the trumpet of the Lord sound these words shrilly in my eares Arise ye dead come to iudgement And though the most of vs all here convented in Gods presence this day God knowes whether any one excepted sold our selues to sinne by ignoraÌ„ce in the Aprile the forenoone of our yeares graunt good Lord that in the afternoone the cold December of some of our daies we may dedicate and wholly deuote our soules and bodyes to thy seruice ô sweet Sauiour according to our ful determination that at what watch soeuer it pleaseth thee to come we may be found prepar'd invested with the wedding garment clad with the pure and snowie robes of righteousnesse and so with Ioshua and Caleb the little nuÌ„ber of them that shall be sau'd we may happily enter into the land of promise that heauenly Canaan that flowes with milke and honie of all eternity that heauenly Ierusalem the city of the Saints whose walls are built of pretious stone whose gates are pearles whose porters Angels whose streetes are pau'd with gold that farre surpasse the gold of Ophir throgh which doe glide the chrystall streames of life which whosoeuer tasts shall neuer thirst againe where God is the Angels sunne and euer shineth the Alpha of all true and euerlasting ioy and the ohgr mêga of all sorrow and anguishment in whose presence is fulnesse of ioy and at his right hand pleasures for euermore whether he bring vs that so dearely bought vs euen Iesus Christ the righteous thy Christ O blessed Lord but our sweete Iesus to whom with thee O Father and the holy Spirit we in loyaltie of heart and lowlines of affection doe ascribe all honour glory dominion this day this howre and euermore Amen FINIS Northampt. Iulian in his Casar Patricia Plebeia Plin. 15. 29. Virg. Gen. 2â— 17. 1. King 14. Exod. 15. 23. Ioh. 5. Mar. 11. Ier. 11. 16. Iud. 12. Reu. 22. 2. Plin. l. 8. 36. nat hist. Ioh. 2. 10. Prov 10. 24. so Ier. 3. 15. Gen. 29. 2. Heb. 5. 12. Nazian in orat de Pent. or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 A. Gell. 7. 16. Theocrit eidyll 22. Vbivis auro contectum Amos 8. 11. Psal. 106. 15. Marcus Heremita in l. de lege spirituali i 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 then 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 answ iehouah Matth. 21. 9. Matth. 27. 22. Cypr. lib. de vâ—it Eccl. 1. Sam. 25. 25. Plato Ioh. 7. 46. 2. King 2. Thaodoret Serm. 3. Naz. in orat de laudibus Athan. Herod l. 2. Act. 5. Lingua her ba nascitur iuxta fontes Plin. 24. 19. Psal. 55. 14. Ecclesiastic 21. 26. Exod. 15. 27. â— King 19. 6. Cantic 2. 5. Aristae in suo â—b de Sept. 〈◊〉 Ioseph 12 2. Exod. 32. 2. Esa 50. Origen in his prelude before the Canticles Plutarch Nazian epitaph Basil. Gyraldus Act. 18. 1. King 10. Ierem. 1. 6. Exod. 4. 10. Esa. 6. 5. Bernard in Cant. 2. Sam. 23. 15. Xenoph. 7. institut Cyr. 1. King 4. 32. Evdill 8. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 1. King 10. 10 1. King 10. 23 1. King 8. 63. Eccles. 3 9 10 1. King 5. 15. Ecclesiast 2. Dan. 6. 10. 1. Pet. 2. 11. Mercerus ex Baua bathra Ruth 2. 8. Aug. de civ dei 17. c. 20. ad Faust Manich l. 22. c. 88. per tot c. In Psal. 126. in the midst of the enarration Bacchiar ad Ianuar. de lâ—psis recip med cap. Tertull. ad Iudaeos a litle from the ende Iren. 4. haeres 45. August cont Donatist Esa. 63. 1 2 3 Reuel 19. 11 12 13. 1. King 11. Ambrose vpon S. Luke Ecclesiast 47. Hierom. in 43. Ezech. Prov. 24. 32. Septuag Nazian orat de Sanc bap Cyrill Baechiar ad Ianuar. 2. Sam. 12. 25. Luk. 13. 28. Eccl. 2. 12. Sannazarius Erasm in vit Origen Hierom. cahal congregavit Ecclesiast 12 Nazian orat â—â—◠〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Ier. 6. 4. Martial distich Eccl. 11. Amos 6. Pol. Virg. Angl. hist. l. 7. ad finem Eccles. 1. 1. Theodor. 1. Cor. 1. 21. Eccles. 47. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Basil in his oration of Christs natiuitie 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Chrysost. l. 2. contra vituperatores vitae Monast. Exod. 17. Gen. 41. 2. Sam. 8. last Psal. 78. so 2. Sam. 5. 2. Isa. 49. 23. Gen. 41. 43. Abrech Ragnah wherupon regnum comes signifies pascere regere Exod. 39. Reu. 20. Ioh. 16. Act. 27. 8. 2. king 3. 15. Lucian in Pseudolog Esa. 57. 20. Ezech. 10. 10 Prov. 25. 11. Athan. p. 288 Homer Exod. 39. Lust. Mart. in dialog cum Tryph. Iud. p. 202. Hierome verba coctissima comptissima 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Iam. 1. verba quae scita erunt si quaesita satis ditata si meditata Prov. 17. 27. Clemen Al. 2. stromat Nod. instab Eden deliâ—iae whereon 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 comes Orus Apollo Ezech. 20. 46 Naz. in orat cont Eunom Heb. 4. 12. excellent in the greeke 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Theophrast in characte re de intempestinitate Esa. 50. 4. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Herod lib. 1. 1. Tim. 3. 8. Psal. 12. beleâ— valeb Exod. 32. 3. Clemens in Protrep 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Bernard vpoÌ„ the words in the x. of wisdome IustuÌ„ deducit c. Theodor. in ser. de mart Vnto the Iewes a stuÌ„bling block vnto the Gentiles foolishnes 1. Cor. 1. 23. Luk. 19. Mustela 2. Sam. 18. 23 2. Sam. 21. Iudg. 1. 6. Tertullian lib. de pallio Rom. 10. 15. Ceuodi heb but Septuag 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 vid. Mollerum doctissim Eccl. 5. 1. 〈…〉 Ezec. 3. 3. Marlian in his Topograph Rom. lib. 5. 25. vide etiam A. Gel. 5. 12. 1. King 19. 1. King 6. Ezec. 41. 19. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Clem. paed 2. 1. of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 caupo vel propola 2. Cor. 2. 17. 1. King 10. 22. 2. Tim. 4. 3. Mark 6. 43. Arist. Ethic. 3. 7. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. Act. 24. 26. Dan. 5. 6. Ezech. 11. 13 Pierius Hierogl Epiph. lib. de mens pon Plinie Luk. 12. 42. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Athan. quaest ad Antioch quaest â—8 August descala parad Iudg. 7. Ier. 48. 10. Nazianz. in orat Pentec Plutarch in Thess. Pellican in Cant. 1. cap. Apoc. 3. 7. Act. 16. 14. 2. Cor. 2. Mar. 14. 3. Gen. 8. Exod 30 34. 1. King 10. Matth. 2. 11. Socrat scho lib. 4. 18. Psal. 38. 1.
of Severus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he harboured one thing in his brest and hatched another thing in his tongue Thus Ananias and Saphira plaid the sophisters and hypocrites lying to the holy Ghost But we speake of canonicall and regular speach as the schoole tearmes it when speach is a true glosse to expresse the hidden text of the heart Oh then what a full cesterne of sweet water shall we thinke that sweete-sounding cymball of Gods glorie Salomon had that blessed preacher that sanctified Prophet who spake from his heart as the Spirit gaue him vtterance Whose tongue like the hearb Lingua that growes by the fountaines did daily conuerse and take aduise of his heart like Dauid and his familiar friend And sure therein lay his greater wisdome for better is it by farre for the tongue to be deepely seated in the heart then for the heart to be shallowly seated in the tongue according to Salomons owne saying The heart of a foole is in his tongue but the tongue of the wise is in his heart And by the way it is not an iniudicious note the Hebrewe word for the heart is lev whereupon no doubt our liue comes which consists of two letters lamed and Beth L and B L is for lashon the tongue the other B for Beth a house to intimate thus much that the heart ought to be Beth lashon the house of the tōgue wherein the tongue ought to dwell and haue her continuall residence What a singular portion of wisdome shall we thinke this Salomon was inriched withall both for his heart and his tongue he had as much and more wisdome in his heart then words in his mouth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a droppe of wordes but a sea of matter and wisdome and them words beeing riuered from this sea most pleasant comfortable and delightsome wordes to a disconsolate and languishing soule euen like the twelue fountaines of Elim to refresh the thirstie Israelites withall euen like the bread and water that comforted the soule of Eliah vnder the Iuniper tree euen like the flagons apples the spouse of Christ desired to be comforted withall Stay me with flagons and comfort me with apples for I am sicke of loue Such gratious and heauenly wordes the Manna and foode of the soule did Salomon set on his table richer then that King Ptolomie sent to Eleazer such golden iewells he hung in the eares of his auditours more prizelesse then the golden earings of the Israelits such pure myth did drop from the learned lips of Salomon more fragrant then that pretious ointment in the Alabaster boxe like them words of the Prophet Esay The Lord hath giuen to me the tongue of the learned to know how to minister a word of comfort in due season to the wearied soule Thus spake he in his three-folde Philosophie as Origen tearms it Morall Naturall Theoreticall morall in the Proverbs naturall here in Ecclesiastes and contemplatiue in that heauenly song of songs Thus was he like Cleopatra whose tongue was tearmed 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a sweete instrument with many harmonicall strings thus was he like Athanasius who was 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of a gratious and sweete vtterance thus like Plato the bees as it were did hiue and make the hunni-comb in his mouth thus was he like an Apollos cloquent and mighty in the Scriptures He whose wisedom the Queene of Sheba came afarre to heare he here goes afarre himselfe to find out words of wisdome for it is said here The Preacher sought to finde out pleasant words May it please you to tearme this text The Princes patterne The preachers platforme or The Laymans lesson for it is a schoole-master to teach vs all how to speake euen from the tall Cedar of Lebanon vnto the hysope that springeth on the wall Or in a word I pray call it The Art of speaking Oh that I silly I were blest both with the theorie and practise of that heauenly art then might I by right as a right Physitian of the soule chalenge a grace ad practicandum in this poore hospitall of Christ where there is many a spirituall blinde Bartimeus many a lame Mephibosheth many a leprous Naamā many a bedred Aeneas many a soule-sick Ezechias nay many a soule-dead Lazarus rotting and putrifying in the graue of sinne wrapt in that winding sheete of woe muffled in ignorance key cold in charitie hauing the heauy tombe-stone of desperation pressing downe their soules almost to the nethermost hell Oh that I had the tongue of men and Angels that I might feede the flock of Christ with manna the food of angels oh that I could like an Apollos both eloquent and mightie in the Scripture deliuer this embassie from my King my God as behooueth the minister of God that so I might minister grace vnto the hearer But I may rightly say with the Prophet Ieremie O Lord God I cannot speake for I am a childe Or with Moses the man of God O my Lord I am not eloquent neither euer haue beene but I am a man flow of speach and flow of tongue Or with the prophet Esay Woe is me for I am a man of polluted lippes Therefore for the breaking of this little peece of bread I will vse Bernards inuocation to God O piissime frange esurientibus hunc panem tuum meis quidem si ita dignaris manibus sed tuis viribus O sanctified Lord God break this thy bread vnto these hungrie soules if thou wilt please to daigne me that grace with my vnhallowed hands but with thy ayding power of grace O let me tune the strings of my tongue in consort with Salomons sweet harp oh let my heart indite a good matter oh let my tongue be the pen of a ready writer as Dauid cried for the water of the well of Bethlehem in a propheticall thrist for the well of euerliuing waters euen the blessed babe that was borne at Bethlehem so let me crie for these s◠heauenly words giue me O Lord to find out these pleasant wordes of Salomon whereof here we reade The Preacher sought to find out pleasant words In the vnfolding of which we will onely trust on thy merciful aide O Lord and as Cyrus in Zenophon beeing mounted on his horse and making towardes his enemie it thundering on his right hand cried thus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 we will march vnder thy conduct O mightie Iupiter so will we by thy sacred helpe and assisting grace O Lord proceede in this our text The words we will branch into three heads the Subiect Proiect. Obiect 1 The subiect that is King Salomon set out by a spirituall title the Preacher 2 His action or proiect he daily busied his braine how to speake he spoke not extempore he had it not as we say on the tip of his tongue but he sought earnestly and carefully endeuoured not to be
yet Ireneus speaks it from the relation of a Priest I confesse Austen in the last place quoted out of his comment vpon the Psal. speakes very preiudiciously of Salomon as may be gathered out of his succeeding words where he takes away the argument deriued from his penmanship But if he vncharitably and sinisterly censured this holy man it was no doubt a blemish in him perchance rather to deterre and affright euery soule from falling so low then peremptorily and preiudiciously to determine of his damnation we may say as Augustine himselfe sayes in another case of Saint Cyprian who held the Anabaptization of hereticks so of Augustine this was peraduenture magis discendi modestia quam docendi diligentia For their reason it is this Because his soule was so deepely tainted with Idolatrie and loue of his concubines and if he had repented say they we should haue read of his taking away the high altars before his death But to answer Although his soule was dibapho peccati tincta dyed in a crimsen dye of sinne yet he that came with redde garments from Bozrah who trod the wine-presse of Gods wrath alone he that sate vpon the white horse whose eyes were like a flame of fire and on his head a many crownes who had a name writ that no man knewe but himselfe whose garment was dipt in blood he he could purge him with hysope he no doubt could make the scarlet soule of Salomon as white as the snow in Salmon Againe what if he were for a time fascinated bewitched so with the loue of his concubines that for their sakes he followed Ashtaroth the god of the Sidonians Chemosh the god of the Moabites and Milchom the god of the Ammonites yet no doubt he might before his death command these abominations to be ruinated and defaced which were not peraduenture and which he beeing bedred it may be could not in his owne person by reason of his too long delay see throwne downe And by the way nor is it a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 S. Ambrose saith God permitted Salomon thus grieuously to fall least the Iews might be deceiued and thinke promissum diuinum ad illum manasse and so consequently that he was the Messias But with authoritie and reason counterpoised against their vngrounded censure for any thing I see we will prooue directly that he repented and so was saued I will onely mention that place in Ecclesiasticus in which chapter is set out the prayse of Nathan Dauid and Salomon it is there saide Salomon felt sorrowe for his folly but God left not off his mercie to him nor did he destroy him for his workes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which I thinke may be interpreted well he wip't him not out of the booke of life beeing the posteritie of Dauid whom he loued Hierome vpon Ezekiel cites a place out of the Prouerbs in the Septuagints translation where Salomon thus speakes of himselfe 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. that is at the length I repented and beheld c. I know the Hebrew runnes not so for thus vaechezeh anôchi ashith libbi c. then I beheld and laid it to my heart and looked vpon it and receiued instruction Where the fault is it is not at this time to be discussed since it requires an ample discourse and I would not become tediously irkesome for as Nazianzen saies 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is satietie in speach is as great on enemie to the eare as surfet to the body But this is not onely Hieromes but also Cyril the Archbishop of Alexandria his allegation who cites also this very place out of the Septuagints in his booke de Baptismo But Bacchiarius in his fore-mentioned booke he brings in this reason that he was repentant and so saued All the godly kings saies he are reported in the Scripture to haue beene buried among the kings of Israel their fathers in the citie of Dauid amongst which Salomon as a godly king is said to be thus buried but it is not read of the wicked kings as Ieroboam Ahab and the rest that they were thus buried therefore it is likely that Salomon was saued that he did repent in the iudgement of the church but let them that can discerne see into this reason In briefe our plaine arguments to prooue his saluation are these 1 First In the 2. of Samuel Salomon is caled Iedidah by Nathan the Prophet at the command of the Lord the word signifieth beloued of the Lord and so sayes the text because the Lord loued him now whom the Lord loues he loues to the ende and therefore he was saued 2 Secondly He was a sacred Scribe and penman of the Canonicall Scripture inspired by the holy Ghost as all other Prophets were which thing besuits not any reprobate now it is saide in S. Luke that all the Prophets of God are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the kingdome of God therefore to seclude Salomon one of the Prophets from the kingdome of heauen were to denie the Scriptures 3 Thirdly He calls his former waies madnesse and folly therefore it is probable that he seeing in the Scriptures mirrour and looking glasse his owne blemishes and fowle deformites that he washt away the spots of his soule by the troubled waters of Bethesda the teares of true repentance 4 Fourthly He was the liueliest type of Iesus Christ the true pacificus the true Salomon that euer was saue Melchisedeth To say then that he who was thus buried among the faithfull for a faithfull man in the citie of Dauid with the kings of Israel his fathers who was sufficiently reprooued and so cōsequently amended by the holy Scripture who was the louely darling of God the penman of heauēly writ one of the sanctified Prophets who was so liuely a resemblance of our Sauiour Christ who saw into his owne madnesse and folly that he he I say was damned withstands reason denies Scripture and iniuries the dead in the Lord and I verily am perswaded in my soule conscience that his portion is fallen in a faire ground that his inheritance is in the land of the liuing And thou O my soule inioy for euer that blessed paradise he now happily doth bathe himselfe in giue me leaue to end this point with the Poet Happie and thrise happie are them soules Quêis datur Elysium sic habit are nemus who thus are made free denizens in that heauēly Ierusalem the citie of the Saints And thus I conclude that Salomon he was this Preacher and penman of this penitentiall booke with making this short double vse vnto our selues 1. let him that stands take heede least he fall 2. let euery one vpon the bended knee of his heart humbly desire the Lord to conuert him then being conuerted with Salomon let him conuert his brethren Now will I come nearer vnto this first word Coheleth or Preacher As the Prophet saies of
laies aside his regall scepter his golden diademe and wholly betakes himselfe to be a preacher which he seemes euen to prefer before his royal dignitie for thus he speakes in this his booke at the beginning The words of the preacher sonne of Dauid King in Ierusalem naming the preacher in the first place Theodoret saies 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 pretious pearels they shine in basest places the heauenly starres yeelde their influences through darkest clowds the richest diamond loseth none of his lustre though set in lead here Salomon that vnion that bright star that rich diamond of glory thinks it no disparagement or disgrace vnto his honour to betake himselfe to the foolishnesse of preaching as Paul tearmes it O let me euer drink of such a cesterne of heauenly sweet water dropping from the limbeck of a heauenly mouth let me heare SalomoÌ„ preach wiser then his teachers wiser then vs hearers Gratior est pulchro veniens ex ore loquela Giue me leaue to parodize farre sweeter is the water that issueth from a purer fountaine as they say Euermore Lord giue vs of this bread so let me say euermore Lord let me heare so sweet so wise a charmer as King Salomon the preacher was Here is an honour vnto the royall preisthood O ye sonnes of Leui here is a rare exaÌ„ple a King a preacher a Monarch a teacher Many Priests would faine becom Princes but few Princes would become Priests Howbeit the tribe of Leui was in times of yore in farr more esteem then now it is the ministers were receiued as Angels from heauen yea they would haue beene ready to haue pluckt out their owne eies then the which nothing was more deare for their fakes now they are almost contemned and laid aside euen as their sweet sounding harps were hung vpon the willowes by the waters of Babylon Nor shall my vnpleasant words or cogitations be any whit derogatorie vnto the most royal and noble tribe of Ioseph Euill be to him that thinketh euil which tribe is as a fruitfull bowe and euer be it as a fruitfull bowe by the well side and let the small boughs run vpon the walls the tribe of Leui is and hath will be graced by them nor tends my speach to impeach their eminencie Yet for the tribe of Issacar like an asse couching downe between two burthens for want of wit laying all on the shoulders of Court and Nobilitie as also on Bethel the schooles of the Prophets it like the twining iuie climbs vp too hie I will not say with Ecclesiasticall but with temporall promotion nought recking either for King or Kesar Nobilitie or Spiritualtie especially debasing the royall Priesthood I meane without all sinister and captious acception the vnlearned iniudicious Gentrie beeing like Rehoboam the foolishnesse of the people and the common Laitie it selfe O into their secrets let not my soule come my glory be thou not ioyned with their assemblie for in their wrath they slew a man yea euen a man of God whome they ought not to touch for touch not mine annointed such a fearefull and heauen-crying murther like the blood of Abel a resounding oratour in the eares of the Almightie as the like almost hath neuer beene heard of and my flesh it trembles to speake of it saue onely that of Zacharias the sonne of Barachias who was kild between the temple and the altar for auerring as Basil saies the virginitie of the virgin Marie or that of Pauls whome Nero slew for conuerting his beloued concubine vnto the Christian faith howsoeuer by the sequele it appeares the fact was too much lessened and mitigated by some partiall information to the Supreame vnpartiall eare But in that Salomon is here a Preacher which he esteemes as a title of honour for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. who is fit for these things we may inferre that the greatest and most royal honour to dignifie a Monarch or Potentate of the world is this not so much to bind by seruile subiection as to draw by the golden chaine of sacred religion for which Ambrose so highly extolls that gratious Emperour Theodosius A king should be a preacher as well as a Prince to feede the flocke of Iesus Christ as well by spiritual example and instruction as by a corporall Maiestie to manage and rule them for euen the sauage lyons ouerrule the beasts by subiection but I doe not nor neede I to speake this for a quid faciendum but to grace our happy Isle with a quid factum not teaching what is to be done but shewing what is done for here euermore thanks be vnto our good God for these many Alcyonian dayes and yeares dominion hath not ouerpoizd religion But can a King be a Priest As the kings of Egypt were called Pharaohs the Kings of the Iewes Herods so the kings of Palestina were vsually called Abimelechs which word signifies both King and Father the one for dominion the other for instruction for euen as Aaron Hur held vp Moses his heauie hands beeing weary so doth temporall dominion conioyned with spirituall instruction the one commanuding feare the other procuring a religious loue lift vp the hands of inferioritie that are dull and heauie for necessarie performance but euen the hearts of all to a celestiall obedience The word Cohen in the Scriptures signifies both Prince and Priest So Potiferah was Prince of On according to the Chaldie but priest of On vulgarly read Mercerus saith the Priests were highly placed and priuiledged with authoritie in Egypt for as from their wise Philosophers they choosed Priests so out of their Priests they selected Kings so was it with them a royall priesthood as S. Peter calls it Cohen a priest is vsed often for a chief ruler Hira the Iaâ—it haiah cohen ladauid was chiefe ruler to Dauid so Dauids sonnes cohanim haiu were chiefe rulers Homer calls king Agamemnon 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the shepheard to feede the people Dauid saies he was chosen king to feede the people as he was following the ewes great with young he choose him to feede Iacob his chosen and Israel his inheritance The Prophet Isai saies Kings shal be thy nursing fathers and Queelies thy nursing mothers When Pharaoh had graced Ioseph with a golden ring with fine linnen garments and a golden chaine and had set him on the best chariot saue one they all shouted before him and cried Abrech that is as some interpret it they vsed genuflection and humble adoration others say in that word they called him tenellus pater or young father because though he were but tender of yeares and greene headed yet was he a Consul a father for his wisdome or as others which best accords with our purpose in this they cald him King father of the Hebrew word ab a father and rech the Egyptian word which signifies a king because he was Viceroy or King ouer all in Pharaohs roome and father to all for
an instrument for the squaring and hewing of the stones in the building of the Lords house let them remember but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the fiue yeares silence that Pythagoras inioyned his hearers and sure they will not be so lauish of their tongues By those the Royall tribe of Leui is too much abased and contemned and it were very expedient that a stricter inquisition were made for such by our reuerend Fathers in God and by other the eminent Prelates and officiaries who cary as well fasces as securim in their hands Surely surely Ezechiel should first eat the rowle and then he must prophesie first he must be concha to containe and then caualis to let flow or else he wants the first ornament of speach which is maturitie and so he can not vtter Salomons diure kephets his pleasant words The second sort is the Bitter too bitter indeede to plead nothing but lawe iudgement to a distressed soule plunging them deeper ouer head and eares in the pit of desperation Marlian in his topography writes that at Rome they had the temple of Dea Fobris and mala Fortuna of Goddesse Feuer Ill Fortune which saies he they worshipped non vt iuvarent sed ne obessent not that they might helpe them any waies but least they should hurt them And so I feare me may many auditories doe with their indiscreet shephards who neuer whistle but openly let loose their dog who feede with too much tart vineger no pleasant foode by whome the hearers often grow more hard-hearted and more obstinate in their sinnes by ayming at them so personally and giuing them so downe strokes in that holy place of diuine exercise We see the obdurat's marble stone is cut not with hard iron but with softer lead so mildnes often is the onely meanes to win an vnrelenting hard heart to God that is as steeled and frozen in the dregs of sinne The Lord God almightie was not in the whirlwind that rent the rock and mountaines nor in the earthquake nor in the fire but in the still voice to intimate that God wons in the spirit of mildnesse most There was no noise of hammer or other instrument heard while the blessed temple was a building He is the most wise who comes most neare the nature of Noahs doue that brings the oliue braunch of euangelicall peace in her mouth better farre then the black rauen who brings legall death pictured vpon his dismall wings Yet notwithstanding in wisdom there must be a medlay both of law and gospel to sing with the sweet singer of Israel both of mercie iudgement A true preacher should be like one of Ezechiels cherubins who had two faces one of a man another of a lion the one fierce the other mild the one the visage of the law the other the countenaÌ„ce of the Gospel he must as well blesse on mount Gerasin as curse on mount Ebal he must shew the arke wherein there is as well the manna of consolation as the rod of correction There is a blessed tract between Borez and Senah for Ionathan and his armour bearer to climbe vp vnto the garrison of the Philistins and happie is that Ecclesiastes that preacher that caÌ„ finde this golden meane he shall speake Salomons Diure kephets his pleasant words 3 The third sort is your Lenit who makes the pulpit a cage to sing placentia in to sing a Lullabie to Salomons sinnefull sluggard who lyes snorting fast a sleepe vpon the downie bed of iniquitie securitie Those are they that haue a flexible tongue as Nazianzen saies like them in the theaters who wrâ—stling publikely doe not strictly obserue the lawes of valiant wrestling to winne the glory and cary away the prize from those chaÌ„pions they contend withall but onely doe vse such sleights as doe as he saith there 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 steale away the eies of the ignorant and violently cary them away to admiration to extoll their actiuitie Those are they that sew pillowes vnder sinners elbowes onely singing to the sweete dulcimer seeking for too nice tricks of invention euen as Saul sought for his fathers asses They doe in giuing the bread of life that I may vse Clemens his elegant words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is effeminate and sift out the wholsome strength of wheat 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as Paul speakes that is making merchandise or as the word signifies playing the craftie vintners with Gods word It is said of Salomon that euery three yeare he had the ships of Tharsish come ladened home with gold siluer ivorie apes and peacocks I feare me the great Salomon king of heauen and earth has some shippes that doe more then once a yeare bring into his sacred sanctuarie little gold and siluer but a great deale of apes peacocks onely delighting those who are called of the Apostle 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 such as haue itching eares These bring to Iairus his reuiued daughter musick for meate and yet not that which is the Christians best musicke the Recordor to make both her vs remember our selues call to minde how grieuously we haue offended our most good and gratious God The best preacher sometimes should thunder like Bonarges Iames Iohn the sonnes of thuÌ„der should blow the spirituall trumpet seuen times against the walls of Iericho the partition wall of sinne that makes a separation between Iesus Christ and vs should cry alowd and spare not should drumme the march of Christs comming to iudgement attended on with millions of Angels and archangels into the dull deafe eares of all impenitent libertines with the terrible thundercracke of the blessed and powerfull word of God to rouse them vp who are almost like the Celts in Aristot. who are as he sayes mad without all passion and fâ—â—le whome neither earthquakes nor feareful noise of invndation 〈◊〉 euer mooue Giue me that blessed man of God that truly annoynted of the Lord who like the thuÌ„der can pearce wound the inward heart make the haire to stand vpright the flesh to tremble as Felix did the ioynts of the loynes to to be loosed the knees to knocke one against the other as Beltashars who can leaue Pelaieiah the sonne of Bâ—naiah for dead he he is the preacher and those his words in their sutable and right obiect are Salomons diure kephets pleasant words 4 The 4. sort is your Estridges who haue wings but flie not so they haue gifts peraduenture tongues but speake not Of whose learning beeing like concealed land we may say as Ptolomaus Philodelphus in his letters to Eleazer of the hebrew Bible vntranslated 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 what good can redound vnto a man either by a treasure hid or a fountain sealed vp Worthy Ernestus Duke of Luxeburge caused a burning lampe to be stamped on his coine with these foure letters A. S. M. C. by which was