conceiued of the seede of man he is Gnamith Iehoua the companion of Iehoua hee is also as Iob calleth him our Goel or our kinsman Iacob called him Shiloh because he was sent into the world wrapped in the like tunicle which others of the sons of men bring with them when they are borne He is that incomparable Vnio or Margarita a precious pearle as Nazianzen calleth him and why Nicetas and Elias do tel vs quippe qui non nisi summo cum labore at que à perpaucis inueniatur because he is not found but with great labour and few are they who finde him Tum etiam vt ait ille quia vt margarita ex concha aqua conflatur ita Christus diuinitate humanitate constat O what a matter of vnspeakable ioy is heere but I must contract my selfe Man for his transgression receiued this checke from the Lord Ecce Adam factus est quasi vnus ex nobis but now since the reconciliation by Iesus God manifested in the flesh man may reioice and say Ecce Deus factus est quasi vnus ex nobis Doubtlesse this is a strong bulwarke of our faith for since we see that the sonne of God is become the sonne of man clothed with all the infirmities of our nature except sinne since wee see the God of glorie humbled to the ignominie of the crosse why shall we doubt that the sonnes of men shall also be made the sonnes of God and that these vile bodies of ours shall bee changed and fashioned like vnto the glorious body of Christ especially since for no other end became he the sonne of man but to make vs the sonnes of God The last part of the description is heere whom thou hasâ— made strong for thy selfe this as I haue said respecteth his threefold office and his vnction to them all A commentarie for this place is that of Esay I will put my Spirit in him that hee may bring foorth iudgement to the Gentiâ—es And againe The spirit of the Lord is vpon me and he hath annoynted mee hee hath sent mee to preach good tydings vnto the poore and to binde vp the broken-hearted c. what the Psalmist heere calls strengthning the Prophet heere calls it annoynting aud St. Iohn calls it sealing for him hath God the father sealed and what is meant by all these he expounds himselfe yet more cleerely The word was made flesh and dwelt among vs full of grace and truth and a little after God gaue him not the spirit by measure that of his fulnesse wee might all receiue grace for grace Of all these it is plaine how the father is sayd to haue made his sonne strong for himselfe that is hee annoynted him he sealed him he put his spirit into him not in a measure but communicate the fulnes of grace to him that he might be â—rengthened to do vnto vs the office of a King to deliuer vs from our enemies of a Prophet to teach vs the whole counsell of God and of a Preist to offer himselfe in a propitiatory sacrifice for vs. In all these appeared his wonderfull strength passius est vt infirmus operatus vt fortis when hee suffered like a weake man then he wrought like a valiant man then he darkned the sunne then he rent the vaile then hee raised the dead in his death vide infirmitatem filij hominis see the infirmity of the soâ—â—e of man in his victorie vide fortitudinem 〈◊〉 Dei see the mighty strength and power of the â—oâ—ne of God granum sinapis dum patitur in his â—uffâ—ring he is like a graine of mustard seede dum resurgit â—â—bor est sub qua aues coeli nidificant in his resurrection he is like a tree vnder which the birds of heauen doe build their neasts Euerie way the mighty strength of our strong Redeemer is to be admired but specially his conquest by suffering there did appeare the weaknesse of God stronger then man yea then all these Principalities powers and spirituall wickednesse that were opposite to him It was indeed an exceeding great worke which committed to our Mediatour The man lesus and therefore required a speciall vnction to make him strong vnto it All the Angels of heauen all the men on earth were not able to haue wrought that worke Such a Law was neuer imponed to man nor Angell as was imponed to lesus by his his Fathers ordination willingly accepted by himselfe This was the Law of a Redeemer wherewith Christ was charged and none but hee more many manner of wayes then the Law morall whereunto all are subiect The morall Law had two tables the first commanding the perfit loue of God the next commanding to loue our neighbour as our selues The Redeemers Law hath also two parts both of them commanding much more then is commanded by the morall the first part of the Redeemers law lookes vp to his Father the second lookes downe to his brethren In the first this commandement was giuen him Thou must vindicate the glory of thy fathers mercy and iustice If man bee not punished what shall become of the glorie of my iustice and if all men perish vnder that wrath which is due to their transgression what shall become of the glory of my mercie The Lord Iesus hath in wonderfull manner preserued them both for in him the inuiolable strictnesse of his Fathers iustice hath beene manifested in that he spared not his own sonne bearing the burden of our transgression many fearefull examples of diuine iustice hath been seene since the beginning of the world but neuer one like vnto this And many great mercies in all ages hath hee shewed to his seruants Noah in the arke Lot in Zoar Israel beyond the red sea may stand for examples but neuer a mercy like this was manifested in the world that the Lord gaue his onely begotten to the death that such as beleeue in him might haue eternall life There was the riches of the glory of his mercy wonderfully declared Thus did the Lord fulfill the commandement of the law of a Redeemer and preserue the glory both of his fathers iustice and mercy The other part of the law respected his brethren concerning whom this commandement was giuen him thou must loue thy brethren not as thy selfe onely but more then thy selfe thou shalt purchase them life by thine owne death thou shalt saue them who haue lost themselues thou shalt redeeme their inheritance which they haue solde without a price and as their neerest kinsman and first-borne of thy fathers familie according as thou art bound thou shalt pursue the murtherer that slue him to wit the Diuell he is without all citie of refuge reuenge thou their bloud vpoÌ„ him like another Abraham thou must bring home againe Lot out of the hands of that Tyrant Chedarlaomer all this the Lord Iesus powerfully performed for the father
by death whose God is the Lord Hee is not the God of the dead but of the liuing In the mysticall body all the life is in the head so long as the head keepes life the body yea no member of the body can perish Therefore said our Sauiour Because I liue ye shall liue also Only let our care be to be found in Him so shall we be sure of a happy being for euer and euer The second circumstance points at the person to whom the promise is made and it lurkes as I said in this word thy In the beginning of the Psalme Dauid prayed vnto the Lord and here the Lord answeres him with a promise of preseruation The Prayer of Saints is not powred out in vaine it auaileth much if it be feruent It is a sweet gradation which our Sauiour vses to that woman of Samaria If thou knewst thou wouldst aske if thou askedst I would giue Therefore said Augustine Oratio clauis est â—oeli That Prayer was the key of heauen ascendit oratio discendit Dei miseratio Prayer goes vp and mercy comes downe Neither can it be otherwise for hee to whom we pray as to our King prayes in vs as our Prophet teaching vs to pray and prayes for vs as our Priest Orat in nobis vt Propheta orat pro nobis vt sacerdos oratur à nobis vt Rex And hereof comes this efficacie of Prayer that it is Deo sacrificium Daemonibus flagellum oranti subsidium a sacrifice to God a scourge to the Diuell a subsidie and help to him that vses it The Elephants snowt serues him for all offices and all armour Elephantus cùm aquas ingreditur attollit promuscidem in altum ac ea respirat when the huge beast the Elephant enters the water and the body thereof is depressed by the weight of it selfe he lifts vp his snowt on high and thereby drawes in breath to conserue his life It fareth euen so with a Christian when he is ouerwhelmed with the waters of many tribulations then hee stretches out his Prayer on high and drawes downe grace which vpholds him that he lye not down vnder temptation quod corpori est respiratio id animae est oratio what breathing is to the body that same is Prayer to the soule No life in the body without breath no life to the soule without Prayer no time vnmeete for breathing and no time vnmeete for praying Prayer is a maruellous kinde of husbandry it soweth seede in the heauen and reapeth fruit in the earth and heauen also It is a common thing to see the earth watred by the heauens but a rare thing to see heauen watred by the earth When lsrael fasted at Mizpeh they drew water to wit out of the cisterne of their heart and powred it out before the Lord. There is a showre that ascends and goeth vpward When thou from a contrite and melting heart sendst vp teares to the Lord as witnesses of they vnfained repentance they fal not to the ground for the Lord gathers them in his bottell then doth the earth water the heauen If thou wert said Chrysostome to labour a fruitfull land wouldst thou spare seede vpon it what then should wee doe 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 who are called to be Labourers of the heauen a fruitfull Canaan not flowing with milke and honey but ouerflowing with peace ioy and glory Seeing the earth rendreth to vs with manifold encrease such as we giue vnto it will the heauens faile No be sure they that sow in teares shall reape in ioy and otherwise Qui parcè sâ—minat parcè metet hee that soweth sparingly shall reape sparingly And in this we haue all neede to rebuke our owne hearts that wee spare seede vpon so fruitfull a husbandry and defraud our selues of so great and glorious things promised onely because wee doe not more frequently and feruently aske them Againe Dauid his Prayer is absolued in the two first verses the Lords Answere is in the subsequent sixe There is no equalitie betweene that which we seeke and that which the Lord will giue for his praise is that he is able to doe aboundantly aboue all that we can aske or thinke Semper maiora tribuit quà m promittit Seeing hee giueth alway more then himselfe promises what maruell he giues more then we can aske Non pari vbertate fluunt amans amor Creator creatura the loue of the Creator who is loue it selfe and the loue of the creature flowe not alike plentifully no more than the strand and the great Ocean Out of our loue toward him wee may seeke him but it is nothing in respect of his loue toward vs wherewith hee will comfort and replenish vs. Our Prayer to him is like the flowing of a little strand but his answere to vs is like the flowing of the Ocean Salomon prayed and the Lord gaue him more then he sought At sixe Petitions Abraham brought downe the Lord from fiftie to ten Euery Petition returned with a vantage at last hee ceased to pray or the Lord ceased to answere and which is the point gaue him more then hee craued at least expressed in his Prayer to wit deliuerance to Lot The third circumstance presents vnto vs the benefit promised to wit preseruation The Lord shall preserue The word Shamar imports a most tender preseruation from it comes Shemuroth signifying the eye-lids because they are the keepers of the eye as the Lord is called in the verse preceding Shomer Itshrael the keeper of Israel If the lids of the eye open it is to let the eye see if they close it is to let it rest at least to defend it all their motion is for the good of the eye O what a comfort is here The Lord calleth his Church The apple of his eye Qui vos tangit tangit pupillam oculi mei he that touches you touches the apple of mine eye so deare and tender is his church vnto him that he feeleth the least offence done vnto it The Church is the apple of the Lords eye and the Lord is the couering of it O how well are they kept whom the Keeper of Israel keepeth The Lord was a buckler to Abraham none of his enemies could harme him for his buckler couered him throughly The Lord was a hedge vnto Iob Satan himselfe confessed hee could not get thorow it howsoeuer many a time he assayed it to haue done euil vnto Iob. I need not multiply forrain examples What the power of diuine preseruation is neuer King since the daies of Dauid can witnes better theÌ„ our Soueraigne the Lord hath made his Maiestie glorious by deliuerances he hath rescued his Seruant from the hurtfull sword yea these wretched Instruments of Satan who by Sorcerie laid snares for his Sacred life being confounded in themselues that nothing could succeede
what great care hath he of thy soule And as this is the Lords praise that he preserueth his Saints so they reserue it vnto him and will not giue it to any other they know hee hath giuen his Angels charge ouer them to keepe them in all their waies not for any neede he hath of them but for our comfort Deus Angelâ—s vtitur non quòd ipse ad saluandum sit infirmus hee vses them not as if hee were weake himselfe without them but to help our weaknesse that we may know howsoeuer our enemies be many yet as Elisha said to his seruant Feare not for they that be with vs are moe then they that bee with them Dauid had the strong Citie of Ierusalem the glory of the earth as the Psalmist cals it Inter vrbes totius orbis miraculum ideoque silentio magis quà m infirmo sermone honoranda a Citie among all the Cities of the world a wonder and therefore to bee praised rather with silence then infirme eloquence There Dauid had his residence In the highest part of it he had the strong sort of Sion but the Towre wherein he trusted was higher then it Hee had a guard of Cherethites and Pelethites with seuen and thirtie valiant Worthies to attend his Royall person these he vsed to serue him but abused them not to trust in them I trusted not in my bow nor my sword Thou Lord sauest me from my aduersaries Many a time all secondary helpes failed him his sonne Absalom rose against him his Counsellour Achitophel betrayed him his Subiects forsooke him the Ziphims discouered him in his neede Nabal refused him yea his owne heart fainted in him but saies he God the portion of my soule failes me neuer though my Father and my Mother should forsake mee the Lord will gather me vp Nothing can secure that soule which runnes not to the Name of the Lord as vnto a strong Towre Omnia timet qui Vnum non timet he feareth al things who feares not One. AmoÌ„g many let the Romane Monarch Tiberius stand for an example he wanted no worldly pillar that might vnderprop him yet because hee made not the Lord his refuge he was neuer in surety timeo incustoditos aditus timco ipsos custodes I feare said he the passages which are not kept yea I feare them who are set to be keepers of me But the soule which trusteth in the Lord findes rest in him and reioyces with Dauid The Lord is the strength of my soule of whom shall l be afraid But let vs stand a little here and for our greater comfort consider what a Lord this is who makes the promise he is called in the Text IEHOVA This name the Iewes called nomen ineffabile No maruell the word it selfe is easily pronounced the Maiestie named by it is more than can be manifested or perceiued it imports Him to bee that onely true subsisting Lord who hath his Being of himself and giues Being to all things which are Some presumptuous Spirits out of their idle speculations are bold to talke of the Trinitie as they doe of their A.B.C. As if nothing were in the Diuine Maiestie which their narrow braine could not comprehend or the Lord were no more then they conceiue him to be but the Lord 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he hath a supereminence invtterable they who will search his glory shal be oppressed with it if the eye content not with the light which the Sunne sends downe but will needs looke vp to the Sunne it selfe it is dazeled incontinent and loseth the sight which it had before and the minde which mounts vp to search the secret of the Diuine Maiestie many a time in Gods righteous iudgements becomes witlesse 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he sendeth great darknesse on such as curiously dare enquire of his Essence We should be in such sort thankefull for that which God hath reuealed to vs of himselfe that wee bee also fearefull to search out that which is secret This name IEHOVA wee finde it in holy Scripture sometime contracted sometime enlarged the Lord himselfe giues this to Moses for his name I AM hath sent thee Neither man nor Angell can in truth speake so for man is a mutable creature his life is but momentanie and he liueth so long as hee liueth in a passing moment onely one goes away to giue place vnto another the moments which are past since his first mouing returne not againe vnto him those which are to come he cannot be said to liue in them In this name I AM there are but two syllables before a man can pronounce the second hee is changed from that which he was when he pronounced the first how then can hee say I am Quomodo enim est quod in eodem statu nunquam permanet for how can that be said to be which neuer abides in one estate And as to Angels albeit they be now 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 immutable propter gratiam 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 quae iam illis ab Iesu tributa est for that grace of vnchangeablenesse which by Iesus is now giuen vnto them yet are they of their owne nature 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 changeable by will or of their owne accord and as is to be seene by them who fell for if the nature of Angels had been vnchangeable of it selfe then none of them had falne from their first estate Sometime againe this name IEHOVA wee finde it in holy Scripture enlarged by this Periphrasis frequently vsed in the Reuelation 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The learned Doctor Zanchius hath obserued that this name IEHOVA noteth the Being of this true subsisting Lord in respect of all times Camets being a note of the time past Holem of the time present and Iod of the time to come but wee haue this same Doctrine better warranted by this circumloquution of the holy Ghost IEHOVA is the Lord who was who is and who wil be Solus verè est qui non praeciditur à fuit nec expungitur ab erit fuit non tollit illi esse in aeternum nec crit esse ab aeterno None can be said to be but hee of whom when I say that he was it takes not away that he is and wil be and when I say that he wil be it takes not away that he was and he is No Angell no man no creature can claime this it is a glory proper to the Lord. One generation passeth and another generation succeedeth but the earth remaines for euer Much more doth he remaine who hath laid the foundation and established the pillers thereof The heavens shall waxe old as doeth a garment but thou O Lord art the same and thy yeres shal not faile O what a great Lord is our God and what a comfort haue wee in this that he was and he is and he will be Can that people be destroyed
with them got this answer from their most miserable master that He was The man of God Yet being loth to discouer his owne weakenesse spake it in such a language as for the present they vnderstood not Let therefore Romish Rabsache raile as he hath done against the Lords Anointed whom he hath set ouer vs let his Emissaries spue out their venemous and blasphemous boastings Leo â—aruis non terretur the Lyon is not terrified with Bugs Because the King trusteth in the mercie of the most High therefore he shall not fall His enemies are forced to lament in secret that none of their attempts haue prospered The Tulipantic Frogs haue plotted in powder and laid subtill subterranean snares to accomplish the malice of their heart but all in vaine blessed be the Lord for it for he hath preserued and will preserue the comming and the going of his owne Anointed But seeing this same promise of preseruation was made before for from the third verse to the end of the Psalme six sundry times is this word of keeping or preseruing repeated why is it now made ouer againe not without cause for this doubling and redoubling serues first for a remedy of our ignorance Men if they be in any good estate are ready to sacrifice to their owne net or to cause their mouth to kisse their owne hand as if their owne hand had helped them this is to impute their deliuerance to their Calfe and therefore often is this resounded The Lord the Lord. Is thy estate aduanced â—he Lord hath done it Hast thou beene preserued from desperate dangers Looke vp to the Lord thy helpe is from on high and to him let the praise bee returned Secondly it is for a remedy of our naturall diffidence the Word of the Lord in it selfe is as sure when it is spoken as when it is sworne as sure spoken once as when it is oftner repeated yet is not the Lord content to speake onely but to sweare also nor to speake once but often one and the selfesame thing The reason is shewed vs by the Apostle that hereby he may declare to the heires of promise this stability of his counsell As Ioseph spake of Pharao his vision It was doubled because the thing is established by God and God hasteth to performe it so is it with euery Word of the Lord when it is repeated it is because it is established and GOD hastens to performe it The fourth and last circumstance sheweth to vs the qualities of this preseruation and they are two first it is totall not in one but in all thy wayes shall the Lord preserue thee in thy comming in and thy going out from all euill shall the Lord preserue thee Next it is perpetuall from henceforth and for euer Hilarius and Arnobius expound this too strictly Arnobius takes it this way Custodit introitum tuum ad poenitentiam exitum tuum de corpore Hee preserues thy comming into repentance and thy going out of the body Hilarius againe Non est huins saeculi custodia haec this preseruation saies he pertaines not to this life but is to be vnderstood of our going out of this life and of our entrie to the life to come he seemes to haue forgotten that place of the Apostle Godlinesse hath the promise both of this life and of the life to come Basile Chrysostome and Euthymius take it better vp by comming and going out they vnderstand the whole course of the life of man And so in holy Scripture our life is called in two respects first in respect of the naturall and vniuersall course thereof so patient Iob makes a short abridgement of his life Naked came I and naked shall I returne The like after him hath Saint Paul We brought nothing into the World and it is certaine nothing we can carry out The whole life of our Lord is comprised by Saint Luke in these two 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The like short description hath Salomon of our life Man commeth into vanity and goeth into darkenesse In them all yee see there is a comming and a going no standing nor abiding There is no continuing City yea which is not obserued to make vs wise as we should euen in our comming we begin to goe away Ex quo nascimur incipimus mori so soone as we are borne we begin to die for our life is rapidissimus cursus à tumulo ad tumulum a most speedy course from one graue to another from the belly of our mother to the bosome of our great Mother Vita haec crescendo decrâ—scit this life in growing weareth away as the turning of a wheele drawes a thred from the wooll till all be gone so euery reuolution of the Sunne in the Firmament twineth from vs a day till at length all bee consumed quotidie pars aliqua vitae demitur euery day some part of our life is taken from vs. Next our life is called a comming in and a going out in respect of the personall actions of men in their life so is it comprised in the Law Blessed shâ—lt thou be when thou commest in and blessed when thou goest out that is in all thy actions and in all thy wayes thou shalt be blessed Our life is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a turning about from one thing to another and from that backe againe to the former What now wee craue for a recreation incontinent becomes a wearinesse for the most desired pleasures in the world if they were perpetuall should become painfull and what now we reiect for wearinesse in a short time we returne to it for recreation from resting we rise to walke from walking againe wee sit downe to rest and so forth of all the actions of our life Sola vicissitudine releuamur we are onely eased by an interchange of them So Herodot brings in Croesus speaking to Cyrus Humanarum rerum circulus semper eodem rotatus fortunatos esse homines non sinit The circle of humane things tumbled and turned about continually vnto the same le ts not men be happy in this life The like hath Nazianzen Inmorem rotae volubili vertigine voluuntur sur sum deor sum omnia After the forme of a Wheele by a most speedie motion are all things turned vpside downe 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 now these flourishing now these fading and falling away vt auris potiùs sit fidere aut scriptis in aqua lâ—teris quà m hominum foelicitati So that it is better to trust vnto the windes which change continually or to letters drawne in the water whereof no mark or similitude remaines then to trust vnto the felicitie of man vpon earth Let all men learn to be sober in that estate wherein they stand perswading themselues or it be long they must be changed into another But to come neerer beside both these which are common vnto all men here is a
in Israel and euery man did what was good in his owne eyes yea how deere a good King should be to his people and how heauy a losse it is to want him that one place may teach vs The breath of our nosthrills the anointed of the Lord was taken in their nets of whom we said vnder his shadow we shall be preserued aliue among the heathen A happy thing therefore is it when Prince and people goe together as Dauid and his subiects did their loue was mutuall their care mutuall their prayer one for the other mutuall when the people were strucken with pestilence Dauid their King praied for them and wished that the punishment might be turned on him and his house and the people spared O Lord I beseech thee let thy hand be on me and my fathers house and not on thy people for their destruction And againe when Absalom rebelled against his father King Dauid the people interponed their liues for their King they would not let him goe out to the battell they accounted him the light of Israel more worthy to be preserued then many thousands of them But now must I contract my selfe Since all other things requisite for your Maiesties iourney are in readinesse attending your Highnesse forth comming it is also time that our prayer should betake her to her wings and let goe to her flight to accompanie your Maiestie wheresoeuer yee goe As I said in the beginning so now say I in the end in the name of all your Highnesse subiects of this Kingdome Since our hands cannot be with your Highnesse to waite on and serue your Maiestie as our hearts would The hand of the Lord be with you That hand which preserued you in the wombe of your Mother and brought your Highnesse safely into this world That hand of the Lord which made your armes strong to wrestle with the Gowrian traitor before the hands of your seruants came neere you That hand of the Lord which deliuered your Maiestie from that abominable powder treason and first reuealed to your selfe the counsell of your enemies In a word That hand of the Lord which hath made your Maiestie glorious by many deliuerances that same hand of the Lord be with your Maiestie in this iourney and for euer The ancient Israelites vsed this prayer for Cyrus Nehemiah Zerubabel such others that were to be the instruments of their comfort before euer they receiued any comfort from them how much more should we vse it for your Highnesse since we doe so abundantly enioy the fruits of your Highnesse most happy gouernment For your Maiestie hath bin vnto vs an other Cyrus when he came to the Kingdome then came deliuerance to Israel from their seauentie yeeres bondage in ancient Babel and with your Maiesties comming into the world to enioy these Scepters wherevnto your Highnesse was borne a lineall and lawfull heire then came our deliuerance from mysticall Babell And your Maiesties most christian care to establish our Church by prouiding portions for the Leuites who serue the Lord in his Sanctuary and to free the common people from oppression in their tithes hath shewed that your Maiestie is to vs a Nehemiah and Zerubabel Yea your Highnesse words and workes are witnesses that yee are vnto vs a King giuen of God in his mercy A sonne of his right hand Patriae parens populi pastor a publike father of the countrey and pastor of the people Among innumerable words and discourses royall philosophicall and theologicall deliuered almost euery meale and most worthy to be remembred I doe onely make mention of one vttered by your Maiestie on your birth-day after supper in the Castle of Edenbrugh when your seruant had said the Grace and a litle more then customably I vsed had praied for the continuance of many such daies wherein we might with ioy celebrate the remembrance of your Highnesse most happy natiuitie your Maiestie arose from the chaire with this speach in publike audience of the whole house You haue said the Grace for mee and now will I pray for my selfe which your Maiestie with all reuerence and zealous affection deliuered in these words THE LORD GRANT ME NO LONGER TO LIVE NOR MY HEART BE SET TO ADVANCE THE GLORY OF GOD AND TO PROCVRE THE GOOD OF HIS CHVRCH All that heard it were affected yea rauished with great ioy and seconded it with their prayers vnto God The Lord grant thee according to thine heart For in this did your Highnesse open the integritie and sinceritie of your soule that your Highnesse desired to liue Non vt praeesses sed prodesses not for your selfe but for the glory of GOD and benefit of his Church And as to your Maiesties worke all places of this Kingdome Highland Inland and the borders are stored with seuerall testimonies of your Highnesse wise and happy gouernment but leauing them all this Countrey and Towne wherein your Maiestie now is reioyceth aboue others in the sweet fruits first of religion and pietie next of singular and vnaccustomed peace which now by your Highnesse prudencie and fatherly care they eniâ—y As to the first the time hath beene as your Maiestie doth well remember wherein this Towne and Countrey about it was like to a field all ouergrowne with the popple of Papistrie the litle handfull that then was of the Religion were but like to the gleanings and after-gatherings of the haruest But now SIR the case is altered there is here a flourishing Church God hath so blessed the labour of the Preacher Ouerseer of this people that there is not to be found three Pâ—ecusants in all this Towne as I am informed and the countrey about it is filled with good wheat in steede of popple so that they who are of the Popish sort are like vnto the grapes which remaine after the vintage here one and there one easie to be discerned And for this cause I haue heard sundry of their ancient men blesse the Lord for that he had sent the light of his Gospell among them to illuminate them protesting that without it they had died in most pitifull ignorance The other fruit of singular peace is so apparant to you all that I neede not to point at it Yee who stand here in great multitudes beare witnes your selues before the Lord his Anointed Tell as the truth is Are yee troubled now with any forayes in the night Are yee wakened from your rest by the Alarum or sound of the drumme Is there crying now for armour to represse the incursion of robbers Doe yee not sit peaceably euery one of you in your owne houses without molestation of the oppressor May ye not now as the prouerbe is porrectis dormire pedibus in respect of securitie sleepe soundly Is not that promise made by the Lord accomplished now He setteth peace in thy borders Now are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 wherein euery good subiect may peaceably
labour in his calling and that which beastly men called Mans world is away What cause haue yee then for this to blesse the Lord your God and this happy King whom he hath set ouer vs and who this day sitteth before you by whole fatherly care we enioy this quiet and peaceable life Now must I in end turne me a litle toward you most worthy Nobles of England not for any doubt we haue of your loyall affection or any neede your Honors haue to be exhorted to your dutie by our weaknesse farre be it from me vt officy sui satis memores immemores facere videar yet remembring that of the Poet Qui monet vt facias quod iam facis ille monendo Laudat hortatu comprobat acta suo I hope what I am to say will not be vngratious but rather very welcome to you Haue a care we beseech of that incomparable iewell yee haue receiued from Scotland both yee and wee haue our mutuall interest in him when the sunne rises to you it shineth to vs also it it decline and fall downe vpon any of vs which I pray God wee neuer see it bringeth a darke night vpon vs both yea all Christendome in respect of the good they enioy by his Maiestie doth cry for a carefull conseruation of this Iewell It is true your willing and hearty acceptation of your natiue King hath inlarged his Diademe without dinne and as true his royall Diademe hath increased the glory and fame of your Kingdome through the world but all these and many more your Honors out of wise and vnderstanding hearts haue pondered better then I can point them out I will therefore content mee with this one which when I haue said I know will be lesse then I should haue said or your Honors haue iustly deserued The noble and comely behauiour yee haue vsed in attending our Soueraigne in all this iourney did present to him who could obserue it that which Plato calls putcherrimum spectaculuâ— when mannerly mindes appeare in beautifull bodies Your kindnes and intire loue among your selues liuing together ac si omnes eiusdem mus ae essetis aemuli voto viueritis vno which the Poet said was rare to be found for velle suum cuique est Your conuersation in all things answerable to your place and station in ipsa regia non sine regula incedentes Your courtesie and great humanitie towards vs. In a word all sort of graces pertaining either to learning or pietie most eminent in you shall binde our hearts to a louing and honorable remembrance of you by our mentall Pyramides and Piâ—ars so long as we can remember our selues Now our bodies in respect of place must be diuided but I hope our hearts and affections shall neuer diuide any more God hauing so many manner of waies conioyned vs that in one Ile with one language and one religion we are now the coniunct subiects of one natiue King and Soueraigne to vs both And as to you who haue that hap and honour beyond others to bee his Maiesties Cubiculars and Domestickes consider with your selues what is the weight of your charge and how the place wherevnto aboue others otherwise not your inferiors yee are promoted bindes you to a daily tribute of daily vigilance and attention Remember that word which Dauid cried to Abner for a rebuke to him and the rest of Sauls seruants because they were sleeping when their master was in danger of his life by Abishai if Dauid had not stayed him ye are all said he worthy to die because yee haue not kept your Master the Lords annoynted If they were thus threatned and most iustly because they were remisse and carelesse in conseruation euen of an euill King what a sinne is it to be negligent in attending such a King as God hath giuen vs it cannot but procure heauy iudgements both from God and man But we perswade our selues the best things of you that conscience more then commodity will stirre you vp to be faithfull in that calling not with eye-seruice as men pleasers but in singlenesse of heart fearing God Alwayes since the surest safty of Kings is the protection of Iehoua for his name is a strong tower and the righteous runne vnto it Sir let him euer be as you haue found him your rock and refuge Continue still in that resolution of King Dauid I will set no wicked thing before mine eyes I hate the worke of them that fall away it shall not cleane vnto me so shall the word which Amasa from the Spirit of the Lord spake vnto Dauid be established to your Maiestie Peace peace be vnto thee and peace be vnto thy helpers for thy God helpeth thee To this effect that we may end wee will now againe turne vs to our prayers from which we shall neuer turne so long as we liue and yet I am still stayed or rather forced to stay I would make an end but am pearced with the sorrowfull looks of this people who desire no ending not so much for delight of any thing they heare from me as for that which they see in your Maiesty they cannot bee satiate in looking to your face the shorter time they haue to behold it the stronger is their affection O how hardly comport they to part with their Soueraigne But deere Soueraigne let it not be offensiue to your Maiesty that you are compassed heere with an assembly of mourners whose faces are watred with ouerflowing teares of their heart Can they part with their Prince without sorrow Can they want the light of their eyes and breath of their nostrils and not lament for it Yet what speake I of wanting bee of comfort good peole wee shall not want him wee cannot want him God hauing now so enlarged his royall armes that they can reach from one end of the Isle to the other to be at vs to succour and helpe vs as we neede them Let vs therefore moderate our mourning let our passions giue place to his royall pleasure let our hearts with joy and cheerefulnesse send vp these our prayers The hand of the Lord be with our most Gracious Soueraigne the name of the God of Iacob defend him The Lord bee to your Maiesty as he was to Abraham a buckler in this life and your exceeding great reward in the life to come God grant it for Iesus Christs sake Amen FINIS Summe of this Verse Dauid was the heart the tongue and penne of the great King How this is also competent to our Souereigne 1. Tim. 1.17 This verse is to be resolued in a promise Foure circumstances to bee conâ—â—dered in this verse First circumstance is who makes the promise to wit the Lord. 1. Sam. 2.9 Mat. 10.30 Aug. All the godly reserue to the Lord the praise of their preseruation Psal. 91.11 Cyrill Alexand. Conâ— Iulian. 2. King 6. Though they haue all secondarie helpes yet doe