bee a Iacob that is an innocent and harmelesse man and then to looke for his oppression and trouble Syrac 2.1 for as Syracides said My sonne hast thou entred into the feate of the Lord prepare thy soule to tentation and the instance is notable in the person of Christ that though hee were persecuted by Herod while he was an infant yet was he not tempted till after Baptisme to shew that so soone as wee giue our names to God and take vp our holy life then comes the sorrowe and persecution for righteousnesse and if he haue care to serue God and seuer himselfe from the prophane fashion of this world hee is derided and scorned as Noah was when the Arke was a making traduced by odious and disgracefull names and loaden with infinite iniuries as if he were a marke for all the Diuels arrowes Yet Iacob must haue patience and in all this addresse himselfe to God not shrinking in these aduersities and wrestlings no more then that holy Patriarch did Gen. 32.31 who ouercame and preuailed with the Angel though he went away halting we shall haue from the world a touch of sorrow to carry to our graues but there it should be buried and that which shal follow is comfort euerlasting And now as this day and time admonisheth in this Iacobs trouble I find a more excellent person to which it is applied that is to our verie Nathanaell i. the gift of God his sacred Maiestie who may take vp Israels complaint in a song of degrees for the degrees of his sorrowe that oftentimes from his youth vp he was afflicted may Israel now say Psalm 129.1 the plowers plowed on his back made long furrows that in a great noble kingdome from a yere old to this day is by God vpholdē was preserued from dangers thogh not freed from troubles for cares infinite are wrapped vp in the crownes of princes they are more noble then happy many troubles attēd vpon their persons because as in Esay the key of gouernement hangs vpon their shoulder and like the Master-pilot guids the shippe of the Common-wealth sitting at the sterne in euery storme so that the troubles of a carefull Prince are more then the labours of any common subiect and the dangers of the head more then of all the bodie Let vs then that are but legges and hands or other parts labour to support this Iacob not trouble Iacob but as much as we may free him from troubles I meane from griefe and sorrowes for it cannot be but the head wil ake if the body be distempered and the good and carefull head will watch and heare and see and search and find out and remedie all that may offend and hurt the bodie or els the head is not a head of care but a drowzie and a sleepie part which if it doe but slumber troubles are then sent both to awake the Pilot the Marriners for in the head you see the members are vnited Iacob for Israell that is the whole people Iacob for euery faithfull man Iacob for the Prince of Iacob in euery of these is seene a day of trouble Sed tamen But yet that is I the God of Iacob in despite of them al I will deliuer him And this shewes Gods owne opposing himselfe against all the troubles and troublers of Iacob Wherin I wil instance in two most famous particulars and set before your eyes the mercies of God to this kingdome in the daies of our late most noble Queene Elizabeth worthy of al our memories vnder whom you haue beene bred nursed and brought vp and the happie and most ioyfull succession of our so Noble a king vnder whom we are still so godly so louingly and so peaceably gouerned That this day we may remember with all possible thankes to God both their miraculous preseruations with a Sed tamen that is in despite of all their enemies Elizabeth the glorie of her Sex while she liued and the honour of it beeing dead a name signifying the oath of God as if God had sworne to be mercifull to England in the daies of Elizabeth Many and great were her troubles and yet deliuered out of all Let goe the famous acts shee did her succour of afflicted strangers reliefe of distressed states power to settle with peace and to suppresse by force honour at home and fame abroad I say let these passe But her deliuerance from Conspitacies and bloody Treasons so many and so wonderfull are to vs certaine Demonstrations of Gods mercie that the gospell of Christ which wee professe was at the first miraculously planted and established and euer since hath beene most miraculously preserued and continued Notwithstanding all Romish oppositions which so frequent and desperate plainely shew that our Church hath by them beene persecuted the Gospell intended to be suppressed the glorie of our State purposed to be supplanted the life and honour of so noble a Queene so cruelly pursued and yet I say notwithstanding all that euer they could doe in despight of all Traytors not worthy to bee named she was with her peoples peace her State and honour to the end of her life miraculously preserued and the Gospell liues and being dead shee liues in their hearts that loue the gospell But now to see GODS goodnesse still in preparing to this kingdome a king of whom I would say much but that as Saint Ierome said vereor ne damnum illius laudibus me a faceret verecundia and preparing such a king for such a kingdome A king of Iustice a king of peace whose receiuing was with such ioy and generall applause as I thinke neuer happened in any nation whose care of the afflicted and oppressed Israell which by many testimonies hath so clearely appeared shall pleade with God and he shal remember it in the euill day and when his soule is troubled the Lord shall stand by him and saue him aliue and the backes and sides of the poore relieued shall blesse him the prayers cryes and teares of his people shall praye for him and they shall say Deliuer Iacob Lorde out of all his troubles And hath not GOD deliuered him in this fift day of August as you haue heard before and since his Maiesties comming to this kingdome from other foule and trayterous attempts But aboue all from that same Salt Peter Treason or Peters salt Treason of Rome I know Saint Peter the Apostle neuer seasoned his meate nor manners with this kind of salt I say a Treason without all reason a treason sine nomine without a name as Saint Ierome notes of the face of the fourth Monarch the first a Lion the second a Beare the third a Leopard the fourth terribilis valde but sine nomine quia crudelitas eius erat sine modo such was this a Treason which neuer any age may forget and I thinke so horrible as scarce posterity can beleeue that euer any vipers bred in any Countrey would so bloudily betray their soueraigne Lord him and his All the Orders and States of a kingdome and kingdome and all such a treason so conceiued conspired contriued and so concealed to a point of time and then so mercifully discouered tell me what God is there to the God of Iacob and who so great yea adde this and who so good a God as Englands God let Rome if she please boast of her miracles and her rash and Garnets strawe all not worth a straw we will reioyce in the name of our God and make our boast of him that hath deliuered vs from so great a death and will deliuer hath planted the gospell and no power can supplant it hath peseru'd our state and stil preserues it hath confirmed his mercie to vs by his word continued it in the hopefull succession of Princes hath saued our king out of the hands of all his enemies and will saue him from the euill day from the sorrowfull Alas from the great dayes of trouble from open and priuy enemies from al that beare euill will at Jacob and the Lord is faithfull and hath promised Sed tamen that is let them doe what they can in despite of them all he is yet and yet he shall be deliuered Which since our eyes haue seene and our eares haue now heard the mercies of the Lord vnto our king and vs in this his day of mercie Let vs euer pray that God would continue them still and let our hearts ioyfully giue thankes and for these blessings euer ascribe to God our heauenly father to Iesus Christ his sonne our blessed Lord and only Sauiour and to the holy spirit our true and eternall Comforter three persons and one God All glorie honour praise and power this day and for euermore Amen FINIS
the worlds redemption if he had liued to it certainely a greater and a farre better day nam plus mihi contulit Deus redimendo quam creando saith Saint Ambrose quia creando me mihi dedit redimendo seipsum pro me me mihi reddidit si totum de beo pro me facto quid iam reddam pro me refecto Both the daies were glorious daies the creation and redemption but yet here the Prophet Ieremy speakes of another day that is of the distresse and affliction of this people in the name of Iacob and so it was dies magnus Two words implying two things First Breuity for that it is but a day vsed to expresse small continuance Secondly Grauity and weight of sorrow in that word magnus which implyeth sharpenes and the extent of affliction Short it is but for a day and dies vnus so when Moses summes vp Methushelah his life he then numbers as in Iob vita vnius diei his life by a day and sets one day for his life but when he gathers particulars to make the totall then he saith All the daies of Methushelah c. Gen. 5. And Iacob to Pharoah makes mention in one verse once of yeares and thrice of daâ—es if this life be short by yeares Gen. 47. it is shorter by daies though Abraham as the Text saith liued full of daies yet he and others gaue place to nature Mat. 6.34 and were not more full dierum then dolorum The truth hath spoken it sufficit diei malitia i. the sorrow or vexation of it Moses couples labour and dolour together Psal 90.10 such a day was Iacobs day Why had not Esau a day too Yes the day of my fathers mourning will be shortly what then Genes 27.41 Why then haue at my brother Iacob I will kill saith one Text I will slay my brother Iacob kill and slay are termes for Esau Rebecca heares of it and cryes shall I loose both in one day that is the younger oppressed and the elder accursed and Ieremie bringes in Rachell crying for her Children Ier. 13.15 Rebecca cryed because shee feared Rachell wept because they were not And the Church our mother Rachel-like sigheth and lamenteth in her Children non carnis necessitudinm sed fidei destructionem Many amongst vs are luke warme and hasten to death as men stung with Aspes not feeling their dying and are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 without any remorse and others are striuing in their mothers wombe vnkindly like Benoni Children of sorrow that bring her death for breeding them If yee will yet so vnnaturally striue doe that which children doe who when they haue bitte and scratcht a while turne clamores in amores and are friends againe The great measurer of times made Iacobs afliction but a day and will you nourish lites immortales immortall hatred Lactantius saith mortalium vtique mortalia sunt opera if you must die let your contention first bee killed See the longest and shortest daies of the yeare the winter and summer and you shall find the stormy winter dayes the shortest because they are the sharpest Apoc. 2.10 Es 54.7 All the Churches sorrowes are reckoned but ten daies and in Esay for a moment in mine anger I haue smitten thee Anger saith God is not in me if any appeare you see it is but momentanie Dayes of sorrow haue many names in Scripture Eze. 1.18 Ezechiel calls them dies pluuiae raynie daies Iob 14.6 Iob calles them the daies of an hierling Matth. 24. Christ calles them dies tribulationum and Salomon calles them daies of extremitie Prou. 24. or daies of anguish and in the booke of the Preacher Eccles. 12.1.7.16 dies malos euil daies and daies of vanity and the prophets they speake roughly Esay calles them dies interfectionum Es 30.25 Esay 34.8 daies of slaughter dayes of reuenge and vengeance daies wherein God exerciseth his iudgements and Amos calleth them daies of a Tempest or Whirlewind and Obadiah calles them daies of desolation Obad. 1. daies of ruine and destruction and all meete together to make them daies of lamentation and yet but a day that is a short time and passing quickly and for the affliction of the daies in the end of the world they shall be shortned ob nimiam afflictionem saith our Sauiour And the last iudgement is called a day either for the cleerenes in that all euils now hidden shall then be manifested or because the Lord as Saint Paul saith Rom. 9.28 will make a short sum and abbreuiate quickly and here this Prophet gathers vp into a summe all Iacobs trouble into a day one day but it is dies magnus A great day Great why so Jer. 30. for we haue heard a horrible noise the voice of trembling and not of peace of mourning and lamenting Alas for this day is great In comparison Great in this verse dies iste but in the eight verse n die illo conteram iugum vincula all will fit for vs anon for this distresse of Iacob was great when a Traytor offered to binde Iacob but Israel heere did beare the yoake and now was to be bound in yron bands so Zedekiah was chained 2. Reg. 25 7. and this great shame and misery the prophet aforehand describes that men mourned yea cried out like women in trauell who keepe in their cryes as long as they can at last do what they can they will breake forth and as in Cities set on fire by the enemie some men runne vp and downe others are amazed and stand still some looke pale others whisper some shrike and crie out so stood this people then afflicted and afflicted in the day of Iacobs trouble euery where Alas and the sorrowe was great for this was a Great day and now followeth the admiration it was Great for there was none like it No there was none like it certainely there was Exod. 2. if Ieremie speake of captiuity for what was harder then that of the Aegyptian bondage infants taken from their mothers breasts and drowned in Riuers all degrees of either sex oppressed with seruile workes and scourgings things hard and heauie to be borne yet in Aegypt they were bred and grew miserable by degrees But for Maiestie and State suddenly to fal into distresse shewes this the higher vp the sooner downe and honors and pleasures to be very baits of euill but vnder a proud enemie to beare reproach and to seeme reserued for an euill day thus dies magnus is become dies malus in which saith God to Babel Amos 6.3 these two things shall happen to thee Esay 47.9 losse of thy children and widowhood and both these will make a great lamenting as when Iosiah was slain then it was called Hadadimmon Zach. 11.12 in the valley of Megiddon then grewe vpon Israell the euill day when their good Iosias was slain who taking part with a wicked king lost
his life and honour too then was Israels glory shaken in that day which Ieremy bewailes in his Lamentations there was no sorrow like that sorrow nor any day like this non fuit similis ei Yea but the prophet doth not say Non erit there shall not be any day like this but there hath not beene for there shall bee a day in which they shall-crie and houle For as of the first day it was said there hath beene none like it such is the last day none shall be like it Ames 8.9 as Amos the prophet saith when the sunne shall goe downe at noone and it did so in our Sauiours passion and that day of sorrow of which the Fathers said Non erat dolor sicut is turned into a day of Redemption of which it is truely said non erat similis illi for of this day Dionysius the Areopagite said Aut Deus naturae patitur aut mundi machina dissoluitur But yet the last day Thren 1.12 that day which is dies Domini the day of our Lords comming the day of iudgement that is without all comparison for Daniel saith non fuit similis ei Dan. 12.1 Zoph 1.14.15 nec erit and Zophanias the prophet setts it downe for a strange day no Ephemerides can haue the like Yea our blessed Saniour in the Gospell Matth. 24 21. sets this stampe vpon it Qulis non fuit neque fiet First referred to the Iewes euersion and dispersion and then to that wosull subuersion of wicked men in the day of Christs comming which day he forewarnes to come like a thiefe first speedily and suddenly and afterwards as Saint Paul saith terriblie with flaming fire 2. Thes 1.7 rendering vengeance This day is such a day that it may truely be said non fuit similis ei nec erit neuer was seene such a day nor besides that euer shall be And now before I come to the Explanation what Ieremies day is marke what vse ariseth out of these three the exclamation Alas the Confirmation for this day is great and the speech of wonder none hath beene like it First in the text is placed Alas a Vae the marke of sorrow in the beginning but yet the end is sweet for there is a liber abitur or else the soule would faint and to the soule it shewes that God hath placed in vestibulo poenitentiā as Tertullian saies yea bitter repentance as Anselme calls it sit a mara poenitentia indiniduus con es etatis meae and hee that performes it shall find it though yet bitter repentance follow sinne after repentance comes saluation sorrow first and ioy will follow Secondly many euils and many aduersities must be borne therefore wee must haue patience this repelles the darts of paine and is a perpetuall document in matters of perplexitie and only patience triumpheth ouer misery Thirdly God sendeth sorrowes for a checke for in an easie life it is easie to doe amisse therefore sorrowes are like strong Porters to shut the gates where sinnes would enter Sorrow is a medicine and the smart of sinne and byting cures whom it corrects it preuents new dangers with derestation of the old disease Auoid therefore thy liues bitter sweets for all thy worldly pleasures are but fortunes flatteries and easie premises to bring thy soule to hard conclusions Fourthly where Christ and all his Saints haue had their Alas and day of sorrow and made their waie to highest honours through thorny passages why then nudus nudum sequere nay rather armed with his life and death follow hard after the price willing to change this earth for heauen this life is the very frosty hardnes of al thy happinesse and felicitie and death will one day thaw and dissolue and melt thy vanitie Fiftly these sorrowes are but short as Saint Paul saith momentany and leues breues saith Athanasius ideo leues quia breues short it is indeede that is ended in a day and it is much comfort when heauinesse is but for a night and ioy commeth in the morning Sixtly although misery hath her increase and the end of one aduersitie be the beginning of another yet none can bee greater then a state and kingdome then maiestie it selfe to be cast into misery as Jacob was in his day which may shew Potentates thus much that Kings and kingdomes and famous Cities haue their dying dayes and the more happie in libertie is the more wretched in danger mariner's call fortune a tempest and a great fortune is a great tempest and there we haue neede of strength and councell too if therefore thou hast wasted the day in foule weather prouide that at night thou maist be in the hauen Seuenthly the day is great and none like it for though there shall be none like that day of iudgement yet some will date to desire not diem magnum but diem malum as in Amos and the very daie of Christ with such a face as if they would out-face the Iudge Thus doth sinne put on a harlots fore-head and in her euils is become impudent that if there were not a daie wherein Iacob should be honoured and euery proude Tyrant ouerturned if death were not moderator to pull them hence obtorto collo as the proucrbe is there are some that would liue alone 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 sine rege sine lege yea and sine grege too that is without all humane societie Well these may haue their day diem suum viz. a day of their owne making but when the daie shall come that sheepe and Goates shall be diuided that day shall reforme all and turn good mens fasting into feasting and right all wrongs but for the while t' is heauie to beare it is a daie a daie and none like it tell plainelie then what daie is it It is the time of Iacobs trouble Time of Iacobs trouble what 's this Indeede this is the day this fift of August wherein our Iacob was troubled and I did but hold you in suspense a while it was our owne cause and came very neere vs while I spake of Israell and that state according to the verse iam tua res agitur c. But now I will draw away the veyle and speake plainely Great was the Alas the signes and cause of sorrow a heauie day and none like it A king that is alti sanguinis decus as Saint Ierome said of Marcella a King that holds it nobility clarum esse virtutibus as the same father saith qui benig nitate potius quam seueritate exigit reuerentiam a king the glory of these times the most noble of all his progenitors Henricus rosas regna Iacobus such a king to wrestle for life in the gripes of a Traytor this time was the time of Iacobs trouble and in so great a matter that we may running reade as Abacuc said or hearing discerne as Esay speakes and to proceede orderly in these words I find three things principally to treate of and
presume though not to strike and kill yet with their tongues to throw stones at Maiestie Lycophron called Iuno 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is invulnerable Ambros de Valentiniano not that maiesty cannot but that it ought not to be wounded To take away an Emperours life is Soleme mundo tollere to put out the Sunne and to kill our King is Lucernam Britanniae extinguere to quench the life and light of Britanny Consider next the manner of this Action First by deuise by fraud and lyes to draw his credulous soule to daunger credulas animas maliioqua lingua dissociat a false and lying tongue Ierom. ad Celantian disseuers and beguiles the Credulous Well hee leades the King and misleads him lockes euery dore and Aenigmatically sayes I warrant you hee is safe and fast enough well nay it is very ill for he shuttes vp an armed man there then with oathes and bloudy threats telles him he must now die chargeth his innocent maiestie with the death of his father who was iudged by their Law long before and that in his maiesties minority Yet is there no remedy for al that it is he must die then pulles he out that others dagger and sets it to his sacred brest beginnes to triumph ouer his Lord offers to bind his King in bands Alas this day was great none was like it this was the time of Iacobs Trouble Now if euer Iacob was a wrastler hee must now wrastle for his life and so hee did and by force helde him who by fraud deceiued him and in that strife was heard to call and like that most noble Patriarch that helde Esau by the heele he supplanted this rough-handed and tough-hearted Traytor The Hebrew word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifieth anguish that is when the soule is in a strait it is here expressed tribulation and this tribulus or tribulum the first is a thorne the other a flaile that breakes out the corne both painefull to endure of the first the prophet Dauid saith conuersus sum in aerumna dum configitur spina where a thorne is fastened in the flesh it is an inward and a rankling sorrow so may our king haue said conuersus sum and vnlesse it had beene Deus in adiutorium he might haue said Euersus sum S. Bernard saith Spina malus magistratus malus Minister Apostata discipulus falsus frater spina vicinus malus such badde neighbours had hee but blessed bee the God of Iacob that suffered not this thorne vt infigatur that it should pierce him let the fire of the Lord fal among such thorns and consume them all Tribulum is a flaile and here was Iacob like good corne on the floore in area contusus ab omni humana confidentia ventilatus threshed in the floore and winnowed from all worldly hopes or confidence granum tritici in area nay rather agnus in crucis ara a Lambe for sacrifice sauing in the hands of a Butcher not a Sacrificer O Iacobs God and Israels guide the fierie pillar and the daies cloud if God had not helped now may Israell now say if God had not beene 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Master of the Combat and a mightie defence in that great and euill day Iacob might say I should haue perished in my trouble a great trouble for the time and it was but a time as my text inferreth The time Salomon saith to euery worke vnder heauen there is an appointed time but amongst all those workes he reckons not this time there should be no time to assault Maiestie neuer such a time Well then was a time of this trouble and it had his time and here it is called a Day yet it was a day almost to night here ere it could bee quieted But marke this one thing how God restraines wicked men in their worst euils constraines fury to yeeld and keepes the Diuell in chaines whose malice and mischiefe may endure but for a little time yet the shorter the time is the sharper is his furie as Saint Gregory noteth Quanto minus de tempore angustatur tanto magis ad crudelitatem extenditur and certainely as the diuell hath a name Exterminans that is a destroyer so are they to bee called that partake of the Diuels nature the Sybill said of Christ that when hee should come 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he shall dissolue the wicked Oracles and breake the violent bands and this verie worke of Christ appeared herein to dant the heart and daube vp the mouth of cursed oaths parted those hands of bands rescued his Maiesties life from that sad and heauie houre which we had found if hee had felt it so that now it is certainely a great day great then in the greatnesse of the euils the time of Iacobs trouble and now greater in the ioy of his Maiesties most happy deliuerance great trouble Sed tamen liberabitur but yet he shal be deliuered from it And so I come to that which I called Miraculum salutis In which I obserue these three things First the Authour of this deliuerance God onely and how he shewed himselfe in it Secondly Iacobs vertue consisting in these two 1. The innocency of his heart which euer carries comfort and defence 2. Greatnesse of minde valour and magnanimity Thirdly the instruments of Gods mercie by whom though God doe many things miraculously yet such is his goodnesse and so euident for our sakes that he saues by meanes and not by miracles First God was the Authour of this deliuerance and in it the head of all mercie is Ero tecum and the promise cum ipso sum in tribulatione I am with him in trouble this being of God with faithfull men is the life of al their deliuerance their summ of comfort fons benedictionū so S. Ambrose calles it It was said of Ioseph the Lord was with him and made all things to prosper in his handes foure times in one chapter erat Dominus cum Ioseph and being shut vp in the prison the Lord was with him he is euery where per essentiam saith Saint Aug. but with his seruants he is specially with them per habitationis gratiam In Exodus the Lord comforts Moses Exod. 3.12 certainly I will be with thee and to Iosuah the Lord speaketh feare not Iosua be strong and of good courage Jos 1. there shall not a man be able to withstand thee all the daies of thy life as I was with Moses so will I bee with thee And when Iuda should go vp to warre Iud. 1. Dominus erat cum Iuda if a man can get the Lord his God with him he is safe enough though he be enclosed with walls and lockes and barres because God is extra omnia August sed non exclusus intra omnia sed non inclusus without yet not excluded within and not shut vp and so it appeared by his mercy in this day Salomon therefore prayeth 1. Reg. 8.57 that God would
he with him as he was with their fathers that he leaue them not nor forsake them And it is an excellent praier for the young Prince if euer he should be in any strait as his father was which God forbid he might pray that God would be with him as he was with his father in the day of his trouble in the very houre of tentation to deliuer him But how was God with their fathers invisibiliter ineffabiliter admirabiliter How thus for he works is not seene he stirred vp the spirit of Iacob and strengthned him as Dauid said Psalm 8. mine armes shall breake a Bowe of steele inuisibly he wrought in that others heart that was placed there to kill him that at the sight of the king his heart failed his tongue faultred his hands shooke all his body tremble and had neither hart or any power to hurt to helpe perhaps but not able to hurt Is not this to stop the Lions mouthes he wrought inuisibly in the heart of that desperate Alexander Ruthwen the Earles brother that was at first as fierce as a Tyger or a Beare that the wordes of his Maiestie made him relent and consider and respite till hee might talke with the Earle his brother but after that came againe bloodily resolued to bee imbrewde yet then God was with him as with the Patriarch Iacob in Aegypt that yron sorrow and as he was with Jonas in the Whales belly and kept him from consuming But if you aske me how was he with him I can but say ineffabiliter I cannot tel how to vtter it Nay more he was with him admirabiliter How 's that a present helpe in trouble at euery stabbe at euery gripe at euery assault a rocke of stone a refuge a defence and therefore blessed be the God of Iacob for euer and blessed be he that hath the God of Iacob for his helpe and whose hope is in the Lord his God which onely doth great things and hee is wonderfull among the kings of the earth and so he was with our king in this day Secondly I noted the kings vertue in this conflict the first is innocency which euery where carries with it comfort and defence It was a noble speach of Alphonsus king of Arragon being aduised to take some care of his person where and how he walked priuately answered Satis munitus est qui bonam habet conscientiam yea this is a good armour for the soule yet sometime the body wants it a good conscience is a continuall feast indeed and nothing can keepe in true peace your conscience but your innocence Another vertue was the magnanimity of Iacob which is certainely a vertue royall and suffers not the mind to be daunted with any aduersities no feares no rumors nor euill tidings shall make him quake Psalm 112. who standeth in the Lord and this is such a vertue as hath beene annexed to the Crowne that kings should be magnanimous Salomon fetcheth an argument of mercy from Gods omnipotency misereris omnium qui omnia potes thou hast mercy on all because thou art Almighty and noble Kings are called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not so much for bountie as for mercie Saint Ambrose saith procul abest a magnanimis cupiditas vltionis valiant natures neuer reuenge it is for wolues and Beares for cowards to be cruell quaecunque minor nobilitate fera est saith the Poet. As God therefore prepared Dauid with Lions and Beares and then brought him forth against the Philistim and armed Iob giuing him as one saith 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a Patriarchicall soule Origin constant and valiant to endure al sorrow that might come so did the almighty blesse our holy King with a speech Spirit wisedome strength and courage to resist his enemie and Iacob like to wrastle for the blessing which now his eyes doe see and wee enioy The third thing is the meanes which God vsed for his Maiesties Deliuerance for though God doth many things miraculously yet makes he not a man to fly out of a casement like a bird but ordereth by high prouidence things below and men and meanes in the very extremity he directeth where the danger is That close by the windows his ownse uants should passe where his Maiestie was striuing they heard his call went vp and found their Lord in the graspe of a Traytor but the Traytor ouer-grasped that hee could not hurt By a noble seruant of his were first the very wreathes of this Serpent vntwined this Alexander of mischiefe turned out to his cursed but deserued end that as he shewed no mercy so perishing hee called for none from God in whose hand onely mercy was Euripides saith 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 al men may know the calamities of Kings and Princes For yet all Iacobs Trouble was not ouer past But now the olde serpent with seuen other spirits as ill as himselfe came vp to the place armed assaulting his Maiesties fower defendants where with much strife and doubtfull victory at last it pleased God to send the Earle his hire and the rest vanquished to bee throwne downe head-long Wâ—ll saide Ignatius ad Magnesianos Nemo multus nemansit qui se contra potiores extulit his Maiestie now had a little breathing giuen him and like a religious and holy King vpon his knees in the flore where his enemie lay dead before him gaue harty thankes to God for so great a mercy And this and thus was the time of Iacobs Trouble Trouble yea But he shall be deliuered from it saith God and here he performed it and hitherto as the day requireth I haue shewed the trouble which concerned Iacob The consolation of Iacob is in these words Sed tamen liberabitur Vnspeakeable is the ioy of deliuerance Exod. 15.1 it so opens the heart and makes them sing that finde it And so did the Israelites sing Moses and the men and Miriam and the women with Timbrels quia fecit Dominus magnificè the Lord hath triumphed gloriously he saued them and destroyed their enemies fecit magnificè Jud 5. he did valiantly and Deborah made a song when God deliuered Israell from the hand of Sisera Captaine of the Host of Iabin king of Canaan and it is for a glorious victory a most noble song thus the Psalmes of Dauid were most of them composed and are thankesgiuings vnto God How did the three children sing in the flaming Furnace and Ionas pray and praise God deliuered from the whale Ion. 2. what hart can expresse the ioy of the Iewes deliuered from Haman not one but all to be destroyed and how mercifully God did turne the destruction vpon the destroiers as he did in this day by these you may see what ioy comes with this Liberabitur It is like Gods Angell that comforted Saint Paul and bad him not to feare but be bolde the Lord shall stand by thee or like the Angels touch that made all S. Peters chaines fall off at once And
I say that any that hath knowne the worlds malice the depth of Satan the rage of his Helhounds may say with the holy prophet Dauid I was in wosull miserie and he deliuered me what is hee in his life to whom deliuerance at one time or other hath not beene sweete But this word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is a future time a promise He shall be deliuered verbum dulce super mel fauum saith Saint Bernard yea but when quando duplicantur lateres tunc venit Moses not now nor yet but in the time of his trouble So in the Psalme Jnuoca me in die tribulationis ego liberabo te in the time of thy trouble in thy greatest anguish and extremity for then God shewes himselfe like Christ who slept til his Disciples were almost drowned and then rebukes c. and suspends his mercy to take thee out like Peter when he was sinking he cryed then and Christ then presently rescued him When there is but a steppe betweene thee and death then God deliuereth then is his time And this doth comfort much to think that we haue God a looker on and beholder yea a Master and a Moderator in the matter that things are gouerned not by Fate and Constellations but by heauenly Prouidence which slumbers not Yet Iacob must haue patience to tarrie Gods leisure there is no appointing his wisedome the time Iudith 8.16 as Iudith notably said to the Elders of Bethulia who were content to tarry fiue daies saith shee What will ye binde his Councel Abac. 2. or set the Lord a time nay rather as Abacuc aduiseth if the vision come not tarrie thou if it speake not yet waite for it shall speake in his appointed time and the Lorde will humble flesh and blood and deferre his comforts to make them sweeter Si differt Deus sua dona commendat non negat saith Angush and S. Bernard saith delicata est diuina consobatio non datur admittentibus alienam it is a sweete mercy to be deliuered and he that will haue it must only looke to God and in this patience and hopefull expecting must euery good man possesse his soule Secondly Iacob must then hope most where his reason is least and this is a faithfull mans part for what reason had Abraham to hope for Isaac at those yeares If as Saint Paul saith Rom. 4. he had not beleeued and hoped without fixing his heart vpon reason or Dauid euer to haue worne the Crowne if he had bent to reason And what reason had Iacob in this day to hope but that faith like Deborabs soule marcheth valiantly and endureth like Moses Hebr. 11. as seeing him which is inuisible The third thing which I noted in this liberabitur is That Iacob must not bee weake-handed nor faint-hearted to droup and cast away his confidence but valiant and couragious and so expect the promise for this cause did the Angell say to Gedeon goe in this thy might thou valiant man Kings and Princes be called Sauiours but yet such as neede saluation and they that saue others the Lord will saue them But if there be any king or noble or Iudge or Prelate or potentate that abuseth his power and will not saue such as are oppressed the Lord will leaue such in their enemies hands and as they haue no care to comfort others so GOD in their times of trouble shall leaue them comfortlesse and this shall be their iust portion These kind of men are endued with a more noble spirit not for their owne sakes so much as for others Dauid had a heart like a lion Sampson rends a lion in peeces and after saues his people and that people of Israell not onely in their Rulers had a blessing of mightie and valiant men but in inferiours also to shew that from GOD commeth also the outward Ornaments of Nobilitie and they are certainely most Noble that are most Faithfull and they most valiant that are most vertuous The first Iacob that euer was faieth Gen. 31.40 I endured c. and then reckons his sorrowes and the last and all must endure till they receiue the promise Job 36.5 for Iob that suffered heauie things was tolde by Elihu that the mightie God casteth away none that is mightie and valiant of courage The second thing is to shew what is implyed in this worde IACOB and this will make vp the application and sheweth First That Iacob the Patriarches life was a verie troublesome life full of difficultie daunger distresse hearts griefe amongst his children and yet GOD made a sweete and blessed ende with him and deliuered him from all sent him downe into Aegypt yea went with him Gen. 46.4 Descendam tecum in Aegyptum there hee sawe Ioseph his fruit full bough there he blessed his sonnes there he died and gaue commaundement of his bones that is prophecying their liberahitur israell shall be deliuered But here Iacob standes for a whole people to whom Jeremy for their sinne threatneth Captiuity and makes a description of a said and ruth full day wherein they shall looke with gaslly and amazed looks one vpon another pale faced and heauie hearted when this day shall come a great day a day of sorrow the day of wretchednesse and miserie neuer day like it a people setled in a glorious state thought neuer to be remoued but they shall haue their day and so had Ierusalem in Christs time her day O sicognouisses c. and that day was her day and time of trouble Let vs looke vpon our selues wee stand now wee may fall wee are at peace but there can be no security yron and clay legs will not nor can not beare vp the biazen thighes the golden lead and siluer body the bribery and prowling the oppression and cries of the oppressed the parking in of beasts and depopulating Townes to shut out Christians the neglect of iustice the death of godly zeale the contempt of lawes and all good order wil bring a day of trouble vpon Iacob that is vpon this kingdome which God yet withholdes in great mercie to make Iacob and euerie Iacob to bethinke themselues and not to melt away in worldly pleasures for this is true they that bath themselues in pleasure and in worldly ioy it makes the manliest heart to melt away and I haue heard it and read it often and in my life haue seene it that there are many haue beene worthy men that haue put on vertue with their Armour and vices with their gowne that is in exercise and sorrow and acuersity in distresse in action and armes haue beene very vigilant and valiant but comming to peace and ease and lulled in pleasures lap haue falne a sleepe if not swounded yea they haue grieuously falne if not falne quite away Iacob yet is more particular and heere may stand for any faithfull soule which shall haue her time of trouble that is of aduersitie and tentation therefore hee must looke first he