tune not then the dolefull ditty of accursed Cain say not Gen. 4.13 My sinne is greater then can be pardoned Mentiris Cain mentiris I dare giue thee the lie for where Sinne aboundeth there Grace superaboundeth Rom. 5.20 Rom. 5. Turne thy feete from Iudasses banefull Labarynth say not I haue sinned and there stop goe a step further I haue sinned Mat. 27.4 but with the Lord is Mercy Psa 130. with the Lord is mercy Ps 130. the Manna of the fainting soule with the Lord is mercy the Soueraigne salue to cure the sore the malady of Sinne with the Lord is mercy the Load-stone that drawes the Load-starre that conducts to life This mercy hath Manasses found finding it enioyes it enioying it enioynes thee neuer to despaire of boundlesse mercy Secondly is the greatnesse of Gods ineffable loue so incomparable Is the graciousnesse of his inestimable bounty so boundlesse so incomprehensible as to pardon a Manasses a Manasses one that had almost sinn'd vnpardonably 2 Chron. 33.6 and like an vnskilfull or rather wilfull Pilot made shipwracke against the Rocke Christ Iesus Then heare my voice ye brood of Lamech Gen. 4.23 and hearken to my speech ye Sonnes of Belial you that for the least disgrace would slay a man in your wound and for a puffe of wind a youngman in your hurt Gen. 49 6. you that with Simeon and Leui in your wrath would slay a man and in your rage digge downe a wall O cursed cursed be your wrath for it is fierce and cursed thrice cursed bee your rage for it is cruell The Lord doth sit in heauen and laugh you to scorne the highest God will haue you in dirision with Cain hee will make you vagabonds vpon the earth Gen. 4.2 with Ioab hee will take you from the hornes of the Altar hee will not suffer your hoare head to goe downe to the pit in peace nor your gray hayres to the graue in plenty for you haue put the bloud of warre vpon your girdles and in your shooes the bloud of woe But you my Brethren beloued and longed for my ioy and my crowne into their secrets let not your soules come my glory be not you ioyned with their assemblies Let Christs action be your instruction though not for the equalitie of perfection yet for the equitie of imitation Doth Iudas come with a kisse like a fawning foe to betray him Mat 26.50 Acts 2. hee salutes him by the name of Friend Mat. 26. He suffers the rayes of his compassion radiantly to shine vpon those of whom hee suffered his Passion Hee cures and recouers those of whom hee is wounded Hee giues life to those who tooke life from him Be followers then of God as deare Children though men offend him hee will seeke to saue them though men worke mischiefe hee will seeke to winne them though they turne aside like a broken bow Ezek. 33.11 hee will striue to turne them Turne you turne you from your euill wayes for why will yee dye yee house of Israel Ezek. 33.11 And heare my voyce yee Tribe of Leui hearken to my words yee sonnes of Aaron Exod. 28.34 Let your Bels be heard often often your Pomegranates smelt for hee that is a Manasses to day a Saul a Sheol enlarging his desire as hell may be an Hezekias to morrow a Paul Paulus quasi parnulus Christi as S. Austin alludeth Augustin confes lib. 8. cap. 4. he that is a great one in the Kingdome of darknesse may at the least become a little one in the Kingdome of happinesse Qui non est hodie cras magis aptus erit The Aegyptian Pyramides Artemisias Mausolêum the Romane Capitoll were not perfected in one day nor was Zeuxis his Helena portraid with one Pencill Ierichos wals must be compassed seuen daies Iosh 6.15.20 yea seuen times the seuēth day before they be leuel'd with the ground Sleepy Samuel must three times be roosed 1 Sam. 3.10 before he can say Speake Lord for thy Seruant heareth Christ proceeds not to that cutting sentence Luke 13.7 Cut downe the fig-tree Luk. 13. till three yeares hee had come and sought fruit vpon it which three yeares were either those of his Ministerie or as Saint Gregory expounds them Gregor Homil 31. in Euangel Theophylact. Basil those three times Before the Law Vnder the Law After the Law Or as Theophylact and S. Basil do extend them they are the three Ages of man his Childhood which is a dream his Youth which is a Frenzy his Old-age which is a sicknesse The Seruant is not better then his Master nor is the Subiect aboue his Soueraigne Let vs therefore follow him into his Vineyard and three yeares seeke for fruit though finding none we sow in teares Iohn 5.4 Mat. 20.6 Stay not to step into this Bethesda till an Angell doth stirre the water Quîd statis hîc otiosi Goe worke to day in Gods Haruest though euen in it that enuious One hath sowen his tares Bee instant in season and out of season instant Giue attendance to reading and exhortation to teaching and dehortation Cry often and cry aloud lift vp your voyces like a Trumpet often often shew the people their sinnes and the house of Iacob their transgressions but as much as may bee in reprouing in reprehending put on the bowels of tender Mercy Many indeed of whom I tell you weeping doe giue their exhortations earnestly their redargutions vehemenly but they omit that other that vnum necessarium to a bruised soule Like those Angels Reu. 8. they deale not mercifully One blowes his trumpet and fire followes Another blowes his trumpet and haile ensues A third is clothed with a cloud and the raine-bow is on his head he roares like a Lyon and seuen thunders vtter their voice That preiudiciall aiming at the persons of men too euidently declares Leu. 10.1 that our Nadabs and Abihus take not their fire from Gods altar That pleading of iudgement to the plunging of soules too deeply in the pit of desperation manifestly demonstrats that they care not to come in that still voice Kings 1.19 1. King 19. But what shall we say to those cursing Balaams those Bedlems of Babylon to the ceremonies of terrour vsed by them at the time of Cursing to their fierie torches to their flaming candles cast from on high as though the fire of Gods furie was prest and ready at their command That Brand of hell Pope * This Hildebrand had so much modestie as to be ashamed of his name and would needs be called Gregorie the seuenth Hildebrand whom for honors sake here I mention euen as Pilate is in the Creed this monster as Cardinall Benno describes him was not more horrible in deluding the people with a Cùm vellet manicas suas discutiebat in modum scintillarum ignis dissiliebat Card. Benno in vita Hildebr fire from his sleeues then are his successors terrible
lesse then nothing * Esa 40.17 Es 40. Let not vs then poore wormes exalt our selues against this infinit Beeing Let vs not dare to conceiue or speake any thing which is vnworthy of so great a Maiestie seeing nothing can be spoken worthy of God which is not therefore vnworthy because it may be spoken We are now almost come ashore ready to cast anchor 4. The Application of the Obiect for there remaineth onely the Application of the Obiect His God Nonne si fluctuat fides inanis est spes nostra Bernard in Epistol Cont. Abailard sayth Bernard It not that Academicall opinion of miserable doubting a doctrine full of danger the Forge of despaire the Gulfe of hell A poysoning Brazuto a stabbing Ioab A perfidious Catilin noting vs with the eye and designing vs all to the infernall vault of pitchie Acheron yet see and wonder the Councill of Trent defines it Concil Trident. sess 6. can 12. Bellarm. lib. 3. de Iustif cap. 3. Bellarmin defends it to be an assertion worthy to winne our worthiest reputation Here could I wound them with their owne weapons Sed satis est potuisse O my soule surcease with setled resolution If any of the Sonnes of the Prophets will here send to seeke Manasses answere him with the tongue of men and Angels quid quaeritis viuentem inter mortuos Why seeke yee the liuing among the dead Why seeke yee Manasses in the valley of Ben-hinnom hee is ascended into heauen the valley of Vision Why seeke yee Manasses in the High-places or rather why seeke yee not Manasses in the High-places for surrexit 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Hee is ascended into heauen he is transported by the Angels into Abrahams bosome He is entred into that figuratiue and mysticall Paradise that pearlesse place of endlesse pleasure that sacred Sanctuarie of a sinner that renowmed receptable of the soule wherein he now enioyes eternall blisse Hee hath abridg'd the way to heauen and made a short cutt to the land of Canaan * Canaan the Greekes call Phoenicia of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which signifies a palmetree which was the speciall cognisance of Phoenicia as is apparent in many old coynes which now are extant Vespatian for a memoriall of his taking of Iudaea stamped vpon his coyne a lamenting woman sitting with her backe to a palmetree which this Inscription Iudaea Capta that land of Palmetrees where carying triumphant palmes in his hands after many conflicts and tribulations hee now keepes a continuall Sabaoth an endlesse Halleluiah an eternall Iubile And as for you my attentiue Auditors let Manasses this day reade you a lecture not of late but speedy repentance Of all that we possesse onely time is ours and of all times onely the time present Austin for the gaine of many worlds would not be an Atheist for halfe an houre Basil to wade in wealth would not presume for halfe a moment Basiliscus the Martyr to saue his life would not recant for halfe a minute Tempus senex est Time is Older then Methushelah a Gen. 5.27 he liued nine hundred sixty and nine yeeres yet then hee dyed but time hath beene fiue thousand yeares and yet he hath still a being Tempus senex est Time is as ancient as the brightest Angel yet is he like b 2 Sam. 2.18 Asahel as light on foot as a wild Roe Tempus senex est Time is older then Natures fabricke yet he weares a fore-top but take heed pòst est occatio calua hee is bald behind take hold in time time present is onely ours Security sinnes Circe luls vs in the lappe of delight and sings a requiem to our soules with c Suetonius Suetoniusses Crow she stands vpon the Capitoll and proclaimes an Omne bene all will be well though you repent hereafter But the Lord with d Gellius Socrates that Athenian Eagle lookes vpon this Sun With Zachary e Zach. 9.12 Hodie annuncians to day he doth declare it Turne you with Manasses f Psa 95.7 8. Heb. 3 8.9 To day then heare his voyce and harden not your hearts as in the prouocation g And thirty daies liberty he granted to malefactors to passe betwixt the sentence the execution Vt intermedio tempore ira Imperatâ—ris nonnihil mitigaretur et misericordia locus aperiatur Sozomen Hist Eccles li. 7. c. 24. Theodosius gaue his foes ten dayes liberty before hee shewed the least extremity but if these ten daies were tenne times multiplyed there is not the least here but hath had them offered The Lord hath giuen vs time to turne and we must returne a reckoning how we spend it Omne teÌ„pus nobis impensuÌ„ requiritur à nobis qualiter sit expensum But we with the euil seruant haue hid this talent in the Earth with Pericles we doe not thinke so much to make vp our Accounts as how to make no reckoning vp at all We say as Phocion sayd vnto the Athenians If Alexander be dead to day he will be dead to morrow If wee haue time to turne to day we shall haue time to returne to morrow Thus is tempus duratio rerum God doth giue vs time to turne but wee are hardned in heart wt will not turne With Iulius Caesar we weare the slow-sliding Snaile vpon our Ensigne ancompast in a mocking motto Lentè festinandum With Callipedes in Suetonius Suetonius We spend our daies in mouing but goe not forward one cubit We slug in sloath and languish in delight wee giue our selues the raines of raging appetite wee cut too fast the triple front of Time and thinke to repent as seriously as Manasses when wee list But alas our liues are not our owne fee-simple our bodies are houses but of dust our selues are all but liuing clay Our soules are tenants but all will wee may not wee must not promise to our selues a day The Lord indeed is our Landlord but we haue no leases of our liues We grow like grasse in the morning we flourish but in the euening fade away Luk. 12.20 This night shall they fetch thy soule was Diuesses doome Mihi hodie cras tibi to me to day to thee to morrow is the dead mans dole Non potest in morte videre vitam qui non vult in vita praeuidere mortem If Sion will not repent while she hath time and England returne while grace is offered Sion shall split her heart with griefe England shall mourne and not bee comforted Her Cities shall be wasted without inhabitants and her houses without a man Esa 13.21 22. Zijm shall lodge within her Townes her Temples shall be full of Ohim Iim shall cry within her palaces Dragons shall creep into her pleasant places For Nebo and for Dibon shall Moab howle Esa 15.2 for Nebo and for Heshbon shall Medeba weepe Ieremies head shall flow with water Esayes eyes shall flood out teares because their people will not turne because they returne not in time with good Manasses With good Manasses seeing we returne not speedily to the Lord the Lord hath made our heauen brass our earth as iron The Elements are vp in armes and all the creatures turne our foes The Fire deuowreth many houses and the flame consumeth many towns The Aer hath beene infected with the plague pestilence afflicted many people The Water hath roar'd and swel'd and ouerwhelm'd the firmest ground The Earth hath quak't to view our vanity and groanes to beare the burthen of our villany Turne therefore now ye house of Israel turne you with Manasses from your euill wayes Thinke not to conne the Psalme of mercy when Christ the Iudge of all flesh shall ride in circuit to put a period to thy daies shall sit in iudgement to cut shorter thy thred of life but now while thou hast time to turne turne to God turne to God à toto à tanto à tantillo from all from the least from the greatest sinnes turne speedily with Manasses Deut. 28.3 c. Thus if thou doest turne blessed shalt thou be in City and blessed in the towne Blessed shall be the seed of thy body the fruit of thy field Blessed shall be the increase of thy kine and the flocks of thy sheepe Thy land shall flow with milk and honey and thou shalt wash thy paths in butter Thy rocks shall powre out oylie Riuers and thou shalt wash thy cloake in Wine Thou shalt be blessed here on earth with great felicity and triumph with Manasses for all Eternity Then shalt thou reigne in Heauen where is Voluptas sine moerore tranquilitas sine tremore amoenitas sine terrore where is ioy without terrour ease without dolour health without horrour Thou shalt reigne in Heauen Cujus Rex est Veritas Lex est Charitas Pax est aequitas Whose King is Verity whose Law is Charity whose Peace is Equity To the which he bring vs who when we were lost in sinne with Manasses so earely sought vs who when we were sold to sinne with Manasses so dearely bought vs Iesus the Sonne of God the Lambe of God God and Man the Man Christ Iesus God blessed for euer Amen Ternae aternae Trinitati ascribatur honor omnis gloria dignitasque in saecula saeculorum Vox audita perit litera scripta manet FINIS
How many Children of Israel are either tongue-tyed or which is worse possest with a dumbe diuell they are not able or not desirous obsequiously to implore the all-preuailing power the powerfull presence of the God of Israel It is a legall veritie that if the Child did neuer cry it was neuer the Kings Subiect it was neuer capable of any right of any inheritance yet see their palpable absurdities these dumbe men thinke to get in possession the fruitfull land of celestiall Canaan The Turkes account dumbe men Santones that is Saints Mr. Will. Biddulph The Turkes may canonize their Dumbe-men for Saints or Santones but sure we are these are incarnate Diuels Others there be who pleade simplicitie their vnpolished rudenesse makes them that they dare not presse into Gods awefull presence But necessitas docet artes extreame exigencie will make the dumbe man speake most eloquently Euen rusticke clownes will play the Rhetoricians rather then starue for bread A third sort there are with whom God can neuer be acquainted but in their extremities such as are the Cimbrians who hold their idols in account onely when they are encountred with a tempest When Sheth had cause to call the name of his sonne Enosh sorrowfull Enosh then men begunne with alacritie to call vpon the Name of Iehouah Gen. 4. When Israel is in bondage then are they free of speech Ex. 2. They sighed and cryed for their oppressing slauerie Exod. 2.23 When Amalck comes to skirmish with the Hebrewes Exod. 17.11 then looke for Mosesses hand to be held vp These Ionah-like sleepe in the shippe Ion. 1.5 with 2 2. but pray in the Whales belly But did you neuer heare of a horrid and strange mis-shapen monster called the Christian Atheist he posts ouer this duty of praire to the Priests 1. Cor. 9.13 2. Chro. 26 16 they are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 they serue at the Altar and he with Vzziah will nor vsurpe the Priests office Hee may fetch his descent as farre as Pharaoh who would not trouble himselfe to call vpon God but intreates so much fauour of Moses and Aaron Orate vos pray yee vnto the Lord Exod. 9.28 Exod. 9. He is something allied to Ieroboam who besought that Prophet whose blood he sought 1. King 13.6 to pray vnto the Lord and make intercession for him King 1.13 Had I not styled him a Christian Atheist I might haue called him an Atheisticall lew Abba Saul lib. Sanhed cap. Helec ex Sanâ—erdo De Descensu lib. 1. sect 9. for like at the Iewes will not suffer that Name of God Iehouah to be pronounced but onely of the high Priest and that onely once in the yeare when he enters the Holyest of Holyes so these but I spare to apply it Polycarpus saith * Vnamque ab illis horam ad orandum c. Euseb Hist Eccl. lib 4. cap. 15. Eusebius begd one houre of his persecutors to spend in praire but we will not redeeme our dayes our weekes our moneths our yeares from vanitie to imploy them in deploring our sinnes in imploring the assistance of our God If euery one was forc'd to publish to the view of the vulgar a Chronologicall historie an historicall Chronologie of their owne exploits then should we see to the shame of mortals how shamelesly we shuffle off our mortall dayes So much time spent in nothing but hunting * Vir qui venationibus magis quà m orationibus vacabat de Iohan. 13. Carranza in Sum. vit Pontif. sayes our voluptuous Esaw So much time spent in courting our Delilahs sayes our amorous Sampson So much time spent in coffering Mammon sayes our auaricious Nabal So much time spent in painting our faces and steeling our foreheads sayes our gorgeous Iezabel So much time spent in gormandizing sayes our licencious Libertine So much time spent in quaffing and carousing sayes our barbarous Scythian Scythia bred not one learned Sage saue onely Anacharsis For as temperance in wine is a whetstone to the wit so excesse is a mill-stone to it So much time spent in gaming in carding and in dicing sayes our penurious prodigall but so little so none in praying so little so none in calling vpon God a Tully Orat. in Catilinam O tempora ô mores Oh the times that we are fallen into Oh the manners of men or rather of bruitish beasts of men more bruitish then beasts then * Nu. 22.28.30 Balaams Asse for she spake twise to her Maister in one day but these will not bid their God good morrow or good euen though * Act. 17 27. by groping after him they might haue found him as Paul the Apostle of the Gentiles once bespoke his schoold Athenians Act. 17.27 I could suggest vnto these that rare and admirable are the effects of prayer if we looke vpon the elements prayer is a controuler if we look vp into the heauens prayer is a coÌ„mander Chrysost Est oratio vis Deo grata saith Chrysostom a gracious prayer is the most gratefull violence we can offer to God 2. Kin. 1.10.12 Eliasses prayer can fetch downe Fire from heauen c 1 Sam. 12.18 Samuels praier can cause the Aër to thunder d Exod 15.25 Mosesses praier can sweeten the embittred waters the e Acts 4.31 Apostles praier can shake the center of the senselesse earth At f Iosh 10 12.13 Ioshuahs praier the Sun must stay in Gibeon and the Moone in the valley of Aialon It climbes the battlements of Olympus and with g Ge. 22.24.26 Iacob wrestles with God till it get a blessing h Socrat. histor Eccles l. 5. c 25. Theodosius obtained that victory against Eugenius not by his power and prowesse Praeparatur ad bellum non tam telorum quà m orationum subsidijâ—â—de Theodosio Ruffians Hist Eccles l. 2. c. 33. Tam in pace quaÌ„ in bello diuinum anxilium semper pelijt Theodosuis nunquam illo frauderetur Theodorit Hist Eccles l. 5. c. 34. but by powring out his prayers to the Lord of hostes i Ferunt fulmen subsequutuÌ„ quod hostes in exitium impulerit imbrem ad refocillanduÌ„ exercituÌ„ Euseb hist Eccl. l. 5. c. 5. When the Campe of Marcus Aurelius was opprest with thirst the Christian Souldiours by prayer obtained not onely a shower to refresh the Army but thunder also to affringht the Enemie k Horat. Sed quid terras alio calentes sole mutamus Why doe wee wade into a world of wonders to finde out the wonderments wrought by prayer it rescued Manasses from the iawes of Hell and restored Manasses to the ioyes of Heauen for not S. Peter with his crosse keyes but Christ with the key of his crosse Manasses with the key of his prayer made passage to the Throne of Grace He prayed to the Lord his God Time and desire challenge our attention to the third member of our present diuision which is the Obiect of