relate ought better than he would he redoubles the question as being hard to beleeue what he likes not and hopes yet if that be auerred againe to his griefe that there is somewhat concealed in the relation which if it were knowne would argue the commended partie miserable and blemish him with secret shame He is readie to quarrell with God because the next field is fairer growne and angerly calculates his cost and time and tillage Whom he dares not openly backbite nor wound with a direct censure he strike smoothly with an ouer-cold praise and when he sees that he must either maliciously oppugne the iust praise of another which were vnsafe or approue it by assent he yeeldeth but shewes withall that his meanes were such both by nature and education that he could not without much neglect be lesse commendable so his happinesse shall be made the colour of detraction When an wholsome law is propounded he crosseth it either by open or close opposition not for any incommoditie or inexpedience but because it proceeded from any mouth besides his owne And it must bee a cause rarely plausible that will not admit some probable contradiction When his equall should rise to honour hee striues against it vnseene and rather with much cost suborneth great aduersaries and when hee sees his resistance vaine he can giue an hollow gratulation in presence but in secret disparages that aduancement either the man is vnfit for the place or the place for the man or if fit yet lesse gainfull or more common than opinion whereto he addes that himselfe might haue had the same dignitie vpon better tearmes and refused it He is wittie in deuising suggestions to bring his Riuall out of loue into suspition If he be courteous he is seditiously popular if bountifull he bindes ouer his clients to a faction if successefull in warre he is dangerous in peace if wealthy he laies vp for a day if powerfull nothing wants but opportunitie of rebellion His submission is ambitious hypocrisie his religion politike insinuation no action is safe from a iealous construction When hee receiues a good report of him whom he emulates he saith Fame is partiall and is wont to blanch mischiefes and pleaseth himselfe with hope to finde it worse and if Ill-will haue dispersed any more spightfull narration he laies hold on that against all witnesses and brocheth that rumour for truest because worst and when he sees him perfectly miserable he can at once pitie him and reioyce What himselfe cannot doe others shall not hee hath gained well if he haue hindred the successe of what hee would haue done and could not Hee conceales his best skill not so as it may not be knowne that he knowes it but so as it may not be learned because he would haue the world misse him He attained to a soueraigne medicine by the secret Legacy of a dying Empericke whereof he will leaue no heire lest the praise should be diuided Finally he is an enemy to Gods fauours if they fall beside himselfe the best nurse of ill Fame a man of the worst diet for he consumes himselfe and delights in pining a thorne-hedge couered with nettles a peeuish Interpreter of good things and no other than a leane and pale carkase quickned with a Fiend FINIS SALOMONS DIVINE ARTS OF 1. ETHICKS 2. POLITICKS 3. OECONOMICKS THAT IS THE GOVERNMENT OF 1. BEHAVIOVR 2. COMMON-WEALTH 3. FAMILIE DRAWNE INTO METHOD OVT of his PROVERBS and ECCLESIASTES With an open and plaine Paraphrase vpon the SONG OF SONGS By IOS HALL By IOS HALL SIC ELEVABITVR FILIVS HOMINIS Io 3. ANCHORA FIDEI LONDON Printed for THOMAS PAVIER MILES FLESHER and John Haviland 1624. TO THE RIGHT HONOVRABLE AND HOPEFVLL LORD ROBERT Earle of Essex my singular good Lord all increase of Grace and true HONOVR RIGHT HONOVRABLE WHilest J desired to congratulate your happy returne with some worthy present I fell vpon this which I dare not onely offer but commend the royallest Philosopher and wisest King giuing you those precepts which the Spirit of God gaue him The matter is all his nothing is mine but the method which I doe willingly submit to censure In that hee could not erre in this J cannot but haue erred either in Art or application or sense or disorder or defect yet not wilfully I haue meant it well and faithfully to the Church of God and to your Honour as one of her great hopes If any man shall cauill that I haue gone about to correct Salomons order or to controule Ezekias seruants I complaine both of his charity and wisdome and appeale to more lawfull iudgement Let him as well say that euery Concordance peruerts the Text. J haue onely endeuoured to be the common place-booke of that great King and to referre his Diuine rules to their heads for more ease of finding for better memory for readier vse See how that God whose wisdome thought good to bereaue mankinde of Salomons profound Commentaries of Nature hath reserued these his Diuine Morals to out-liue the world as knowing that those would but feed mans curiositie these would both direct his life and iudge it He hath not done this without expectation of our good and glory to himselfe which if we answer the gaine is ours J know how little need there is either to intreat your Lordships acceptation or to aduise your vse It is enough to haue humbly presented them to your hands and through them to the Church the desire of whose good is my good yea my recompence and glory The same God whose hand hath led and returned you in safetie from all forraine euils guide your waies at home and graciously increase you in the ground of all true honour Goodnesse My praiers shall euer follow you Who vow my selfe your Honours in all humble and true dutie IOS HALL SALOMONS ETHICKS OR MORALS JN FOVRE BOOKES The 1. Of FELICITIE 2. Of PRVDENCE 3. Of IVSTICE 4. Of TEMPERANCE FORTITVDE By IOS HALL SIC ELEVABITVR FILIVS HOMINIS Io 3. ANCHORA FIDEI LONDON Printed for THOMAS PAVIER MILES FLESHER and John Haviland 1624. SALOMONS ETHICKS OR GOVERNMENT OF Behauiour and Manners THE FIRST BOOKE FELICITY § 1. Of Ethicks in common The description The chiefe end which is Felicitie ETHICKS is a Doctrine of wisdome and knowledge to liue well Ec. 1.17 Ec. 7. â—7 and of the madnesse and foolishnesse of vice or instruction to doe wisely by iustice and iudgement and equity and to doe good in our life Pr. 1.3 The end whereof is to see and attaine that chiefe goodnesse of the children of men Ec. 3.12 Ec. 3.2 which they enioy vnder the Sunne the whole number of the daies of their life § 2. Wherein Felicity is not Not in pleasure Not in wealth for herein is 1 No satisfaction 2 Increased expence 3 Restlesnesse 4 Want of fruition 5 Vncertaintie 6 Necessitie of leauing it WHich consists not in pleasure for I said in mine heart Goe to now Ec. 2.1 I will
it is come to passe that though there be many legions of Deuils and euery one more strong than many legions of men and more malicious than strong yet the little flocke of Gods Church liueth and prospereth I haue euer with me inuisible friends and enemies The consideration of mine enemies shall keepe me from securitie and make me fearefull of doing ought to aduantage them The consideration of my spirituall friends shall comfort me against the terrour of the other shall remedie my solitarinesse shall make me warie of doing ought indecently grieuing me rather that I haue euer heretofore made them turne away their eyes for shame of that whereof I haue not beene ashamed that I haue no more enioyed their societie that I haue beene no more affected with their presence What though I see them not I beleeue them I were no Christian if my faith were not as sure as my sense 96 There is no word or action but may be taken with two hands either with the right hand of charitable construction or the sinister interpretation of malice and suspicion and all things doe so succeed as they are taken I haue noted euill actions well taken passe currant for either indifferent or commendable Contrarily a good speech or action ill taken scarce allowed for indifferent an indifferent one censured for euill an euill one for notorious So fauour makes vertues of vices and suspicion makes vertues faults and faults crimes Of the two I had rather my right hand should offend It is alwaies safer offending on the better part To construe an euill act well is but a pleasing and profitable deceit of my selfe but to misconstrue a good thing is a treble wrong to my selfe the action the author If no good sense can be made of a deed or speech let the blame light vpon the author If a good interpretation may be giuen and I chuse a worse let me be as much censured of others as that misconceit is punishment to my selfe 97 I know not how it comes to passe that the minde of man doth naturally both ouerprize his owne in comparison of others and yet contemne and neglect his owne in comparison of what he wants The remedie of this latter euil is to compare the good things we haue with the euils which we haue not and others groane vnder Thou art in health and regardest it not Looke on the miserie of those which on their bed of sicknesse through extremitie of paine and anguish intreat death to release them Thou hast cleare eye-sight sound lims vse of reason and passest these ouer with slight respect Thinke how many there are which in their vncomfortable blindnesse would giue all the world for but one glimpse of light how many that deformedly crawle on all foure after the manner of the most loathsome creatures how many that in mad phrensies are worse than brutish worse than dead thus thou mightest bee and art not If I be not happy for the good that I haue I am yet happy for the euils that I might haue had and haue escaped I haue deserued the greatest euill euery euill that I misse is a new mercy 98 Earth which is the basest element is both our mother that brought vs forth our stage that beares vs aliue and our graue wherein at last we are entombed giuing to vs both our originall our harbour our Sepulcher She hath yeelded her backe to beare thousands of generations and at last opened her mouth to receiue them so swallowing them vp that she still both beareth more and lookes for more not bewraying any change in her selfe while she so oft hath changed her brood and her burden It is a wonder we can be proud of our parentage or of our selues while we see both the basenesse and stabilitie of the earth whence we came What difference is there Liuing earth treads vpon the dead earth which afterwards descends into the graue as senselesse and dead as the earth that receiues it Not many are proud of their soules and none but fooles can be proud of their bodies While wee walke and looke vpon the earth we cannot but acknowledge sensible admonitions of humility and while we remember them we cannot forget our selues It is a mother-like fauour of the earth that she beares and nourishes me and at the last entertaines my dead carkase but it is a greater pleasure that she teacheth me my vilenesse by her owne and sends me to heauen for what she wants 99 The wicked man carrieth euery day a brand to his hell till his heape be come to the height then he ceaseth sinning and begins his torment whereas the repentant in euery fit of holy sorrow caries away a whole faggot from the flame and quencheth the coales that remaine with his teares There is no torment for the penitent no redemption for the obstinate Safetie consisteth not in not sinning but in repenting neither is it sinne that condemnes but impenitence O Lord I cannot bee righteous let me be repentant 100 The estate of heauenly and earthly things is plainly represented to vs by the two lights of heauen which are appointed to rule the night and the day Earthly things are rightly resembled by the Moone which being neerest to the region of mortalitie is euer in changes and neuer lookes vpon vs twice with the same face and when it is at the full is blemished with some darke blots not capable of any illumination Heauenly things are figured by the Sunne whose great and glorious light is both naturall to it selfe and euer constant That other fickle and dimme starre is fit enough for the night of misery wherein we liue here below And this firme and beautifull light is but good enough for that Day of glory which the Saints liue in If it be good liuing here where our sorrowes are changed with ioyes what is it to liue aboue where our ioyes change not I cannot looke vpon the body of the Sunne and yet I cannot see at all without the light of it I cannot behold the glory of thy Saints O Lord yet without the knowledge of it I am blinde If thy creature be so glorious to vs here below how glorious shall thy selfe be to vs when we are aboue this Sunne This Sunne shall not shine vpward where thy glory shineth the greater light extinguisheth the lesser O thou Sunne of righteousnesse which shalt onely shine to me when I am glorified doe thou heat enlighten comfort me with the beames of thy presence till I be glorified AMEN FINIS HEAVEN VPON EARTH OR OF TRVE PEACE AND TRANQVILLITIE of Minde By IOS HALL SIC ELEVABITVR FILIVS HOMINIS Io 3. ANCHORA FIDEI LONDON Printed for THOMAS PAVIER MILES FLESHER and John Haviland 1624. TO THE RIGHT HONOVRABLE HENRY Earle of Huntingdon Lord Hastings Hungerford Botreaux Molines and Moiles his Maiesties Lieutenant in the Counties of Lâ—icester and Rutland my singular good Lord All increase of true Honour and HEAVEN begun vpon EARTH RIGHT HONORABLE I Haue
one Head Christ one body the Church that being washed with one Baptisme ransomed with one price professing one Faith and holding the Vnity of the spirit in the bond of Peace we may at last happily enioy one and the same Heauen through Iesus Christ our Lord To whom with the Father and the holy Spirit be ascribed all honour and glory for euermore Amen FINIS AN HOLY PANEGYRICK A SERMON PREACHED at Pauls Crosse vpon the anniuersarie Solemnitie of the happie Inauguration of our drad Soueraigne Lord King James March 24. 1613. By IOS HALL SIC ELEVABITVR FILIVS HOMINIS Io 3. ANCHORA FIDEI LONDON Printed for THOMAS PAVIER MILES FLESHER and John Haviland 1624. TO THE RIGHT HONOVRABLE SIR JOHN SWINERTON Knight Lord Maior of the Citie of LONDON All Grace and Happinesse RIght Honourable MY owne forwardnesse whereof it repenteth me not hath sent forth other of my labours vnbidden but this your effectuall importunitie hath drawne forth into the common light It is an holy desire that the eye may second the eare in any thing that may helpe the soule and we that are fishers of men should bee wanting to our selues if wee had not baits for both those senses J plead not the disaduantage of a dead letter in respect of that life which elocution puts into any discourse Such as it is J make it both publike and yours J haue caused my thoughts so neere as J could to goe backe to the verie tearmes wherein J expressed them as thinking it better to fetch those words I haue let fall than to follow those J must take vp That therefore which it pleased your Lo. to heare with such patient attention and with so good affection to desire J not vnwillingly suffer abroad that these papers may speake that permanently to the eyes of all our Countrymen which in the passage found such fauour in the eares of your Citizens and such roome in so many hearts Besides your first and vehement motion for the Presse your knowne loue to learning deserues a better acknowledgement and no doubt findes it from more worthie hands And if my gratulation would adde any thing those should enuie you which will not imitate you For the rest God giue your Lo. a wise vnderstanding and couragious heart that you may prudently and strongly menage these wilde times vpon which you are fallen and by your holy example and powerfull endeuours helpe to shorten these reines of licentiousnesse That so this Citie which is better taught than any vnder heauen may teach all other places how to liue and may honour that profession which hath made it renowmed and all Gods Church ioyfull The welfare and happinesse whereof and your Lo. in it is vnfainedly wished by Your Lordships humbly deuoted IOS HALL AN HOLY PANEGYRICKE 1 SAM 12.24 25. Therefore feare you the Lord and serue him in truth with all your hearts and consider how great things he hath done for you But if you doe wickedly ye shall perish both ye and your King I Hold it no small fauour of God Right Honourable and beloued that hee hath called mee to the seruice of this day both in the name of such a people to praise him for his Anointed and in his name to praise his Anointed to his people The same hand that giues the opportunitie vouchsafe to giue successe to this businesse That which the Iewes sinned in but desiring it is our happinesse to enioy I need not call any other witnesse than this day wherein we celebrate the blessing of a King and which is more of a King higher than other Princes by the head and shoulders And if other yeeres had forgotten this tribute of their loyaltie and thankfulnesse yet the example of those ancient Romane Christians as Eusebius and Sozomen report would haue taught vs Decimum quemque annum Imperatores Romani magna festiuitate celebrant Sozom l. 1. 24. Idem Euseb de vita Const that the tenth compleat yeere of our Constantine deserues to be solemne and Iubilar And if our ill nature could be content to smother this mercy in silence the very Lepers of Samaria should rise vp against vs and say We doe not well this is a day of good tidings and we hold our peace My discourse yet shall not bee altogether laudatorie but as Samuels led in with exhortation and carried out with threatning For this Text is a composition of duties fauours dangers of duties which we owe of fauours receiued of dangers threatned The duties that God lookes for of vs come before the mention of the fauours we haue receiued from him though after their receit to teach vs that as his mercy so our obedience should be absolute and the danger followes both to make vs more carefull to hold the fauours and performe the duties And mee thinkes there cannot be a more excellent mixture If we should heare only of the fauors of God nothing of our duties wee should fall into conceitednesse if onely of our duties without recognition of his fauours we should prooue vncheerefull and if both of these without mention of any danger we should presume on our fauours and be slacke in our duties Prepare therefore your Christian eares and hearts for this threefold cord of God that through his blessing these dueties may draw you to obedience the dangers to a greater awe and the fauours to a further thankfulnesse The goodnesse of these outward this as is not such as that it can priuilege euery desire of them from sinne Iuxta Homer 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. Monarchie 〈…〉 and likeâ—â— to his rule that sits in the assembly of Gods One God 〈…〉 the acclamation of those ancient Christians and ye it was mis-desired of the Isrâ—â—â—es Wee may not euer desire that which is better in it selfe but that which is bâ—tter for vs Neither must wee follow our conceit in this iudgement but the appointment of God Now though God had appointed in time both a Scepter and a Law-giuer to 〈◊〉 yet they sinned in mending the pase of God and sputting on his decree And if they had staid his leisure so that they had desired that which was best in it selfe best for them appointed by God and now appointed yet the manner and ground offended For out of an humor of innouation out of discontent out of distrust out of an itch of conformitie to other Nations to aske a King it was not onely a sinne as they confesse vers 29. but ragnah rabbah a great wickednesse as Samuel tells them vers 17. and as oftentimes we may reade Gods displeasure in the face of heauen he shewes it in the weather God thunders and raines in the middest of wheat-â—aruest The thunder was fearefull the raine in that hot climate and season strangely vnseasonable both to bee in the instant of Samuels speech was iustly miraculous The heathen Poets bring in their fained God thundering in applause I neuer finde the true God did so Psal 29. This voice of
it long since a zealous and learned Sermon dedicated to our present Lord Archbishop by his owne Chaplaine hath no lesse taxed this abuse whether of insufficiencie or negligence though with more discretion than can bee expected from your malicious Pen. Learne henceforth not to diffuse crimes to the innocent For the rest your Baal in our Dispensations for Pluralities would thus plead for himselfe First he would bid you learne of your Doctor to distinguish of sinnes sinnes saith hee are either controuertible or manifest if controuertible or doubtfull men ought to beare one with anothers different iudgement if they doe not c. they sinne such is this if some be resolued others doubt and in whole Volumes plead whether conuenience or necessity how could your charitie compare these with sinnes euicted Secondly Propâ—suit secundum plenitudirem pâ—testatis de iure posâ—â—mus supra iuâ— d spensare Glossâ— pâ—ulo infra Papa coÌ„tra Apostolum dispensat c. SuÌ„ confer p. 52. M. Wâ—ites disco hee would tell you that these Dispensations are intended and directed not against the offence of God but the danger of Humane Lawes not securing from sinne but from losse But for both these points of Non-residence and insufficiencie if you sought not rather strife than satisfaction his Maiesties Speech in the Conference at Hampton Court might haue stayed the course of your quarrellous Pen No reasonable minde but would rest in that Gracious and royall determination Lastly Why looke you not to your owne Elders at home euen your handfull hath not auoided this crime of Non-residency What wonder is it if our world of men haue not escaped SEP You are wiser and I hope honester than thus to attempt though that receiued Maxime amongst you No Ceremony no Bishop no Bishop no King sauours too strongly of that Weed But what though you be loyall to earthly Kings and their Crownes and Kingdomes yet if you bee Traytâ—â—â— and Rebels agains the King of his Church Iesus Christ and the Scepter of his Kingdome not suffering him by his Lawes and officers to reigne ouer you but in stead of them doe stâ—â—p to Antichrist in his offices and Ordinances shall your loyaltie towards men excuse your Treasons against the Lord though you now cry neuer folowd Wee haue no King but Caesar Iohn 19.15 yet is there another King one Iesus which shall returne and passe a heauy doome vpon the Rebellion Luke 19.27 These enemies which would not haue me reigne ouer them bring them and slay them before me SECTION XXXIIII Our Loyaltie to Princes cleered theirs questioned Bar. against Gyfford Inconst of Brown p. 113. YOv that confesse our wisedome and honesty must now plead for your owne your hope is not more of vs than our feare of you To depose Kings dispose Kingdomes is a proud worke you want power but what is our will For Excommunication it is cleere enough While you fully hold that euery priuate man hath as much power in this censure as the Pastor and that Princes must be equally subiect with them to these their censures Let any man now deuise if the Brownists could haue a King how that King could stand one day vnexcommunicated Or if this censure meddle onely with his soule not with his Scepter How more than credible is it that some of your Assemblies in Queene ELIzABETHS dayes concluded Ibid. that shee was not euen in our sense Supreme Head of the Church neither had authority to make Lawes Ecclesiasticall in the Church Inquiry into Th. White It is well if you will disclaime it But you know your receiued position That no one Church is Superiour to other No authoritie therefore can reuerse this Decree your will may doe it yea what better than Rebellion appears in your next clause While you accuse our Loyaltie to an earthly King as treasonable to the King of the Church Christ Iesus If our Loyalty be a sinne where is yours If we be Traytors in our obedience what doe you make of him that commands it Pag. 36. Whether you would haue vs each man to play the Rex and erect a new Gouernment or whether you accuse vs as Rebels to Christ in obeying the old GOD blesse King IAMES from such Subiects But whose is that so vnsauourie weed No Bishop no King Know you whom you accuse let me shew you your Aduersarie it is King IAMES himselfe in his Hampton Conference is there not now suspition in the word surely you had cause to feare that the King would proue no good subiect Belike not to Christ What doe you else in the next but proclaime his opposition to the King of Kings or ours in not opposing his Esa 26.13 As if we might say with the Israelites O Lord our God other Lords besides thee haue ruled vs If we would admit each of your Elders to be so many Kings in the Church wee should stoope vnder Christs Ordinances Shew vs your Commission and let it appeare whether we be Enemies or you Vsurpers Alas you both refuse the rule of this true Deputie and set vp false Let this fearefull doome of Christ light where it is most due Euen so let thine enemies perish O Lord. SEP Not to speake of the errour of vniuersall Grace and consequently of Free-will that groweth on â—pace amongst you what doe you else but put in for a part with God inconuersion though not through freedome of will yet in a deuised Ministery the meanes of conuersion it being the Lords peculiar as well to appoint the outward Ministery of conuersion as to giue the inward grace SECTION XXXV GOe on to slander Euen that which you say you will not speake you do speake with much spight and no truth Errors of Free-will c. fained vpon the Church of England What hath our Church to doe with errors of vniuersall grace or Free-will Errors which her Articles doe flatly oppose what shamelesnesse is this Is shee guilty euen of that which shee condemnes If some few priuate iudgements shall conceiue or bring forth an error shall the whole Church doe penance Would God that wicked and hereticall Anabaptisme did not more grow vpon you than those errours vpon vs you had more neede to defend than accuse But see Christian Reader how this man draggs in crimes vpon vs as Cacus did his 〈◊〉 We doe forsooth part stakes with God in our conuersion wherein in a deuised Ministerie the meanes of conuersion well fetcht about There may bee a Ministerie without a conuersion and è conuerso There may be a conuersion without a Ministery Where now are the stakes parted 1 Cor. 3.9 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 yet thus we part stakes with the Apostle that wee are Gods Fellow-labourers in this great worke He hath separated vs to it and ioyned vs with him in it it is he as we haue proued that hath deuised our Ministerie yea your selfe shall proue it it is his peculiar to appoint the outward Ministery
either by fauour or wages few seruants and therefore few sons It is great fauour in God and great honour to me that he will vouchsafe to make me the lowest drudge in his family which place if I had not and were a Monarch of men I were accursed I desire no more but to serue yet Lord thou giuest me more to be thy sonne I heare Dauid say Seemeth it a small matter to you to be the sonne in law to a King What is it then oh what is it to bee the true adopted sonne of the King of glory Let me not now say as Dauid of Saul but as Sauls grand-childe to Dauid Oh what is thy seruant that thou shouldest looke vpon such a dead dogge as I am 22 I am a stranger here below my home is aboue yet I can thinke too well of these forraine vanities and cannot thinke enough of my home Surely that is not so farre aboue my head as my thoughts neither doth so farre passe me in distance as in comprehension and yet I would not stand so much vpon conceiuing if I could admire it enough but my straight heart is filled with a little wonder and hath no roome for the greatest part of glorie that remaineth O God what happinesse hast thou prepared for thy chosen What a purchase was this worthy of the bloud of such a Sauiour As yet I doe but looke towards it afarre off but it is easie to see by the outside how goodly it is within Although as thine house on earth so that aboue hath more glorie within than can be bewrayed by the outward appearance The outer part of thy Tabernacle here below is but an earthly and base substance but within it is furnished with a liuing spirituall and heauenly guest so the outer heauens though they bee as gold to all other materiall creatures yet they are but drosse to thee yet how are euen the outmost walls of that house of thine beautified with glorious lights whereof euery one is a world for bignesse and as an heauen for goodlinesse Oh teach me by this to long after and wonder at the inner part before thou letst me come in to behold it 23 Riches or beautie or what-euer worldly good that hath beene doth but grieue vs that which is doth not satisfie vs that which shall be is vncertaine What folly is it to trust to any of them 24 Securitie makes worldlings merry and therefore are they secure because they are ignorant That is onely solid ioy which ariseth from a resolution when the heart hath cast vp a full account of all causes of disquietnesse and findeth the causes of his ioy more forcible thereupon setling it selfe in a staied course of reioicing For the other so soone as sorrow makes it selfe to be seene especially in an vnexpected forme is swallowed vp in despaire whereas this can meet with no occurrence which it hath not preuented in thought Securitie and ignorance may scatter some refuse morsels of ioy sawced with much bitternesse or may be like some boasting house-keeper which keepeth open doores for one day with much cheere and liues staruedly all the yeere after There is no good Ordinarie but in a good conscience I pittie that vnsound ioy in others and will seeke for this sound ioy in my selfe I had rather weepe vpon a iust cause than reioice vniustly 25 As loue keepes the whole Law so loue onely is the breaker of it being the ground as of all obedience so of all sinne for whereas sinne hath beene commonly accounted to haue two roots Loue and Feare it is plaine that feare hath his originall from loue for no man feares to lose ought but what hee loues Here is sinne and righteousnesse brought both into a short summe depending both vpon one poore affection It shall be my onely care therefore to bestow my loue well both for obiect and measure All that is good I may loue but in seuerall degrees what is simply good absolutely what is good by circumstance onely with limitation There be these three things that I may loue without exception God my neighbour my soule yet so as each haue their due place My body goods fame c. as seruants to the former All other things I will either not care for or hate 26 One would not thinke that pride and base-mindednesse should so well agree yea that they loue so together that they neuer goe asunder That enuie euer proceeds from a base minde is granted of all Now the proud man as he faine would bee enuied of others so he enuieth all men His betters he enuies because he is not so good as they he enuies his inferiours because he feares they should proue as good as he his equals because they are as good as he So vnder bigge lookes he beares a base minde resembling some Cardinals Mule which to make vp the traine beares a costly Port-mantle stuffed with trash On the contrary who is more proud than the basest the Cynicke tramples on Platoes pride but with a worse especially if he be but a little exalted wherein wee see base men so much more haughtie as they haue had lesse before what they might be proud of It is iust with God as the proud man is base in himselfe so to make him basely esteemed in the eies of others and at last to make him base without pride I will contemne a proud man because he is base and pitie him because he is proud 27 Let me but haue time to my thoughts but leisure to thinke of Heauen and grace to my leisure and I can be happy in spight of the world Nothing but God that giues it can bereaue me of grace and he will not for his gifts are without repentance Nothing but death can abridge me of time and when I begin to want time to thinke of heauen I shall haue eternall leisure to enioy it I shall be both waies happie not from any vertue of apprehension in mee which haue no peere in vnworthinesse but from the glorie of that I apprehend wherein the act and obiect are from the author of happinesse He giues me this glorie let me giue him the glorie of his gift His glory is my happinesse let my glorie be his 28 God bestowes fauours vpon some in anger as he strikes othersome in loue The Israelites had better haue wanted their Quailes than to haue eaten them with such sawce And sometimes at our instancie remouing a lesser punishment leaues a greater though insensible in the roome of it I will not so much striue against affliction as displeasure Let me rather be afflicted in loue than prosper without it 29 It is strange that we men hauing so continuall vse of God and being so perpetually beholding to him should be so strange to him and so little acquainted with him since wee account it a peruerse nature in any man that being prouoked with many kinde offices refuses the familiaritie of a worthy friend which doth still seeke it and hath
is the Head canst thou drowne when thy Head is aboue was it not for thee that hee triumpht ouer death Is there any feare in a foyled aduersarie Oh my Redeemer I haue already ouercome in thee how can I miscarrie in my selfe O my soule thou hast marched valiantly Behold the Damosels of that heauenly Ierusalem come forth with Timbrels and Harps to meet thee and to applaud thy successe And now there remaines nothing for thee but a Crowne of righteousnesse which that righteous Iudge shall giue thee at that Day Oh Death where is thy sting Oh graue where is thy victorie The Thanksgiuing Returne now vnto thy rest O my soule for the Lord hath beene beneficiall vnto thee O Lord God the strength of my saluation thou hast couered my head in the day of battell O my God and King I will extoll thee and will blesse thy name for euer and euer I will blesse thee daily and praise thy Name for euer and euer Great is the Lord and most worthy to be praised and his greatnesse is incomprehensible I will meditate of the beautie of thy glorious Maiestie and thy wonderfull workes Hosanna thou that dwellest in the highest heauens Amen FINIS HOLY OBSERVATIONS LIB I. By IOS HALL SIC ELEVABITVR FILIVS HOMINIS Io 3. ANCHORA FIDEI LONDON Printed for THOMAS PAVIER MILES FLESHER and John Haviland 1624. TO THE RIGHT HONOVRABLE EDWARD LORD DENNY BARON OF WALTHAM MY most bountifull Patron Grace and Peace RIGHT HONOVRABLE THis aduantage a Scholar hath aboue others that hee cannot be idle and that he can worke without instruments For the minde inured to contemplation will set it selfe on worke when other occasions faile and hath no more power not to studie than the eye which is open hath not to see some thing in which businesse it carries about his owne Librarie neither can complaine to want Bookes while it enioyeth it selfe J could not then neglect the commoditie of this plentifull leasure in my so easie attendance here but though besides my course and without the helpe of others writings must needs busie my selfe in such thoughts as J haue euer giuen account of to your Lordship such as J hope shall not be vnprofitable nor vnwelcome to their Patron to their Readers J send them forth from hence vnder your Honourable name to shew you that no absence no imployment can make mee forget my due respect to your Lordship to whom next vnder my gracious Master J haue deseruedly bequeathed my selfe and my endeuours Your goodnesse hath not wont to magnifie it selfe more in giuing than in receiuing such like holy presents the knowledge whereof hath intitled you to more labours of this nature if I haue numbred aright than any of your Peeres I misdoubt not either your acceptation or their vse That God who hath aboue all his other fauours giuen your Lordship euen in these carelesse times an heart truly religious giue you an happy increase of all his heauenly graces by my vnworthy seruice To his gracious care I daily commend your Lordship with my Honourable Lady wishing you both all that little ioy earth can affoord you and fulnesse of glory aboue Non-such Iuly 3. Your Lordships Most humbly deuoted for euer in all dutie and obseruance IOS HALL HOLY OBSERVATIONS 1 AS there is nothing sooner drie than a teare so there is nothing sooner out of season than worldly sorrow which if it bee fresh and still bleeding findes some to comfort and pittie it if stale and skinned ouer with time is rather entertained with smiles than commiseration But the sorrow of repentance comes neuer out of time All times are alike vnto that Eternitie whereto wee make our spirituall mones That which is past that which is future are both present with him It is neither weake nor vncomely for an old man to weepe for the sinnes of his youth Those teares can neuer be shed either too soone or too late 2 Some men liue to bee their owne executors for their good name which they fee not honestly buried before themselues die Some other of great place and ill desert part with their good name and breath at once There is scarce a vicious man whose name is not rotten before his carcasse Contrarily the good mans name is oft times heire to his life either borne after the death of the parent for that enuie would not suffer it to come forth before or perhaps so well growne vp in his life time that the hope thereof is the staffe of his age and ioy of his death A wicked mans name may be feared a while soone after it is either forgotten or cursed The good man either sleepeth with his body in peace or waketh as his soule in glory 3 Oft times those which shew much valour while there is equall possibilitie of life when they see a present necessitie of death are found most shamefully timorous Their courage was before grounded vpon hope that cut off leaues them at once desperate and cowardly whereas men of feebler spirits meet more cheerefully with death because though their courage be lesse yet their expectation was more 4 I haue seldome seene the sonne of an excellent and famous man excellent But that an ill bird hath an ill egge is not rare children possessing as the bodily diseases so the vices of their Parents Vertue is not propagated Vice is euen in them which haue it not reigning in themselues The graine is sowne pure but comes vp with chaffe and huske Hast thou a good sonne He is Gods not thine Is he euill Nothing but his sinne is thine Helpe by thy praiers and endeuours to take away that which thou hast giuen him and to obtaine from God that which thou hast and canst not giue Else thou maiest name him a possession but thou shalt finde him a losse 5 These things be comely and pleasant to see and worthy of honour from the beholder A young Saint an old Martyr a religious Souldier a conscionable Statesman a great man courteous a learned man humble a silent woman a childe vnderstanding the eie of his Parent a merry companion without vanitie a friend not changed with honour a sicke man cheerefull a soule departing with comfort and assurance 6 I haue oft obserued in merry meetings solemnly made that somewhat hath falne out crosse either in the time or immediatly vpon it to season as I thinke our immoderation in desiring or enioying our friends and againe euents suspected haue proued euer best God herein blessing our awfull submission with good successe In all these humane things indifferencie is safe Let thy doubts be euer equall to thy desires so thy disappointment shall not bee grieuous because thy expectation was not peremptorie 7 You shall rarely finde a man eminent in sundry faculties of minde or sundry manuarie trades If his memorie be excellent his fantasie is but dull if his fancie bee busie and quicke his iudgement is but shallow If his iudgement bee deepe his vtterance is
beneficence Vpon thy people largely spread PSALME 4. As the ten Commandements Attend my people THou witnesse of my truth sincere My God vnto my poore request Vouchsafe to lend thy gracious eare Thou hast my soule from thrall releast verse 2 Fauour me still and dâ—igne to heare Mine humble sute O wretched wights verse 3 How long will yee mine honour deare Turne into shame through your despights Still will ye loue what thing is vaine verse 4 And seeke false hopes know then at last That God hath chose and will maintaine His fauorite whom yee disgrac't God will regard my instant mone verse 5 Oh! tremble then and cease offending And on your silent bed alone Talke with your hearts your waies amending verse 6 Offer the truest sacrifice Of broken hearts on God besetting verse 7 Your onely trust The most deuise The waies of worldly treasure getting But thou O Lord lift vp to me The light of that sweet looke of thine verse 8 So shall my soule more gladsome be Than theirs with all their corne and wine verse 9 So I in peace shall lay me downe And on my bed take quiet sleepe Whiles thou O Lord shalt me alone From dangers all securely keepe PSALME 5. In the tune of 124. Psalme Now Israel may say c. BOw downe thine eare Lord to these words of mine And well regard the secret plaints I make verse 2 My King my God to thee I doe betake My sad estate oh doe thine eare incline To these loud cries that to thee powred bin verse 3 At early morne thou shalt my voice attend For at day breake I will my selfe addresse Thee to implore and wait for due redresse verse 4 Thou dost not Lord delight in wickednesse Nor to bad men wilt thy protection lend verse 5 The boasters proud cannot before thee stay Thou hat'st all those that are to sinne deuoted verse 6 The lying lips and who with bloud are spotted Thou doest abhorre and wilt for euer slay verse 7 But I vnto thine house shall take the way And through thy grace abundant shall adore With humble feare within thy holy place verse 8 Oh! lead me Lord within thy righteous trace Euen for their sakes that malice me so sore Make smooth thy paths my dimmer eies before verse 9 Within their mouth no truth is euer found Pure mischiefe is their heart a gaving toome verse 10 Is their wide throat and yet their tongues still sound verse 11 With smoothing words O Lord giue them their doome And let them fall in those their plots profound In their excesse of mischiefe them destroy verse 12 That Rebels are so those that to thee flie Shall all reioyce and sing eternally verse 13 And whom thou dost protect and who loue thee And thy deare name in thee shall euer ioy Since thou with blisse the righteous dost reward And with thy grace as with a shield him guard PSALME 6. As the 50. Psalme The mighty God c. LEt me not Lord be in thy wrath reproued Oh! scourge me not when thy fierce wrath is moued verse 2 Pity me Lord that doe with languor pine Heale me whose bones with paine dissolued bin verse 3 Whose weary soule is vexed aboue measure Oh Lord how long shall I bide thy displeasure verse 4 Turne thee O Lord rescue my soule distrest verse 5 And saue me of thy grace 'Mongst those that rest In silent death can none remember thee And in the graue how shouldst thou praised be verse 6 Weary with sighes All night I caus'd my bed To swim with teares my couch I watered verse 7 Deepe sorrow hath consum'd my dimmed eyne Sunke in with griefe at these lewd foes of mine verse 8 But now hence hence vaine plotters of mine ill The Lord hath heard my lamentations shrill verse 9 God heard my suit and still attends the same verse 10 Blush now my foes and flie with sudden shame PSALME 7. As the 112. Psalme The man is blest that God c. ON thee O Lord my God relies My onely trust from bloudy spight Of all my raging enemies Oh! let thy mercy me acquite verse 2 Lest they like greedy Lyons rend My soule while none shall it defend verse 3 O Lord if I this thing haue wrought If in my hands be found such ill verse 4 If I with mischiefe euer sought To pay good turnes or did not still Doe good vnto my causelesse foe That thirsted for my ouerthrow verse 5 Then let my foe in eager chace Ore-take my soule and proudly tread My life below and with disgrace In dust lay downe mine honour dead verse 6 Rise vp in rage O Lord eft-soone Aduance thine arme against my foâ—ne And wake for me till thou fulfill verse 7 My promis'd right so shall glad throngs Of people flocke vnto thine hill For their sakes then reuenge my wrong's verse 8 And râ—use thy selfe Thy iudgements be O're all the world Lord iudge thou me As truth and honest innocence Thou find'st in me Lord iudge thou me verse 9 Settle the iust with sure defence Let me the wicked's malice see verse 10 Brought to an end For thy iust eye Doth heart and inward reynes descry verse 11 My safety stands in God who shields The sound in heart whose doome each day verse 12 To iust men and contemners yeelds verse 13 Their due Except he change his way His sword is whet to bloud intended His murdering Bow is ready bended verse 14 Weapons of death he hath addrest And arrowes keene to pierce my foe verse 15 Who late bred mischiefe in his brest But when he doth on trauell goe verse 16 Brings forth a lie deepe pits doth delue And fals into his pits himselue verse 17 Backe to his owne head shall rebound His plotted mischiefe and his wrongs verse 18 His crowne shall craze But I shall sound Iehouah's praise with thankfull songs And will his glorious name expresse And tell of all his righteousnesse PSALME 8. As the 113. Psalme Yee children which c. HOw noble is thy mighty Name O Lord o're all the worlds wide frame Whose glory is aduanc't on high Aboue the rowling heauens racke verse 2 How for the gracelesse scorners sake To still th' auenging enemy Hast thou by tender infants tongue The praise of thy great Name made strong While they hang sucking on the brest verse 3 But when I see the heauens bright The moone and glittering starres of night By thine almighty hand addrest verse 4 Oh! what is man poore silly man That thou so mind'st him and dost daine To looke at his vnworthy seed verse 5 Thou hast him set not much beneath Thine Angels bright and with a wreath Of glory hast adorn'd his head verse 6 Thou hast him made high soueraigne verse 7 Of all thy works and stretcht his raigne Vnto the heards and beasts vntame verse 8 To Fowles and to the scaly traine That glideth through the watry Maine verse 9 How noble each-where is thy Name PSALME 9. To the
tune of that knowne song beginning Preserue vs Lord. THee and thy wondrous deeds O God Wiâ—h all my soule I sound abroad verse 2 My ioy my triumph is in thee Of thy dread name my song shall be verse 3 O highest God since put to flight And fal'ne and vanisht at thy sight verse 4 Are all my foes for thou hast past Iust sentence on my cause at last And sitting on thy throne aboue A rightfull Iudge thy selfe doest proue verse 5 The troupes profane thy checks haue stroid And made their name for euer void verse 6 Where 's now my foes your threatned wrack So well you did our Cities sacke And bring to dust while that ye say Their name shall die as well as they verse 7 Loe in eternall state God sits And his high Throne to iustice fits verse 8 Whose righteous hand the world shall weeld And to all folke iust doome shall yeeld verse 9 The poore from high finde his releefe The poore in needfull times of griefe verse 10 Who knowes the Lord to thee shall cleaue That neuer doest thy clients leaue verse 11 Oh! sing the God that doth abide On Sion mount and blazon wide verse 12 His worthy deeds For he pursues The guiltlesse bloud with vengeance due He mindes their cause nor can passe o're Sad clamors of the wronged poore verse 13 Oh! mercy Lord thou that dost saue My soule from gates of death and graue Oh! see the wrong my foes haue done verse 14 That I thy praise to all that gone Through daughter Sions beauteous gate With thankfull songs may loud relate And may reioyce in thy safe aide Behold the Gentiles whiles they made A deadly pit my soule to drowne Into their pit are sunken downe In that close snare they hid for mee Loe their owne feet intangled be verse 16 By this iust doome the Lord is knowne That th' ill are punisht with their owne verse 17 Downe shall the wicked backward fall To deepest hell and nations all verse 18 That God forget nor shall the poore Forgotten be for euermore The constant hope of soules opprest verse 19 Shall not aye die Rise from thy rest Oh Lord let not men base and rude Preuaile iudge thou the multitude verse 20 Of lawlesse Pagans strike pale feare Into those brests that stubborne were And let the Gentiles feele and finde They beene but men of mortall kinde PSALME 10. As the 51. Psalme O God Consider WHy stand'st thou Lord aloofe so long And hidst thee in due times of need verse 2 Whiles lewd men proudly offer wrong Vnto the poore In their owne deed And their deuice let them be caught verse 3 For loe the wicked braues and boasts In his vile and outragious thought And blesseth him that rauines most verse 4 On God he dares insult his pride Scornes to enquire of powers aboue But his stout thoughts haue still deni'd verse 5 There is a God His waies yet proue 〈◊〉 prosperous thy iudgements hye Doe farre surmount his dimmer fight verse 6 Therefore doth he all foes defie His heart saith I shall stand in spight Nor euer moue nor danger ' bide verse 7 His mouth is fill'd with curses foule And with close fraud His tongue doth hide verse 8 Mischiefe and ill he seekes the soule Of harmelesse men in secret waite And in the corners of the street Doth shead their bloud with scorne and hate His eies vpon the poore are set verse 9 As some fell Lyon in his den He closely lurkes the poore to spoyle He spoyles the poore and helplesse men When once he snares them in his toyle verse 10 He croucheth low in cunning wile And bowes his brest whereon whole throngs Of poore whom his faire showes beguile Fall to be subiect to his wrongs verse 11 God hath forgot in soule he saies He hides his face to neuer see verse 12 Lord God arise thine hand vp-raise Let not thy poore forgotten be verse 13 Shall these insulting wretches scorne Their God and say thou wilt not care verse 14 Thou see'st for all thou hast forborne Thou see'st what all their mischiefes are That to thine hand of vengeance iust Thou maist them take the poore distressed Rely on thee with constant trust The helpe of Orphans and oppressed verse 15 Oh! breake the wickeds arme of might And search out all their cursed traines And let them vanish out of sight verse 16 The Lord as King for euer raignes From forth his coasts the heathen sect verse 17 Are rooted quite thou Lord attendst To poore mens sutes thou deo'st direct Their hearts to them thine eare thou bendst verse 18 That thou maist rescue from despight The wofull fatherlesse and poore That so the vaine and earthen wight On vs may tyrannize no more FJNJS CHARACTERS OF VERTVES AND VICES JN TWO BOOKES By IOS HALL SIC ELEVABITVR FILIVS HOMINIS Io 3. ANCHORA FIDEI LONDON Printed for THOMAS PAVIER MILES FLESHER and John Haviland 1624. TO THE RIGHT HONOVRABLE MY singular good Lords EDWARD LORD DENNY BARON of WALTHAM AND JAMES LORD HAY HIS RIGHT NOBLE AND WORTHY SONNE IN LAW I. H. HVMBLY DEDICATES HIS LABOVR DEVOTETH HIMSELFE Wisheth all Happinesse A PREMONITION OF THE TITLE AND VSE of Characters READER THe Diuines of the old Heathens were their Morall Philosophers These receiued the Acts of an inbred law in the Sinai of Nature and deliuered them with many expositions to the multitude These were the Ouerseers of manners Correctors of vices Directors of liues Doctors of vertue which yet taught their people the body of their naturall Diuinitie not after one manner while some spent themselues in deepe discourses of humane felicitie and the way to it in common others thought it best to apply the generall precepts of goodnesse or decency to particular conditions and persons A third sort in a meane course betwixt the two other and compounded of them both bestowed their time in drawing out the true lineaments of euerie vertue and vice so liuely that who saw the medals might know the face which Art they significantly tearmed Charactery Their papers were so many tables their writings so many speaking pictures or liuing images whereby the ruder multitude might euen by their sense learne to know vertue and discerne what to detest J am deceiued if any course could be more likely to preuaile for herein the grosse conceit is led on with pleasure and informed while it feeles nothing but delight And if pictures haue beene accounted the bookes of Jdiots behold here the benefit of an image without the offence It is no shame for vs to learne wit of Heathens neither is it materiall in whose Schoole we take out a good lesson yea it is more shame not to follow their good than not to lead them better As one therefore that in worthy examples hold imitation better than inuention J haue trod in their paths but with an higher and wider steppe and out of their Tablets haue drawne these larger portraitures of both sorts More
is he that drinkes the waters of his owne Cisterne Pr. 5.15 Pr. 6.25 that desires not the beautie of a stranger in his heart neither lets her take him with her eye-lids contrarily the incontinent is hee that delights in a strange woman Pr. 5.20 Pr. 2.17 Pr. 23.28 Pr. 23.27 Ec. 7.28 See more of this vice Oecoâ— sect 2. and 3. Pr. 16.32 Pr. 14.29 Pr. 19.11 Pr. 14.29 Pr. 29.8 Pr. 16.23 Pr. 20.3 Ec. 7.11 Ec. 7.11 Pr. 14.17 Pr. 14.29 Pr. 27.4 Pr. 29.22 Pr. 22.24 Pr. 22.25 and embraces the bosome of a stranger or she that forsakes the guide of her youth and forgetteth the couenant of God she lieth in wait for a prey and she increaseth the transgressors amongst men For a whore is as a deepe ditch and a strange woman as a narrow pit Yea I finde more bitter than death the woman whose heart is as nets and snares and whose hands as bands he that is good before God shall be deliuered from her but the sinner shall be taken by her Of the second is he that is slow to anger slow to wrath whose discretion deferreth his anger and whose glory is to passe by an offence which moderation as it argues him to be of great wisdome for wise men turne away wrath so it makes him better than the mightie man and procures him iust honour for It is the honour of a man to cease from strife contrary to which is he that is of an hastie spirit to be angry which as it proues him foolâ—sh for anger resteth in the bosome of fooles and he that is hastie to anger not onely committeth folly but exalteth it so it makes him dangerous Anger is cruell and wrath is raging and a furious man aboundeth in transgressions wherefore make no friendship with an angry man lest thou learne his waies and receiue destruction to thy soule §. 5. Fortitude In generall The specials of it Confidence Patience in Gods afflictions in mens iniuries Pr. 18.14 Pr. 28.1 Pr. 24.10 Pr. 29.25 Pr. 18 14. Pr. 28.1 Pr. 3.5 Pr. 3.6 Pr. 16.3 Pr. 14.32 Pr. 13.12 Pr. 28.25 Pr. 16.3 Pr. 3.6 Pr. 30.5 Pr. 21.31 Pr. 18.12 Pr. 16.20 Pr. 28.26 Pr. 27.1 FOrtitude is that whereby The spirit of a man sustaines his infirmities which makes the righteous bold as a Lion contrarily the weake of strength is hee that is faint in the day of aduersitie whose feare bringeth a snare vpon him and that desperate A wounded spirit who can beare which is often caused through guiltinesse The wicked fleeth when none pursueth him Confidence is to trust in the Lord with all thine heart and not to leane to thine owne wisdome but in all thy waies to acknowledge him and to commit thy workes to the Lord and to haue hope in thy death and though in other things The hope that is deferred is the fainting of the heart yet in this he that trusteth in the Lord shall be fat for from hence not onely his thoughts and waies are directed but he receiueth safetie and protection He is a shield to those that trust in him The horse is prepared for the day of battell but saluation is of the Lord. Yea The name of the Lord is a strong tower the righteous runneth to it and is exalted So that He that trusteth in the Lord he is blessed whereas He that trusteth in his owne heart is a foole and it is a vaine thing to boast thy selfe of to morow for thou knowest not what a day will bring forth Pr. 3.11 Ec. 7.16 Patience is not to refuse the chastening of the Lord neither to bee grieued with his correction The patient man in the day of wealth is of good comfort and in the day of affliction considereth God also hath made this contrarie to that that man should finde nothing after him whereof to complaine knowing that the Lord correcteth whom hee loueth Pr. 3.12 Pr. 10.28 Pr. 19.3 Ec. 6.10 Pr. 29.1 and that the patient abiding of the righteous shall bee gladnesse Contrarily The heart of the foole fretteth against the Lord he is carelesse and rageth but to what purpose Man cannot striue with him that is stronger than he yea rather the man that hardeneth his necke when he is rebuked shall suddenly bee destroied and cannot be cured Pr. 20.22 in respect of mens iniuries Hee saith not I will recompence euill but waits vpon the Lord and hee shall saue him In which regard the patient in spirit that suffers Ec. 7.10 is better than the proud of spirit that requites SALOMONS POLITICKS OR COMMON-WEALTH THE FIRST BOOKE His KING COVNCELLOVR COVRTIER SVBIECT By IOS HALL SIC ELEVABITVR FILIVS HOMINIS Io 3. ANCHORA FIDEI LONDON Printed for THOMAS PAVIER MILES FLESHER and John Haviland 1624. SALOMONS POLITICKS OR Common-Wealth And first HIS KING §. 1. Degrees must be and are subordinate highest not many but one and those from God IN all well ordered gouernments there are degrees And higher than the highest and yet an higher than they and these Ec. 5.7 of Gods appointment not onely in the inferiour ranks The rich and poore meet and the Lord is the Maker of them all but in the supreme Pr. 2.22 By me Kings raigne saith Wisdome and Princes decree Iustice Pr. 8.15 Pr. 8.16 Pr. 30.27 and not they onely but the Nobles and all the Iudges of the earth so it is a iust wonder that the Grashoppers haue no King yet they goe forth by bands And as no King is a iudgement so many for Because of the transgression of the Land there are many Princes many Pr. 28.2 not onely in frequent succession but in society of regiment §. 2. In a King are described Quality of his person Naturall Morall Actions A King must be high as in place so in bloud Blessed art thou O Land Ec. 10.17 when thy King is the sonne of Nobles not of any seruile condition Pr. 19.10 Ec. 10.17 for nothing can be more vncomly than for a seruant to haue rule ouer Princes and it is a monster in State to see seruants ride on horses and Princes of bloud to walke as seruants on the ground neither more monstrous than intollerable There are three things for which the earth is moued Pr. 30.21 Pr. 30.22 yea foure which it cannot sustaine whereof one is A seruant when he raigneth §. 3. Morall qualities Negatiue what one he Not lasciuious Not riotous Not hollow and dissembling Not childish Not imprudent Not oppressing may not be Affirmatiue ANd as his bloud is heroicall so his disposition not lascinious What Pr. 31.25 Ec. 2.10 O my sonne of my desires giue not thy strength to women nor thy waies But why should he withhold from his eyes whatsoeuer they can desire Ec. 2.8 Can. 6.7 Pr. 31.3 Ec. 7.28 and withdraw his heart from any ioy why may he not haue all the delights of the sonnes of men as women taken captiue as Queenes and Concubines and
Damosels without number This is to destroy Kings He shall finde more bitter than death the woman whose heart is as nets and snares Not riotously excessiue Pr. 31.4 whether in wine for It is not for Kings to drinke wine nor for Princes strong drinke Ec. 9.7 What not at all To him alone is it not said Goe eat thy bread with ioy and drinke thy wine with a cheerefull heart who should eat or drinke or haste to outward things more than he Ec. 2.25 Pr. 31.5 Ec. 10.16 Pr. 23.2 Pr. 23.3 Not immoderatly so as he should drinke and forget the decree and change the iudgement of all the children of affliction Or in meat for Woe be to thee O Land when thy Princes eat in the morning and if he be not the master of his appetite his dainty meats will proue deceiueable Not hollow not double in speeches in profession Pr. 17.7 Ec. 10.16 The lip of excellency becomes not a foole much lesse lying talke a Prince Not childish Woe to thee O Land whose King is a childe not so much in age which hath sometimes proued successefull Pr. 23.16 but in condtion Not imprudent not oppressing two vices conioyned A Prince destitute of vnderstanding is also a great oppressor And to conclude in all or any of these Ec. 4.13 not wilfully inflexible A poore and wise childe is better than an old and foolish King that will no more be admonished §. 4. Affirmatiue what one he must be To others Iust Mercifull Slow to Anger Bountifull In himselfe Temperate Wise Valiant Secret Ec. 10.17 Pr. 11.1 COntrarily he must be Temperate Blessed art thou O Land when thy Princes eat in time for strength and not for drunkennesse Iust and righteous for false ballances especially in the hand of gouernment are an abomination to the Lord but a perfect weight pleaseth him Pr. 16.12 Pr. 14.34 Pr. 29.2 A vertue beneficiall both 1 to himselfe for the Throne is established by Iustice and 2. to the State Iustice exalteth a Nation than which nothing doth more binde and cheare the hearts of the people for When the righteous are in authority the people reioyce but when the wicked beares rule the people sigh and with truth and iustice Pr. 20.18 must mercy be ioyned inseparably for Mercy and truth preserue the King and his Throne shall be established also by mercy And all these must haue wisdome to menage them Pr. 8.16 Pr. 20.26 Pr. 28.16 Pr. 29.4 By it Princes rule and are terrible to the ill-deseruing A wise King scattereth the wicked and causeth the wheele to turne ouer them To all these must bee added bounty A Prince that hateth couetousnesse shall prolong his daies where contrarily A man of gifts destroyeth his country and yet further a conquest of his owne passions a princely victory Pr. 16.32 for He that is slow to anger is better than the mighty man and hee that ruleth his owne minde better than he that winneth a City because of all other The Kings wrath is like the roaring of a Lion Pr. 19.12 and what is that but the messenger of death and if it may be Pr. 30.29 Pr. 30.31 a conquest of all others through valour There are three things that order well their going yea foure are comely in going whereof the last and principall is A King against whom no man dares rise vp Pr. 25.3 Lastly secrecie in determinations The Heauen in height and earth in deepnesse and the Kings heart can no man no man should search out Pr. 21.1 neither should it be in any hands but the Lords who as he knowes it so he turnes it whithersoeuer it pleaseth him §. 5. His actions common speciall to his place To iudge righteously 1. according to the truth of the cause 2. according to the distresse of the party vnpartially remit mercifully Pr. 16.12 Pr. 16.7 HIs actions must suit his disposition which must bee vniuersally holy for It is an abomination to Kings of all other to commit wickednesse Which holinesse alone is the way to all peace When the waies of a man please the Lord he will make his enemies at peace with him Peculiarly to his place hee must first iudge his people Pr. 20.8 a King that sitteth in the Throne of iudgement chaseth away all euill with his eies Pr. 29.4 Pr. 16.10 and by this hee maintaines his country and while he doth sit there A diuine sentence must be in the lips of the King and his mouth may not transgresse in iudgement For Pr. 29.14 a King that iudgeth the poore in truth his Throne shall be established for euer Neither may his eare be partially open which disposition shall be sure to be fed with reports for Pr. 29.12 Of a Prince that harkneth to lies all his seruants are wicked nor his mouth shut especially in cases of distresse Open thy mouth for the dumbe in the cause of all the children of destruction Pr. 31.8 Pr. 31.9 open thy mouth iudge righteously and iudge the afflicted and the poore yet not with so much regard to the estate of persons as the truth of the cause Pr. 17.26 for Surely it is not good to condemne the iust in what euer condition nor that Princes should smite such for equity wherein he shall wisely search into all difficulties The glory of God is to passe by infirmities Pr. 25.1 but the Kings honour is to search out a thing yet so as he is not seldome mercifull in execution Deliuering them that are drawne to death Pr. 24.11 Ec. 8.9 and preseruing them that are drawne to be slaine These obserued it cannot be that man should rule ouer man to his hurt SALOMONS COVNSAILOR §. 6. Counsaile For the soule How giuen The necessity of it The qualitie wise righteous pleasant How receiued For the State AS where no soueraignty so where no counsell is the people fall and contrarily Pr. 11.14 Pr. 22.6 Pr 15.22 Pr. 29.18 Pr. 11.30 Ec. 22.9 where many Counsellors are there is health and more than health Stedfastnes Counsell for the soule Where no vision is the people perish which requires both holinesse and wisdome The fruit of the righteous is as a tree of life and he that winneth soules is wise the more wise the Preacher is the more he teacheth the people knowledge and causeth them to heare and searcheth forth and prepareth many parables and not only an vpright writing and speaking euen the word of truth Ec. 12.10 but pleasant words also so that the sweetnesse of the lips increaseth doctrine and not more delightfull than effectuall for Pr. 16.21 The words of the wise are like goads and nailes fastned by the masters of the assemblies that are giuen by one Pastor Ec. 12.11 which againe of euery hearer challenge due reuerence and regard who must take heed to his foot when he entreth into the House of God Ec. 4
17. and be more neere to heare than to giue the sacrifice of fooles for Pr. 13.13 He that despiseth the Word shall be destroyed but he that feareth the Commandement shall be rewarded §. 7. In a Counsellor of State or Magistrate is required Wisdome Discussing of causes Prouidence and working according to knowledge Pietie Iustice and freed from Partialitie Bribes Oppression WIthout Counsell all our thoughts euen of policie and state come to naught Pr. 15.22 but in the multitude of Counsellors is stedfastnesse and no lesse in their goodnesse 1. Pr. 24 5. Ec 7.2 Pr. 14 33. Pr. 17.24 Pr. in their wisdome which alone giues strength to the owner aboue ten mighty Princes that are in the City a vertue which though it resteth in the heart of him that hath vnderstanding yet is knowne in the mids of fooles For wisdome is in the face of him that hath vnderstanding and in his lips for howsoeuer he that hath knowledge spareth his words yet the tongue of the wise vseth knowledge aright Pr. 15.2 Pr. 24.7 Pr. 26.1 and the foole cannot open his mouth in the gate and therefore is vnfit for authority As snow in summer and raine in haruest so is honour vnseemly for a foole And though it be giuen him how ill it agrees As the closing of a precious stone in an heape of stones Pr. 26.8 so is hee that giues glory to a foole From hence Pr. the good Iusticer both carefully heareth a cause knowing that Hee which answereth a matter before he heare it it is folly and shame to him and that related on both parts Pr. 18.17 Pr. 20.5 for He that is first in his owne cause is iust then commeth his neighbour and maketh inquirie of him and deeply fifteth it else he loseth the truth for The counsell of the heart of a man is like deepe waters but a man that hath vnderstanding will draw it out Pr. 22.3 Ec. 9.15 Pr. 13.16 Ec. 9 17. Pr. 21.22 From hence is his prouidence for the common good not only in seeing the plague and hid ng himselfe but in deliuering the city as he foreseeth so he worketh by knowledge and not in peace only as The words of the wise are more heard in quietnesse than the cry of him that ruleth among fooles but in warre A wise man goeth vp into the City of the mighty and casteth downe the strength of the confidence thereof For wisdome is better than strength Ec. 9.16 Ec. 9.18 Ec. 9.13 Ec. 9.14 Ec. 9.15 yea than weapons of warre I haue seene this wisdome vnder the Sunne and it is great vnto me A little City and men in it and a great King came against it and compassed it about and builded forts against it and there was found in it a poore and wise man and hee deliuered the City by his wisdome Neither can there be true wisdome in any Counsellor Pr. 14.16 Pr. 21.30 Pr. 11.3 Pr. without piety The wise man feareth and departs from euill being well assured that there is no wisdome nor vnderstanding nor counsell against the Lord and that Man cannot bee established by wickednesse and indeed how oft doth God so dispose of estates that the euill shall bow before the good and the wicked at the gates of the righteous neither is this more iust with God than acceptable with men for when the righteous reioyce Pr. 18.12 Pr. 29.2 Pr. 28.12 Pr. 28.28 Pr. 29.2 Pr. 25.26 Pr. Pr. 28.11 Pr. 24.23 there is great glory and when they are in authority the people reioyce contrarily when the wicked comes on and rises vp and beares rule the man is tryed the good hide themselues and all the people sigh and the righteous man falling downe before the wicked is like a troubled Well and a corrupt Spring Neither is Iustice lesse essentiall than either for to doe iustice and iudgement is more acceptable to the Lord than sacrifice To know faces therefore in a Iudge is not good for that man will transgresse for a peece of bread much lesse to accept the person of the wicked Pr. 18.5 to cause the righteous to fall in iudgement He that saith to the wicked Thou art righteous him shall the people curse and the multitude shall abhorre him Yea yet higher Pr. 24.24 Pr. 17.15 Pr. 17.23 Pr. 18.16 Hee that iustifieth the wicked and condemneth the iust both are an abomination to the Lord. Wherefore howsoeuer The wicked man taketh a gift out of the bosome to wrest the waies of iudgement and commonly A mans gift inlargeth him and leadeth him with approbation before greatmen yet he knoweth that the reward destroyeth the heart Ec. 7.9 Pr. 12.7 Pr. 15.27 Pr. 21.15 Pr. 19.15 Pr. 21.11 Pr. 21.2 Ec. 14.5 Pr. 12.17 Pr. 18.17 Pr. 19.5 Pr. 19.9 Pr. Pr. 14.31 Pr. 22.22 Pr. 24.26 that the acceptance of it is but the robbery of the wicked which shall destroy them because they haue refused to execute iudgement he hateth gifts then that he may liue and it is a ioy to him to doe iudgement He doth vnpartially smite the scorner yea seuerely punish him that the wickedly foolish may beware and become wise And where as Euery way of a man is right in his owne eies and a false record will speake lies and vse deceit he so maketh inquirie that a false witnesse shall not bee vnpunished and he that speaketh lies shall perish Lastly his hand is free from oppression of his inferiours which as it makes a wise man madde so the actor of it miserable for He that oppresseth the poore reproueth him that made him and if the afflicted be opprest in iudgement the Lord will defend their cause and spoile the soule that spoileth them and vpon all occasions he so determineth that they shall kisse the lips of him that answereth vpright words SALOMONS COVRTIER §. 8. Must bee Discreet Religious Humble Charitable Diligent Faithfull IN the light of the Kings countenance is life Pr. 16.15 Pr. 19.12 and his fauour is as the cloud of the latter raine or as the dew vpon the grasse which that the Courtier may purchase hee must be 1. Discreet The pleasure of a King is in a wise seruant Pr. 14.35 Pr. 22.11 Pr. 11.27 Pr. 12.26 Pr. 22.4 Pr. 15.33 Pr. 25.6 Pr. 25.7 Pr. 25.15 but his wrath shall be towards him that is lewd 2. Religious both in heart Hee that loueth purenesse of heart for the grace of the lips the King shall be his friend and in his actions He that seeketh good things getteth fauour in both which the righteous is more excellent than his neighbour and besides these humble The reward whereof is glory for before glory goeth humility He dare not therefore boast himselfe before the King and thrust himselfe ouer-forward in the presence of the Prince whom his eies doe see whom he see moued he pacifieth by staying of anger and by a soft answer breaketh a man of bone not aggrauating
the faults of others He that couereth a transgression seeketh loue Pr. 17.9 Ec. 8.2 but he that repeateth a matter separateth the Prince To these hee is diligent taking heed to the mouth of the King and therefore worthily standeth before Kings and not before the base sort and withall true and faithfull when hee vndertakes anothers suit hee lingers not Pr. 22.29 knowing that The hope that is deferred is the fainting of the heart Pr. 13.12 Pr. 17.8 and though A bribe or reward is as a stone pleasant in the eies of them that haue it and prospereth whithersoeuer it turneth Pr. 19.6 Pr. 21.6 for euery man is a friend to him that giueth gifts yet hee accounteth the gathering of treasures by a deceitfull tongue to be vanity tossed to and fro of them that seeke death SALOMONS SVBIECT §. 9. His duty to His Prince Reuerence Obedience Fellow-Subiects EVery gouernment presupposeth Subiects Pr. 14.18 In the multitude of the people is the honour of the King and for the want of people commeth the destruction of the Prince Of whom God requires in respect of the Prince Reuerence Obedience Pr. 19.6 Pr. 29.26 Ec. 10.20 Pr. 24.21 Pr. 17.11 Ec. 10.20 Pr. 17.11 Pr. 24.22 That they should reuerence and seeke the face of the Prince not cursing the King so much as in their thought nor the rich in their bed-chamber but fearing the Lord and the King and not meddling with the seditious which only seeke euill For as the Fowle of the heauen shall carry the voice and the master of the wing declare the matter so for reuenge a cruell messenger shall be sent against theÌ„ their destruction shall arise suddenly and who knoweth their ruine For their due homage therefore and obedience to lawes they take heed to the mouth of the King and the word of the oath of God Ec. 8.2 and if a law be enacted Ec. 10.8 Ec. 10.9 Ec. 8 3. they violate it not nor striue for innouation Hee that breakes the hedge a serpent shall bite him He that remoueth stones shall hurt himselfe thereby and hee that cutteth wood shall be in danger thereby And if they haue offended they haste not to goe forth of the Princes sight nor stand in an euill thing for he will doe what-euer pleaseth him Ec. 10.4 but rather if the spirit of him that ruleth rise vp against them by gentlenesse pacifie great sinnes §. 10. To his fellow-Subiects in respect of more publike societie is required 1. Regard to Superiors in Estate Desert Inferiors Equals 2. Commerce more priuate societie Iust maintenance of each mans proprietie Truth of friendship Pr. 22.7 Pr. 27.21 IN respect of themselues he requires due regard of degrees whether of superiors The rich ruleth the poore and as the fining pot is for siluer and the furnace for gold so is euery man tryed according to his dignity so as they that come from the holy place be not forgotten in the City Ec. 8.10 Pr. Pr. 11.12 Pr. 14.21 where they haue done right or whether of inferiors for A poore man if he oppresse the poore Is like a raging raine that leaueth no food yea lesse than oppression He that despiseth his neighbour is both a sinner and destitute of vnderstanding or lastly of equals and therein quiet and peaceable demeanour not striuing with others causelesse Pr. 3.30 Pr. 17.14 Pr 25.9 Pr. 25.8 Pr. 26.17 Pr. 6.16 19. not to beginne contentions for the beginning of strife is as one that openeth the waters therefore ere it be medled with he leaueth off and being prouoked debateth the matter with his neighbour And as he goes not forth hastily to strife so much lesse doth he take part in impertinent quarrels Hee that passeth by and medleth with the strife that belongs not to him is as one that takes a dogge by the eare and one of the six things that God hates is he that raiseth vp contentions among neighbours Ec. 5.8 Pr. 8.19 Secondly mutuall commerce and interchange of commodities without which is no liuing The abundance of the earth is ouer all and the King consists by the field that is tilled The husbandman therefore must till his land that hee may bee satisfied with bread for much increase commeth by the strength of the Oxe Pr. 14.4 Pr. 11. â—6 Pr. 24.30 31. and moreouer he must sell corne that blessings may be vpon him which if he withdraw the people shall curse him so that the slothfullman whose field is ouer growne with thornes and nettles is but an ill member Pr. 31.14 And againe The Merchant must bring his wares from farre and each so trade with other Ec. 10.19 P. 22.28 Pr. 23.10 Pr. 23.11 Pr. Pr. 23.4 Pr. 28.22 Pr. 28.20 Pr. 20.21 that both may liue They prepare bread for laughter and wine comforts the liuing but siluer answereth to all For lesse publike society is required due reseruation of propriety not to remoue the ancient bounds which his fathers haue made not to enter into the field of the fatherlesse for he that redeemeth them is mighty not to increase his riches by vsury and interest not to hasten ouer-much to be rich for such one knoweth not that pouerty shall come vpon him and that an heritage hastily gotten in the beginning in the end thereof shall not bee blessed and that in the meane time The man that is greedy of gaine Pr. 15.27 Pr. 18.24 troubleth his owne house 2. Truth of friendship A man that hath friends ought to shew himselfe friendly for a friend is neerer than a brother Pr. 27.10 Pr. 27.6 Pr. 27.9 Thy owne friend therefore and thy fathers friend forget thou not for whether he reproue thee The wounds of a louer are faithfull or whether he aduise As ointment and perfume reioyce the heart so doth the sweetnesse of a mans friend by hearty counsell or whether he exhort Pr. 27.17 Pr. 19.4 Pr. 17.17 Pr. 27 19. Pr. 25.17 iron sharpens iron so doth a man sharpen the face of his friend and all this not in the time of prosperitie only as commonly Riches gather many friends and the poore is separated from his neighbour but contrarily A true friend loueth at all times and a brother is borne for aduersity in all estates therefore as the face in the water answers to face so the heart of man to man who yet may not be too much pressed Withdraw thy foot from thy neighbours house lest he be weary of thee and hate thee neither enter into thy brothers house in the day of thy calamity nor againe Pr. 27.10 too forward in proffering kindnesse to his owne losse A man destitute of vnderstanding Pr. 17.18 Pr. 6.1 2 c. Pr. 6.3 toucheth the hand and becommeth surety for his neighbour If therefore thou art become surety for thy neighbour much more if thou hast stricken hands with the stranger thou art snared with the words of thine owne mouth
with thee 9. Thy cheekes are comely with rowes of stones and thy necke with chaines Those parts of thee which both are the seats of beautie and most conspicuous to the eye are gloriously adorned with the graces of my sanctification which are for their worth as so many precious borders of the goodliest stones or chaines of pearle 10. We will make thee borders of gold with studs of siluer And though thou be already thus set forth yet I and my Father haue purposed a further ornament vnto thee in the more plentifull effusion of our Spirit vpon thee which shall bee to thy former deckings in stead of pure gold curiously wrought with specks of siluer The Church 11. While the King was at his repast my spikenard gaue the smell thereof BEhold O ye daughters euen now whiles my Lord and King seemes farre distant from mee and sits in the Throne of heauen amongst the companies of Angels who attend around vpon him yet now doe I finde him present with mee in spirit euen now the sweet influence of his graces like to some precious ointment spreads it selfe ouer my soule and returnes a pleasant sauour into his owne nosthrils 12. My welbeloued is as a bundle of myrrh vnto me lying betweene my brests And though I be thus delightfull to my Sauiour yet nothing so much as hee is vnto mee for loe as some fragrant pomander of myrrh laid betweene the brests sends vp a most comfortable sent so his loue laid close vnto my heart doth still giue mee continuall and vnspeakable refreshings 13. My welbeloued is as a cluster of Cypers vnto me among the vines of Engeddy Or if any thing can be of more excellent vertue such smell as the clusters of Cypers berries within the fruitfulst pleasantst and richest vineyards and gardens of Iudaea yeeld vnto the passengers such and more delectable doe I finde the sauour of his grace to mee CHRIST 14. My Loue behold thou art faire thine eies are like the Doues NEither doest thou on my part lose any of thy loue O my deare Church for behold in mine eies thus clothed as thou art with my righteousnesse oh how faire and glorious thou art how aboue all comparison glorious and faire Thine eies which are thy seers Prophets Apostles Ministers and those inward eies whereby thou seest him that is inuisible are full of grace chastitie simplicitie The Church 15. My welbeloued behold thou art faire and pleasant also our bed is greene NAy then O my sweet Sauiour and Spouse thou alone art that faire pleasant one indeed from whose fulnesse I confesse to haue receiued all this little measure of my spirituall beautie and behold from this our mutuall delight and heauenly coniunction there ariseth a plentifull and flourishing increase of thy faithfull ones in all places and through all times 16. The beames of our house are Cedars our galleries are of Firre And behold the congregations of Saints the places where we doe sweetly conuerse and walke together are both firme and during like Cedars amongst the trees not subiect through thy protecting grace to vtter corruption and through thy fauourable acceptation and word like to galleries of sweet wood full of pleasure and contentment CHAP. II. CHRIST 1. I am the Rose of the field and the Lillie of the valleyes THou hast not without iust cause magnified me O my Church for as the fairest and sweetest of all flowers which the earth yeeldeth the Rose and Lillie of the valleyes excell for beautie for pleasure for vse the most base and odious weeds that grow so doth my grace to all them that haue felt the sweetnesse thereof surpasse all worldly contentments 2. Like a Lillie among the thornes so is my loue among the daughters Neither is this my dignitie alone but thou O my Spouse that thou maiest bee a fit match for me art thus excellent aboue the world that no Lillie can be more in goodly shew beyond the naked thorne than thou in thy glorie thou receiuest from mee ouerlookest all the assemblies of aliens and vnregenerates The Church 3. Like the Apple-tree among the trees of the forest so is my welbeloued among the sonnes of men vnder his shadow had I delight and sate downe and his fruit was sweet vnto my mouth ANd to returne thine owne praises as some fruitfull and well-growne Apple-tree in comparison of all the barren trees of the wilde forest so art thou O my beloued Sauiour to me in comparison of all men and Angels vnder thy comfortable shadow alone haue I euer wont to finde safe shelter against all mine afflictions all my tentations and infirmities against all the curses of the Law and dangers of iudgement and to coole my selfe after all the scorching beames of thy Fathers displeasure and besides to feed and satisfie my soule with the soueraigne fruit of thy holy Word vnto eternall life 4. He brought me into the wine-cellar and loue was his banner ouer me He hath graciously led me by his Spirit into the midst of the mysteries of godlinesse and hath plentifully broached vnto mee the sweet wines of his Scriptures and Sacraments And looke how souldiers are drawne by their colours from place to place and cleaue fast to their ensigne so his loue which he spred forth in my heart was my onely banner whereby I was both drawne to him directed by him and fastned vpon him 5. Stay me with flagons and comfort me with apples for I am sicke of loue And now O yee faithfull Euangelists Apostles Teachers apply vnto mee with all care and diligence all the cordiall promises of the Gospell these are the full Flagons of that spirituall wine which onely can cheere vp my soule these are the Apples of that tree of life in the middest of the Garden which can feed me to immortalitie Oh come and apply these vnto my heart for I am euen ouercome with a longing expectation and desire of my delayed glory 6. His left hand be vnder my head and let his right hand embrace me And whiles I am thus spiritually languishing in this agonie of desire let my Sauiour imploy both his hands to releeue mine infirmitie let him comfort my head and my heart my iudgement and affections which both complaine of weaknesse with the liuely heat of his gracious embracements and so let vs sweetly rest together 7. I charge you O daughters of Ierusalem by the Roes and by the Hindes of the field that yee stirre not vp nor waken my Loue vntill he please In the meane time I charge you O all yee that professe any friendship or affinitie with mee I charge you by whatsoeuer is comely deare and pleasant vnto you as you will auoid my vttermost censures take heed how you vex and disquiet my mercifull Sauiour and grieue his Spirit and wrong his name with your vaine and lewd conuersation and doe not dare by the least prouocation of your sinne to interrupt his peace 8. It is the voice of my welbeloued
thou be diligent in declaring my will and giuing holy counsels to all thy fellow-members speake forth my praise in the great congregations which all attend willingly vpon thee and let me heare the voyce of thy constant and faithfull confession of me before the world The Church 14. Oh my Well-beloued flee away and be like vnto the Roe or to the yong Hart vpon the Mountaine of spices I Will most gladly doe what thou commandest O my Sauiour but that I may performe it accordingly be thou which art according to thy bodily presence in the highest heauens euer present with me by thy Spirit and hasten thy glorious comming to my full Redemption FINIS EPISTLES IN SIX DECADS BY IOS HALL LONDON Printed for THOMAS PAVIER MILES FLESHER and John Haviland 1624. TO THE HIGH AND MIGHTY PRINCE HENRY PRINCE OF GREAT BRITAINE Sonne and Heire Apparant to our Soueraigne Lord IAMES King of GREAT BRITAINE c. All glory in eyther world MOst Gratious Prince IT is not from any conceit of such worth in my labours that they durst looke so high A lower patronage would haue serued an higher work Jt were well if ought of mine could be worthy of popular eyes Or if I could wring ought from my selfe not vnworthy of a iudicious Reader J know your Highnesse wants neyther presents nor counsells presents from strangers counsells from your Teachers neyther of them matchable by my weaknesse onely duty herein excuseth me from presumption For J thought it iniustice to deuote the fruit of my labours to any other hand beside my Masters which also J knew to be as gracious as mine is faithfull Yet since euen good affections cannot warrant too much vilenesse in gifts to Princes lest while my modesty disparages my worke J should hazard the acceptation here shall your Grace finde variety not without profit J hate a Diuine that would but please and withall thinke it impossible for a man to profit that pleaseth not And if while my style fixeth it selfe vpon others any spirituall profit shall reflect vpon your Highnesse how happy am J who shall euer thinke I haue liued to purpose if by the best of my studies J shall haue done any good office to your soule Further which these times account not the least praise your Grace shal herein perceiue a new fashion of discourse by Epistles new to our language vsuall to others and as Nouelty is neuer without plea of vse more free more familiar Thus wee doe but talke with our friends by our pen and expresse our selues no whit lesse easily somewhat more digestedly Whatsoeuer it is as it cannot bee good enough to deserue that countenance so the countenance of such Patronage shall make it worthy of respect from others The God of Princes protect your person perfect your graces and giue you as much fauour in Heauen as you haue honour on earth Your Graces humbly-deuoted seruant IOS HALL EPISTLES THE FIRST VOLVME IN TVVO DECADS BY IOS HALL LONDON Printed for THOMAS PAVIER MILES FLESHER and John Haviland 1624. THE TABLE DECAD I. EP. 1. TO IACOB WADSVVORTH lately reuolted in Spaine Expostulating for his departure and perswading his returne EP. 2. To the Lord DENNY my Lord and Patrone Of the contempt of the world EP. 3. To my Lord HAY. Of true honour EP. 4. To Master NEVVTON Of gratulation for the hopes of our Prince with an aduising apprecation EP. 5. To Sir THO CHALLONER A report of some Obseruations in my trauell EP. 6. To Sir DAVID MORAY Of the miracles of our time EP. 7. To Master W. BEDELL at Venice Lamenting the losse of some late eminent Diuines EP. 8. To the Earle of ESSEX Aduices for his Trauels EP. 9. To Sir ROBERT DRVRY and his LADY Concerning my Remouall EP. 10. To Master I. B. Against the feare of death DECAD II. EP. 1. To Sir RO DARCIE The estate of a true but weake Christian EP. 2. To Sir EDM BACON The benefit of Retirednesse EP. 3. To M. IOHN WHITING An Apology for Ministers mariage EP. 4. To Mrs BRINSLEY my sister Of the sorrow not to be repented of EP. 5. To M. HVGH CHOLMLIE Concerning the Metaphrase of the Psalmes EP. 6. To M. SAM SOTHEBIE A Preface to his Relation of Russia EP. 7. To M. STAN BVCHINSKI The comfort of Imprisonment EP. 8. To M. GEORGE WENNYFF Exciting to Christian cheerfulnesse EP. 9. To M. THO BVRLZ Against immoderat griefe for losse of friends EP. 10. To Master I. A. Against sorrow for worldly losses TO IACOB VVADSVVORTH lately reuolted in Spaine EPIST. I. Expostulating for his departure and perswading his returne HOw vnhappily is my style changed Alas that to a friend to a brother I must write as to an Apostate to an aduersary Doth this seeme harsh You haue turned it by being turned your selfe Once the same walls held vs in one louing Society the same Diocesse in one honourable function Now not one Land and which I lament not one Church You are gone we stand and wonder For a sheepe to stray through simplicity is both ordinary and lamentable but for a Shepheard is more rare more scandalous I dare not presume ouer-much vpon an appeale to a blinded conscience Those that are newly come from a bright candle into a darke roome are so much more blinde as their light was greater and the purest yuory turneth with fire into the deepest blacke Tell vs yet by your old ingenuity and by those sparkes of good which yet I hope lie couered vnder your cold ashes tell vs what diuided you Your motiues shall once be scanned before an higher barre Shame not to haue the weake eyes of the world see that which once your vndeceiueable Iudge shall see and censure What saw you what heard you anew that might offer violence to a resolued minde and make it either to alter or suspend If your reasons be inuincible informe vs that we may follow you but if as they are slight and feeble returne you to vs returne and thinke it no shame to haue erred iust shame to continue erring What such goodly beauty saw you in that painted but ill-fauoured Strumpet that should thus bewitch you so to forget your selfe and contemne the chaste loue of the Spouse of your Sauiour I saw her at the same time in her gayest dresse Let my soule neuer prosper if I could see any thing worthy to command affection I saw and scorned you saw and adored Would God your adoration were as farre from superstition as my scorne from impietie That God iudge betwixt vs whether herein erred yea let men iudge that are not drunke with those Babylonish dregs How long might an indifferent eye looke vpon the comicall and mimicke actions in those your mysteries that should be sacred your magical exorcismes your clericall shauings your vncleanly vnctions your crossings creepings censings sprinklings your coozning miracles garish processions burning of noone-day christning of bels marting of pardons tossing of beads your superstitious hallowing of candles waxe ashes
fallen how to strike a remorslesse The other in a distinct iudgement and a rare dexterity in clearing the obscure subtleties of the Schoole and easie explication of the most perplex discourses Doctor Reynolds is the last not in worth but in the time of his losse Hee alone was a well furnisht library full of all faculties of all studies of all learning the memory the reading of that man were neer to a miracle These are gone amongst many more whom the Church mournes for in secret would God her losse could be as easily supplied as lamented Her sorrow is for those that are past her remainder of ioy in those that remaine her hope in the next age I pray God the causes of her hope and ioy may be equivalent to those of her griefe What should this worke in vs but an imitation yea that word is not too bigge for you an emulation of their worthinesse It is no pride for a man to wish himselfe spiritually better then he dare hope to reach nay I am deceiued if it be not true humility For what doth this argue him but low in his conceit high in his desires only Or if so happy is the ambition of grace and power of sincere seruiceablenesse to God Let vs wish and affect this while the world layes plots for greatnesse Let me not prosper if I bestow enuy on them He is great that is good and no man me-thinkes is happy on earth to him that hath grace for substance and learning for ornament If you know it not the Church our mother lookes for much at your hands she knowes how rich our common father hath left you she notes your graces your opportunities your imployments she thinks you are gone so farre like a good Merchant for no small gaine and lookes you shall come home well laded And for vent of your present commodities tho our chiefe hope of successe be cut off with that vnhoped peace yet what can hinder your priuate trafficke for God I hope and who doth not that this blow will leaue in your noble Venetians a perpetuall scarre and that their late irresolution shall make them euer capable of all better counsell and haue his worke like some great Eclipse many yeares after How happy were it for Venice if as she is euery yeare maried to the Sea so she were once throughly espoused to Christ In the meane time let me perswade you to gratifie vs at home with the publication of that your exquisit Polemicall discourse whereto our conference with M. Alablaster gaue so happy an occasion You shall hereby cleare many truths and satisfie all Readers yea I doubt not but an aduersary not too peruerse shall acknowledge the Truths victory and yours It was wholsome counsell of a Father that in the time of an heresie euery man should write Perhaps you complain of the inundations of Francford How many haue been discouraged from benefiting the world be this conceit of multitude Indeed we all write and while we write cry out of number How well might many be spared euen of those that complaine of too many whose importunate babling cloyes the world without vse To my Lord the Earle of Essex EP. VIII Aduice for his Trauels MY Lord both my dutie and promise make my Letters your debt and if neither of these my thirst of your good You shall neuer but need good counsell most in trauell Then are both our dangers greater and our hopes I need not to tell you the eyes of the world are much vpon you for your owne sake for your fathers onely let your eyes be vpon it againe to obserue it to satisfie it and in some cases to contemn it As your graces so your weaknesses will be the sooner spied by how much you are more noted The higher any building is the more it requires exquisit proportion which in some low and rude piles is needlesse If your vertues shall be eminent like your fathers you cannot so hide your selfe but the world will see you and force vpon you applause admiration in spight of modesty but if you shall come short in these your fathers perfection shall be your blemish Thinke now that more eyes are vpon you then at home of forrainers of your owne theirs to obserue ours to expect For now we account you in the Schoole of wisedome whence if you returne not better you shall worse with the losse of your time of our hopes For I know not how naturall it is to vs to looke for alteration in trauell and with the change of aire and land to presuppose a change in the person Now you are through both your yeeres and trauell in the forge of your hopes We all looke not without desire and apprecation in what shape you will come forth Thinke it not enough that you see or can say you haue seene strange things of nature or euent it is a vaine and dead trauell that rests in the eye or the tongue All is but lost vnlesse your busie mind shall from the body that it sees draw forth some quintessence of obseruation wherewith to informe inrich it selfe There is nothing can quite the cost and labour of trauell but the gaine of wisedome How many haue we seene and pittied which haue brought nothing from forrain countries but mishapen clothes or exoticall gestures or new games or affected lispings or the diseases of the place or which is worst the vices These men haue at once wandred from their countrie and from themselues and some of them too easie to instance haue left God behind them or perhaps instead of him haue after a loose and filthy life brought home some idle Puppet in a box whereon to spend their deuotion Let their wracke warne you and let their follies be entertained by you with more detestation then pittie I know your Honour too well to feare you your young yeares haue beene so graciously preuented with soueraigne antidotes of truth and holy instruction that this infection despaires of preuailing Your very blood giues you argument of safety yet good counsell is not vnseasonable euen where danger is not suspected For Gods sake my Lord whatsoeuer you gaine lose nothing of the truth remit nothing of your loue and pietie to God of your fauour and zeale to religion As sure as there is a God you were trained vp in the true knowledge of him If either Angell or Deuill or Iesuit should suggest the contrary send him away with defiance There you see and heare euery day the true mother and the fained striuing and pleading for the liuing child The true Prince of peace hath past sentence from heauen on our side Doe not you stoope so much as to a doubt or motion of irresolution Abandon those from your table and salt whom your owne and others experience shall descry dangerous Those Serpents are full of insinuations But of all those of your owne country which are so much the more pernicious by how much they haue more colour
himselfe of himselfe a worme and no man the shame of men and contempt of the people Who is the King of glory Psal 24.10 the Lord of Hoasts he is the King of glory Set these two together the King of glory the shame of men the more honour the more abasement Looke backe to his Cradle there you finde him rejected of the Bethlemites borne and laid alas how homely how vnworthily sought for by Herod exiled to Aegypt obscurely brought vp in the Cottage of a poore Foster-Father transported and tempted by Sathan derided of his kindred blasphemously traduced by the Iewes pinched with hunger restlesse harbourlesse sorrowfull persecuted by the Elders and Pharises sold by his owne seruant apprehended arraigned scourged condemned and yet it is not finished Let vs with that Disciple follow him a farre off and passing ouer all his contemptuous vsage in the way see him brought to his Crosse Still the further we looke the more wonder euery thing adds to this ignominie of suffering and triumph of ouer-comming Where was it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Act 26.27 not in a corner as Paul saith to Festus but in Ierusalem the eye the heart of the world Obscuritie abateth shame publique notice heightens it Before all Israel and before this Sunne saith God to Dauid when he would thorowly shame him In Ierusalem which he had honoured with his presence taught with his preachings astonisht with his miracles bewayled with his teares O Ierusalem Ierusalem how oft would I and thou wouldest not O yet if in this thy day Crueltie and vnkindnesse after good desert afflict so much more as our merit hath beene greater Whereabouts without the gates in Caluarie among the stinking bones of execrable Malefactors Before the glory of the place bred shame now the vilenesse of it When but in the Passeouer a time of greatest frequence and concourse of all Iewes and Proselytes An holy time when they should receiue the figure they reiect the substance when they should kill and eat the Sacramentall Lambe in faith in thankfulnesse they kill the Lambe of God our true Passeouer in crueltie and contempt With whom The qualitie of our companie either increases or lessens shame In the midst of theeues saith one as the Prince of theeues In â—â—edio latronuÌ„ tanquam latronuÌ„ immanissimus Luthâ—r there was no guile in his mouth much lesse in his hands yet behold he that thought it no robberie to be equall with God is made equall to robbers and murderers yea superiour in euill What suffered he As all lifes are not alike pleasant so all deaths are not equally fearefull There is not more difference betwixt some life and death than betwixt one death and another See the Apostles gradation He was made obedient to the death euen the death of the Crosse The Crosse a lingring tormenting ignominious death The Iewes had foure kindes of death for malefactors the towell the sword fire stones each of these aboue other in extremitie Strangling with the towell they accounted easiest the sword worse than the towell the fire worse than the sword stoning worse than the fire but this Romane death was worst of all Cursed is euery one that hangeth on a Tree Yet as Ierome well hee is not therefore accursed because he hangeth but therefore he hangeth because he is accursed He was made 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a Curse for vs. The curse was more than the shame yet the shame is vnspeakable and yet not more than the paine Yet all that die the same death are not equally miserable the very theeues fared better in their death than hee I heare of no irrision no inscription no taunts no insultation on them they had nothing but paine to encounter he paine and scorne An ingenuous and noble Nature can worse brooke this than the other any thing rather than disdainfulnesse and derision especially from a base enemie I remember that learned Father begins Israels affliction with Ismaels persecuting laughter The Iewes the Souldiers yea the very Theeues flouted him and triumpht ouer his misery his bloud cannot satisfie them without his reproach Which of his senses now was not a window to let-in sorrow his eyes saw the teares of his Mother and friends the vnthankfull demeanure of Mankinde the cruell despight of his enemies his eares heard the reuilings and blasphemies of the multitude and whether the place were noysome to his sent his touch felt the nayles his taste the gall Looke vp O all yee beholders looke vpon this pretious bodie and see what part yee can finde free That head which is adored and trembled at by the Angelicall spirits is all raked and harrowed with thornes Caput Angelicis spiritibus tremebundum spinis corenatur c. that face of whom it is said Thou art fairer than the children of men is all besmeared with the filthy spettle of the Iewes and furrowed with his teares those eyes clearer than the Sunne are darkned with the shadow of death those eares that heare the heauenly consorts of Angels now are filled with the cursed speakings and scoffs of wretched men those lips that spake as neuer man spake that command the spirits both of light and darknesse are scornfully wet with vinegar and gall those feet that trample on all the powers of hell his enemies are made his footstoole are now nayled to the footstoole of the Crosse those hands that freely sway the scepter of the heauens now carry the reede of reproach and are nayled to the tree of reproach that whole bodie which was conceiued by the Holy-Ghost was all scourged wounded mangled this is the out-side of his sufferings Was his heart free Oh no the inner part or soule of this paine which was vnseene is as far beyond these outward and sensible as the soule is beyond the bodie Gods wrath beyond the malice of men these were but loue-tricks to what his soule endured O all yee that passe by the way behold and see if there bee any sorrow like to my sorrow Alas Lord what can we see of thy sorrowes wee cannot conceiue so much as the hainousnes and desert of one of those sinnes which thou barest wee can no more see thy paine than wee could vndergoe it onely this wee see that what the infinite sinnes of almost infinite men committed against an infinite Maiestie deserued in infinite continuance all this thou in the short time of thy Passion hast sustained Wee may behold and see but all the glorious spirits in Heauen cannot looke into the depth of this suffering Doe but looke yet a little into the passions of this his Passion for by the manner of his sufferings we shall best see what he suffered Wise and resolute men doe not complaine of a little holy Martyrs haue beene racked and would not be loosed what shall we say if the author of their strength God and Man bewray passions what would haue ouerwhelmed men would not haue made him shrinke and what made him
was shut as Cyril Chrisostome Eusebius Hierome vnderstand it rather it is a prophesie of that outward and during peace vnder the Gospell which all the true professors of it should maintaine with themselues All nations though fierce sterne of disposition Bellicosa pectora vertuutur in mansuetudinem Christianam Hier. Suniae Fritellae yet if they once stoop sincerely to the Gospel shall compose themselues to a sweet accordance and imploy their vnited strength to the seruice of God But how is this fulfilled Some in all ages haue run forth into fury troubled the cōmon peace It is true but these are blanks such as vpon whom God hath not written holines It is no hoping that all horses shall be bridled or all bridles written on As grace so peace is not in such sort vniuersall that all should incline to it on all conditions There are some 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Peace-haters it is as possible to tame a waspe as to incline them to peace Such are the wilful Romanists of our time to omit Schismes which will rather mingle heauen earth together than remit one gainefull error But what euer become of these Manizers which doe thus exclude themselues from the cōgregation of God it were happy if all the true acknowledged sonnes of the Church would admit the inscription of an holy peace Alas why doe wee that are brethren fall out for our change of suits by the way and make those quarrels deadly which deserue not to be quarrels Oh that some blessed Doue would bring an Oliue of peace into this Arke of God! Who is so fit for this glorious seruice as our gratious Peace-maker Nemo me impune lacesset is a good Posie but Beati pacifici is a better Let the Vice-gerent of him which is the Prince of peace as he was made for the peace of the walls and prosperity of the gates of Sion be that Angelus pacis Es 33.7 Let his wisdome and sweet moderation proceed to allay all these vnkindly stormes of the Church that we may liue to see that happy greeting of the Psalmist Righteousnesse and Peace haue kissed each other And as this holds in matter of iudgement so of practise too Do you see a loose lawlesse man wilful in his desires vnbridled in his affections inordinate in his life imploying his wit to scoffe at his Creator caring for nothing but the worse part of himselfe There is one of Zacharies horses when Gods Spirit breathes vpon the soule of this man he is now another from himselfe Holinesse to the Lord is written vpon his Bels. This was done sometimes of old Saul was among the Prophets Salomon and Manasses great patternes of conuersion but rarely in respect of the daies of the Gospell What should I speake of S. Paul No ground would hold him he runs chafing and foaming from Hierusalem to Damascus of his Iaylor of Mary Magdalen Behold whole troupes of wilde natures reclaimed Eph. 4. Col. 3. Act. 2. Who can despaire where God vndertakes Shew me neuer so violent and desperate a sinner let him be as Iobs wild asse in the desert or as Amos his horse that will run vpon the rocks Amos 6.12 if God once take him in hand thou shalt soone see that his horse is flesh and not spirit and shalt sing Deborahs Vngulae ceciderunt Iudg. 5.22 or Ioshuahs Subneruabis Ios 11.6 Now shalt thou see him stand quaking vnder the almighty hand of God so that he may write what he will in his bridle yea in his skin And if there be any such headstrong and restie stead here among vs let him know that God wil either breake his stomacke or his heart Flagellum equo saith Salomon and if that will not serue Collidā in te equum equitē Ier. 51.21 But alas how rare are these examples of reclamation Where is this power of the Gospell Men continue beasts still and with that filthy Gryllus plead for the priuilege of their bestiality The sins of men striue to outface the glory of the Gospell What shall I say to this If after all these meanes thou haue no bridle or thy bridle no inscription it is a fearefull doome of the Apostle If our Gospell be hid it is hid to them that perish Thus much of the horses bels Now from the pots and bowles you shall see the degrees of the Churches perfection and see it I beseech you without wearinesse with intention The pots of the Temple were seething vessels for the vse of sacrifice These are the Priests themselues here for that there is a distinction made betwixt the Pots of the Lords house and euery pot in Ierusalem The ordinary Iew was euery pot therefore the Pots of the Lords house must be his Ministers These vnder the Gospell shall be of more honourable vse as the bowles before the Altar like as the Altar of perfumes was more inward and of higher respect The pots were of shining brasse bowles of gold 1 King 7.50 It is no brag to say that the Ministery of the Gospell is more glorious than that of the Law The least in the kingdome of Heauen saith CHRIST is greater than Iohn Baptist Matth. 11.11 The Kingdome of Heauen that is the Church not as Austen Ierome Bede expound it of the third heauen for Christ would make an opposition betwixt the old and new Testament The not vnlearned Iesuite Maldonat while he taxeth vs for preferring euery Minister of the Gospell to Iohn Baptist mends the matter so well that he verifies it of euery person Minimus quisque in Euangelio that is qui Euangelium recipit maior est illo not feeling how hee buffets himselfe for if the least of those that receiue the Gospell how much more the least of those that preach it This is no arrogance God would haue euery thing in the last Temple more glorious than in the first which was figured by the outward frame more glorious in CHRISTS time than that of SALOMON as that was beyond the Tabernacle This is a better Testament Hebr. 7.22 That had the shadow this the substance Heb. 10. Vnder this is greater illumination Effundam spiritum meum saith the Prophet before some few drops distilled now a whole current of graces Effundam If therefore Iohn Baptist were greater than the sonnes of men because they saw Christ to come hee pointed at him comming ours must needs be more glorious because wee see and point at him now come and fully exhibited Wee will not contest with the Leuiticall Priesthood for cost of clothes for price of vessels let the Church of Rome emulate this pompe which cares not if shee haue golden vessels though shee haue leaden Priests wee enuie it not but for inward graces for learning knowledge power of teaching there is no lesse difference than betwixt the pots of the Temple and bowles of the Altar God sayes of them in way of reiection Non est mihi voluntas in vobis Mal. 1. Hence the
the condition of our mortalitie are passed ouer It shall be fully when the first things of the world are passed Passed not by abolition but by immutation as that Father said well Not the frame of the world but the corruption of that frame must passe The Spirit of God is not curious he cals those things first which were onely former not in respect of the state which is but that which shall be For those things which were first of all were like their Maker good not capable of destruction Our sinnes tainted the whole creation and brought shame vpon all the frame of heauen and earth That which we did shall be disanulled that which God did shall stand for euer and this dissolution shall be our glory other dissolutions strike teares into our eyes as this day is witnesse it is our sorrow that the first things are passed our offices our pensions our hopes our fauours and which we esteemed most our seruices are gone Let this last dissolution comfort vs against the present Who can grieue to see a Familie dissolued that considers the world must bee dissolued This little world of ours first whereof this day giues vs an image for as our seruice so our life must away and then that great one whose dissolution is represented in these The difference is that whereas this dissolution brings teares to some eies that wipes them away from all For all our teares and sorrow and toile and crying and death are for our sinnes take away corruption and misery goes away with it and till then it will neuer be remoued No man puts new wine into old vessels much lesse will God put the new wine of glory into the old vessels of corruption They are our sinnes which as in particular they haue rob'd vs of our Prince changed our seasons swept away thousands with varieties of deaths so in generall they haue deformed the face of heauen and earth and made all the Creation sigh and groane and still make vs incapable of the perfection of our blessednes for while the first things continue there must needs be teares and sorrow and death Let vs therefore looke vpon heauen and earth as goodly creatures but as blemished as transitory as those which we shall once see more glorious Let vs looke vpon our selues with indignation which haue thus distained them and as those which after some terme of their cottage expired are assured they shall haue a marble palace built for them doe long after the time perfixed them and thinke the dayes and moneths pace slowly away till then so let vs earnestly desire the day of the dissolution of this great house of the world that wee may haue our consummation in the new heauen For so soone as euer the old is past Behold saith God I will make all things new Yea the passage of the one is the renewing of the other As the Snake is renewed not by putting on any new coat but by leauing his slough behind him the gold is purified by leauing his drosse in the fire Therefore hee addes not I will but I doe make all new and because this is a great worke behold a great Agent He that sate vpon the Throne said Behold I make all new A Throne signifies Maiestie and sitting permanence or perpetuity God sayes Heauen is my throne in the Psalme but as Salomons throne of iuory and gold was the best piece of his house So Gods throne is the most glorious heauen the heauen of heauens for you see that tho heauen and earth passe away yet Gods throne remain'd still and hee sitting on it neither sinne nor dissolution may reach to the Empyreall heauen the seat of God Here is a state worthy of the King of Kings All the thrones of earthly Monarchs are but pieces of his foot-stoole And as his throne is maiesticall and permanent so is his residence in it Hee sate in the throne S. Stephen saw him standing as it were ready for his defence and protection S. Iohn sees him sitting as our Creed also runnes in regard of his inalterable glory How brittle the thrones of earthly Princes are and how they doe rather stand than sit in them and how slippery they stand too wee feele this day and lament O Lord establish the throne of thy seruant our King and let his seed endure for euer Let his throne be as the Sunne before thee for euermore and as the Moone a faithfull witnesse in heauen But howsoeuer it be with our earthly Gods of his kingdome there is no end Here is a master for Kings whose glory it is to rise vp from their thrones and throw downe their Crownes at his feet and to worship before his foot-stoole Be wise therefore O ye Kings be learned ye Rulers of the earth serue this Lord in feare and reioyce in him with trembling Yea behold here since wee haue the honour to serue him whom Kings serue a royall Master for vs It was one of our sinnes I feare that wee made our Master our God I meane that we made flesh our arme and placed that confidence in him for our earthly stay which we should haue fixed in heauen Our too much hope hath left vs comfortlesse Oh that we could now make God our Master and trust him so much the more as we haue lesse in earth to trust to There is no seruice to the King of heauen for both his throne is euerlasting and vnchangeable and his promotions certaine and honourable He that sits on the throne hath said it To him that ouercomes will I giue to sit with mee in my throne euen as I ouercame and sit with my Father in his throne Behold yee ambitious spirits how yee may truly rise to more than euer the sonnes of Zebedee desired to aspire to seruing is the way to raigning serue him that sits vpon the Throne and ye shall sit yourselues vpon the Throne with him This is the Agent the act is fit for him I make all things new Euen the very Turkes in their Alcoran can subscribe to that of Tertullian Qui potuit facere potest reficere I feare to wrong the holy Maiesty with my rude comparison It is not so much to God to make a world as for vs to speake He spake the word and it was done There is no change which is not from him He makes new Princes new yeeres new gouernments and will make new heauens new earth new inhabitants how easie then is it for him to make new prouisions for vs If wee bee left destitute yet where is our faith Shall God make vs new bodies when they are gone to dust shall he make new heauens and new earth and shall not he whose the earth is and the fulnesse thereof prouide some new meanes and courses of life for vs while we are vpon earth Is the maintenance of one poore worme more than the renewing of heauen and earth Shall he be able to raise vs when we are not and shall he
this day wherein religion is not onely warmed but locked in her seat so fast that the gates of hell shall neuer preuaile against it There haue beene Princes and that in this land which as the heathen Politician compared his Tyrant haue beene like to ill Physitians that haue purged away the good humors and left the bad behind them with whom any thing hath bin lawful but to be religious Some of your gray haires can be my witnesses Behold the euils we haue escaped shew vs our blessings Here hath bin no dragging out of houses no hiding of Bibles no creeping into woods no Bonnering or Butchering of Gods Saints no rotting in dungeons no casting of infants out of the mothers belly into the mothers flames nothing but Gods truth abundantly preached cheerefully professed incouraged rewarded What nation vnder heauen yeelds so many learned Diuines What times euer yeelded so many preaching Bishops When was this City the City of our ioy euer so happy this way as in these late successions Whither can we ascribe this health of the Church and life of the Gospell but next to God to His example His countenance His endeuours Wherein I may not omit how right he hath trod in the steps of that blessed Constantine in al his religious proceedings Let vs in one word parallel them Euseb de vita Const l. 4. c. 36. Constantine caused fifty Volumes of the Scriptures to bee faire written out in parchment for the vse of the Church Lib. 3.61.62 King Iames hath caused the Bookes of Scriptures to bee accurately translated and published by thousands Constantine made a zealous edict against Nouatians Valentinians Marcionites King Iames Lib. 3.63 besides his powerfull proclamations and soueraigne lawes hath effectually written against Popery and Vorstianisme Constantine tooke away the liberty of the meetings of Heretickes King Iames hath by wholesome lawes inhibited the assemblies of Papists and schismatickes Constantine sate in the middest of Bishops Lib. 1. c. 37. In media istorum frequentia ac congressu adesse vna considere non dedâ—gnatus Basil dor as if hee had beene one of them King Iames besides his solemne conferences vouchsafes not seldome to spend his meales in discourse with his Bishops and other worthy Diuines Constantine charged his sonnes vt planè sine fuco Christiani essent that they should be Christians in earnest King Iames hath done the like in learned and diuine precepts which shall liue till time bee no more Yea in their very coynes is a resemblance Constantine had his picture stampt vpon his mettals praying Lib. 4.15 King Iames hath his picture with prayer about it O Lord protect the kingdomes which thou hast vnited Lastly Constantine built Churches one in Ierusalem another in Nicomedia Lib. 3.43 King Iames hath founded one Colledge which shall helpe to build and confirme the whole Church of God vpon earth Yee wealthy Citizens that loue Ierusalem cast in your store after this royall example into the Sanctuary of God and whiles you make the Church of God happy make your selues so Brethren if wee haue any relish of Christ any sense of heauen let vs blesse God for the life of our soule the Gospell and for the spirit of this life his Anointed But where had beene our peace or this freedome of the Gospell without our deliuerance and where had our deliuerance beene without him As it was reported of the Oake of Mamre that all religions rendred their yeerely worship there Socr. l. 2. c. 3. The Iewes because of Abraham their Patriarch the Gentile because of the Angels that appeared there to Abraham The Christians because of Christ that was there seene of Abraham with the Angels So was there to King Iames in his first beginnings a confluence of all sects with papers in their hands and as it was best for them with a Rogamus Domine non pugnamus like the subiects of Theodosius Ribera in prophet min. ex Ioseph Antiq. lib. 9 vlt. â— mritam Iudaeos cognatos appellari soliti quamdiu illis bene erat At vbi contra c. 1 King 12. Flectâ—re si nequco c. But our cozens of Samaria when they saw that Salomons yoke would not bee lightned soone flew off in a rage What portion haue wee in Dauid And now those which had so oft looke vp to Heauen in vaine resolue to dig downe to Heli for aid Satan himselfe met them and offered for sauing of their labour to bring Hell vp to them What a world of sulphur had hee prouided against that day What a brewing of death was tunned vp in those vessels The murderous Pioners laught at the close felicity of their proiect and now before-hand seemed in conceit to haue heard the cracke of this hellish thunder and to see the mangled carcasses of the Heretickes flying vp so suddenly that their soules must needs goe vpward towards their perdition their streets strewed with legges and armes and the stones braining as many in their fall as they blew vp in their rise Remember the Children of Edom O Lord in the day of Ierusalem which said Psal 117.7 Downe with it downe with it euen to the ground O daughter of Babel worthy to bee destroyed blessed shall hee bee that serueth thee as thou wouldest haue serued vs. But hee that sits in Heauen laught as fast at them to see their presumption that would bee sending vp bodies to heauen before the resurrection and preferring companions to Elias in a fiery Chariot and said vt quid fremuerunt Consider now how great things the Lord hath done for vs The snare is broken and wee are deliuered But how As that learned Bishop well applied Salomon to this purpose Diuinatio in labijs Regis Pro. 16.10 B. Barlow p. 350 If there had not beene a diuination in the lips of the King wee had beene all in iawes of death Vnder his shadow wee are preserued aliue as Ieremie speaketh It is true God could haue done it by other meanes but hee would doe it by this that wee might owe the being of our liues to him of whom wee held our well-being before Oh praised be the God of heauen for our deliuerance Praised bee God for his anointed 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Suet. by whom wee are deliuered Yea how should wee call to our fellow creatures the Angels Saints heauens elements meteors mountaines beasts trees to helpe vs praise the Lord for this mercy Addit neque me liberosque meos cariores habebo quam Caium eius sorores Clodoneus Otho Fris l. 4. c. 32. Clodoucus Otho Fris l. 4. c. 31. And as the oath of the Romane souldiers ranne how deare and precious should the life of Caesar bee to vs aboue all earthly things how should wee hate the base vnthankfulnesse of those men which can say of him as one said of his Saint Martin Martinus bonus in auxilio charus in negotio who whiles they
with his verie pen hath so laid error vpon the backe that all the world cannot raise it what a shame were it to be wanting to him to Truth to our selues But perhaps now I know some of your thoughts you would buy Truth ye thinke you would hold it if ye could be sure to know it There are many slips amongst the true coyne Either of the mothers pleaded the liuing childe to be hers with equall protestations oathes teares True yet a Salomons sword can diuide Truth from falshood and there is a test and fire that can discerne true metals from adulterate In spight of all counterfeiting there are certaine infallible marks to know Truth from Error Take but a few of many whether in the originals in the natures in the ends of both In the first Truth is diuine Error is humane what is grounded vpon the diuine word must needs be irrefragably true that which vpon humane Traditions either must or may be erroneous In the second Truth is one conforme euer to it selfe 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as one said Omne verum omni vero consonat All Truth accords with euery Truth as Gerson and as it is pure so peaceable Error is full of dissonance of cruelty No particulars of ours dissent from the written verity of God We teach no man to equiuocate Our practise is not bloudy with treasons and massacres In the third Truth as it came from God so is referd to him neither hath any other end than the glory of the God of Truth Error hath euer some selfe-respects either 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 filthy lucre or vaine-glory profit or pride We doe not pranke vp nature we aime not either to fill the cofers or feed the ambition of men Let your Wisdomes apply and inferre and now if ye can shut your eyes that you should not see the Truth and if ye care not for your soules when ye see it sell it Let no false tongue perswade you there is no danger in this sale How charitably so euer we thinke of poore blinded soules that liue in the forced and inuincible darknesse of error certainly Apostasie is deadly How euer those speed that are robbed of Truth you cannot sell Truth and be saued Haue mercy therefore on your own soules for their sakes for the sake of him that bought them with the deare ransome of his precious bloud And as God hath blessed you with the inualuable treasure of Truth so hoard it vp in your hearts and menage it in your liues Oh let vs be Gens iusta custodiens veritatem Esa 26. A iust nation keeping fast the Truth So whiles ye keepe the Truth the Truth shall keepe you both in Life in Death in Iudgment In life vnto death in death and iudgement vnto the consummation of that endlesse and incomprehensible glory which the God of Truth hath prepared for them that ouercome To the happy possession whereof he that hath ordained in his good time as mercifully bring vs and that for the sake of the Son of his Loue Iesus Christ the Righteous To whom with thee O Father and thy blessed Spirit one infinite God be giuen all praise honour and glory now and for euer Amen A SERMON PREACHED AT THE RECONCILEMENT OF THE HAPPILY-RESTORED and reedified Chapell of the Right Honourable the Earle of EXCETER in his House of S. IOHNS ON SAINT STEPHENS DAY 1623. By IOS HALL SIC ELEVABITVR FILIVS HOMINIS Io 3. ANCHORA FIDEI LONDON Printed for GEORGE WINDER and are to be sold at his shop in Saint DVNSTONS Church-yard 1624. TO THE RIGHT HONOVRABLE MY SINGVLAR GOOD Lady the Lady ELIzABETH Countesse of Exceter RIght Honourable this poore Sermon both preached and penned at your motion that is to mee your command now presents it selfe to your hand and craueth a place though vnworthy in your Cabinet yea in your heart That holy zeale which desired it will also improue it The God whom your Ladiship hath thus honoured in the care and cost of his House will not faile to honour you in yours For me your Honour may iustly challenge mee on both sides both by the Druryes in the right of the first Patronage and by the Cecils in the right of my succeeding deuotions Jn either and both that little J haue or am is sincerely at your Ladiships seruice as whom you haue merited to be Your Honours in all true obseruance and duty IOS HALL A SERMON PREACHED AT THE REEDIFIED CHAPEL OF THE RIGHT HONOVRAble Earle of Exceter in his House of Saint Iohns HAGGAI 2.9 The glory of the latter house shall be greater than of the former saith the Lord of Hosts and in this place will I giue peace saith the Lord of Hosts AS we haue houses of our owne so God hath his yea as great men haue more houses than one so hath the great God of Heauen much more more both in succession as here the latter house and the first and in varietie He hath an house of flesh Ye are the Temples of the liuing God An house of stone Salomon shall build me an house An house immateriall in the Heauens 2 Cor. 5.1 Wherfore then hath God an house Wherefore haue we ours but to dwell in But doth not he himselfe tell Dauid and so doth Stephen the Protomartyr vpon whose day we are falne tell the Iewes that He dwels not in Temples made with hands True He dwels not in his House as we in ours by way of comprehension he dwels in it by testification of presence So doe we dwell in our houses that our houses containe vs that we are only within them and they without vs. So doth he dwel in his that yet he is elsewhere yea euery where that his house is within him Shortly God dwels where he witnesses his gracious presence that because he doth both in the Empyreall heauen amongst his Angels and Saints and in his Church vpon earth therefore his dwelling is both in the highest Heauen in perfect glory and on Earth in the hearts and assembly of his children As of the former our Sauiour saith In domo Patris mei In my Fathers house are many Mansions So also may we say of the latter There is much variety and choice in it There was the Church of the Iewes the Church of the Gentiles There is a materiall and a spirituall house In the one Salomons Zorobabels such piles as this In the other so much multiplicity as there are Nations yea Congregations that professe the Name of Christ One of these was a figure of the other the Materiall vnder the Law of the Spirituall vnder the Gospell Yee see now the first house and the latter the subiect of our Text and discourse The latter commended to vs comparatiuely positiuely Comparatiuely with the former Maior gloria Positiuely in it selfe In this place will I giue peace Both set out by the stile of the promiser and a vower saith the Lord of Hosts All which challenge your
that all the reall brables and suits amongst men arise from either true or pretended iniustice of contracts Let me leade you in a terme morning to the spacious Hall of Iustice What is the cause of all that concourse that Hiue-like murmure that noise at the Bar but iniurious bargaines fraudulent conueyances false titles disappointment of trusts wrongfull detentions of money goods lands coozenages oppressions extortions Could the honesty and priuate Iustice of men preuent these enormities silence and solitude would dwell in that wide Palace of Iustice neither would there be more Pleas than Cob-webs vnder that vast roofe Euery way therefore it is cleare that the worke of Iustice is peace In so much as the Guardians of Peace are called Iusticers This for the Common-wealth If it please you to cast your eyes vpon her Sister the Church you shall finde that the outward Peace thereof also must arise from Iustice Alas thence is our hopelesnesse Neuer may they prosper that loue not that wish not peace within those sacred wals but what possibility of Peace in the peremptory repulses of Iustice What possibility of Iustice in the long vsurped tyranny of the successor of Romulus Could we hope to see Iustice once shine from those seuen hils we would make account of Peace but oh the miserable iniustice of that imperious Sea Iniustice of claime iniustice of practice Of claime ouer Kings Church Scriptures Conscience Ouer Kings there is S. Pauls super-exalted 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Lord of the world His vsuall title is Orbis Dominus Dominus vniuersorum in the mouthes and pens of his flatterers And lest Princes should seeme exempted He is Rex Regum as Paulus 4. saies of himselfe Ouer Emperors and Kings he is super Imperatores reges saith their Antoninus Triumphus Capistranus and who not How much you know the calculation of the magnitude of the two great lights How ouer them As the master ouer the seruant they are the words of their Pope Nicholas The Imperiall throne is vnde nisi à nobis saith Pope Adrian What should I tell you of his bridle Whence but from vs stirrup toe cup canopy Let the booke of holy Ceremonies say the rest These things are stale The world hath long seene and blushed Ouer the Church There is challenged a proper head-ship from whom all influences of life sense motion come as their Bozius why said I ouer He is vnder the Church For he is the foundation of the Church saith Bellarmine Ouer as the head vnder as the foundation What can Christ be more Thence where are generall councels but vnder him as the streame of Iesuites Who but he is regula fidei as their Andradius he alone hath infallibility and indefectibility whether in decretis fidei or in praeceptis morum In decrees of faith or precepts of manners as Bellarmine He hath power to make new Creeds to obtrude them to the Church the deniall wherof was one of those Articles which Leo the tenth condemned in Luther Ouer Scriptures There is claimed a power to authorize them for such A power to interpret them sententialiter Obligatoriè being such A power to dispense with them ex causā though such Ouer the consciences of men In dispensing with their oathes in allowance of their sins It is one head of their Canon Law He absolues from the oath of Allegeance A Iuramento fidelitatis absoluit Decret p. 2. Caus 15. qu. 6. And in euery oath is vnderstood a reseruation and exception of the Popes power say his Parasites I am ashamed to tell and you would blush to heare of the dispensation reported to be granted by Sixtus 4. to the family of the Cardinall of S. Lucie and by Alexander 6. to Peter Mendoza Cardinall of Valentia And as there is horrible iniustice in these claimes so is there no lesse in practise Take a taste of all What can be more vniust than to cast out of the lap of the Church those that oppose their nouelties to condemne them to the stake to hell for Heretikes What more vniust than to falsifie the writings of ancient or moderne Authors by secret expurgations by wilfull mis-editions what more vniust than the withholding the remedy of generall Councels and transacting all the affaires of the Church by a pack't conclaue What more vniust than the suppression of the Scriptures and mutilation of the Sacrament to the Laity What more vniust than allowance of equiuocation than vpholding a faction by willing falshood of rumors than plotting the subuersion of King and State by vnnaturall conspiracies Well may wee call heauen and earth to record against the iniustice of these claimes of these practises What then Is it to hope for Peace notwithstanding the continuance of all these So the worke of Iniustice shall be Peace And an vniust and vnsound Peace must it needs be that arises from iniustice Is it to hope they will abandon these things for Peace Oh that the Church of God might once be so happy That there were but any life in that possibility In the meane time let God and his holy Angels witnesse betwixt vs that on their part the Peace faileth we are guiltlesse What haue we done What haue we attempted What haue we innouated Only we haue stood vpon a iust and modest negatiue and haue vniustly suffered Oh that all the innocent bloud we haue shed could wash their hands from Iniustice from enmity to Peace That from them we may returne to our selues For the publike we enioy an happy Peace Blessed be God for Iustice and if in this common harmony of Peace there be found some priuate iarres of discord whence is it but from our owne Iniustice The world is of another minde whose wont is to censure him that punishes the fault not him that makes it Seuerity not guiltinesse in common opinion breakes the Peace Let the question be who is the great make-bate of the world begin with the family Who troubles the house The like discourse to this ye shall finde in Coara Schlusselburgius in his preface to his thirteenth booke Catal. Haeret. Not vnruly headstrong debaucht children that are ready to throw the house out of the windowes but the austere father that reproues that corrects them would he winke at their disorders all would be quiet Not carelesse slothfull false lime-fingred seruants but the strict master that obserues and rates and chastises them would he hold his hands and tongue there would be peace Not the peeuish and turbulent wife who forgetting the rib vsurps vpon the head but the resolute husband that hates to leese his authority in his loue remembring that though the rib be neare the heart yet the head is aboue the shoulders Would he fall from the termes of his honour there would be peace In the Country not the oppressing Gentleman that tyrannizes ouer his cottagers incroches vpon his neighbours inheritance incloses commons depopulates villages scruzes his Tenants to
death but the poore soules that when they are crushed yeeld the iuyce of teares exhibit bils of complaint throw open the new thornes maintaine the old mounds would these men be content to be quietly racked and spoiled there would be peace In the City not the impure Sodomitish brothels that sell themselues to worke wickednesse not the abominable Pandars not the iugling Cheater not the Counterfeit Vagrant but the Marshall that drawes these to correction Not the deceitfull Merchant that sophisticates his commodities inhanceth prices sels euery inch of what he cannot warrant Time Not the vnconscionable and fraudulent Artisan but the Promoter and the Bench. In the Common-wealth not the cruell robber by sea or land that lies in the way like a spider in a window for a booty for bloud Not the bold night-walker that keepes sauage houres fit for the guilty intentions of his burglaries but the watch that takes him Not the ranke adulterer that neighs after his neighbours wife and thirsts after onely stolne waters but the sworne men that present him Not the traiterous Coyner that in euery stampe reades his own conuiction whiles he still renewes that face against which he offends but the Sheriffe that attaches him Not the vnreformable drunkard that makes a God of his liquor a beast of himselfe and raues and swaggers in his cups but the Constable that punishes him would these Officers conniue at all these villanies there would be peace In the Church not the chaffering Patron or periured Chaplaine not the seducing heretike or seditious schismatike not the scandalous Leuite not the carelesse Questman not the corrupt Officiall but the clamorous Preacher or the rigorous High-Commission In the world lastly Not the ambitious incrochers vpon others dominions not violaters of leagues not vsurpers of mis-gotten titles and dignities not suborners or abettors of conspiracies and traitors but the vnkinde patients that will not recipere ferrum I wis the great Potentates of the world might see a ready way to peace Thus in family countrey city common-wealth Church world the greatest part seeke a licencious peace in a disordered lawlesnesse condemning true iustice of cruelty stripping her of the honour of peace branding her with the censure of troublesome Foolish men speake foolish things Oh noble and incomparable blessing of peace how iniuriously art thou ascribed to vniust neglect Oh diuine vertue of iustice how deseruedly haue the Ancients giuen thee wings and sent thee vp to heauen in a detestation of these earthly indignities whence thou comst not downe at all vnlesse it please that essentiall and infinite Iustice to communicate thee to some choise fauourites It is but a iust word that this Iland hath beene long approued the darling of heauen We haue enioyed peace to the admiration to the enuy of neighbourhood Would we continue it would we traduce it to ours Iustice must doe it for vs. Both Iustice and Peace are from the throne Peace is the Kings Peace and iustly descends from Soueraignty by coÌ„mission let me haue leaue to say with the princely Prophet a word that was too good for the frequent text of a Pope Diligite iustitiam qui iudicatis terram Still ô God giue thy Iudgment to the King and thy Iustice to the Kings son And if any shal offer wrong to the Lords anointed in his person in his seed the worke of that iniustice shall be war yea Bellum Domini the Lords war 2 Sam. 25.28 Then let him who is both the Lord of Hosts and the God of Peace rise vp mightily for his anointed the true King of peace that he who hath graciously said all this while Da pacem Domine Giue peace in our time O Lord may superscribe at the last his iust Trophees with Blessed be the Lord which teacheth my hands to warre and my fingers to fight Ye haue heard of the spirituall Iustice and Peace Ye haue heard of the Ciuill may it please you to mix both of them together My text alone doth it if you doe but with our most accurate Translation reade Righteousnesse for Iustice So shall you see the spirituall disposition of Righteousnes produce the ciuill effect of Peace What is righteousnesse but the sincere vprightnesse of the heart to God in all our wayes He is perfect with God that would be so What need I tell you that this is the way to true inward peace Nil conscire Not to be guilty of ill A cleare heart will be a quiet one There is no feast to a good conscience this is meat musicke welcome It seemes harder that time spirituall honesty should procure euen outward peace Heare wise Salomon By the blessing of the vpright the city is exalted Prou. 11.11 When a mans wayes please the Lord he maketh euen his enemies to be at peace with him Pro. 16.7 Righteousnes exalteth a nation but sin is a reproach to any people Pro. 14.24 It followes then as a iust corâ—llary That the honestest and conscionablest man is the best subiect He may perhaps be plaine perhaps poore perhaps weake but the state is more beholden to his integrity than to the ablest purse than to the strongest arme Whereas the graceles vicious person let him be neuer so plausible a talker neuer so careful an officer neuer so valiant a Leader neuer so officious a Courtier neuer so deepe in subsidies neuer so forward in actions is no other than an enemy to the state which he professes to adore Let no Philosopher tell me of maius vir boâ— usicâ—uis I say from better authority An il man a good subiect that a lewd man can no more be a good subiect than an ill subiect can be a good man Heare this then wheresoeuer ye are ye secret oppressors ye profane scoffers ye foule mouth'd swearers ye close adulterers ye kinde drunkards and who euer come within this blacke list of wickednesse how can ye be loiall whiles you lodge traitors in your bosomes Protest what ye will your sinnes breake the peace and conspire against the sacred Crowne and dignity of your Soueraigne What care we that you draw your sword and vow your bloud and drinke your healths to your Gouenours when in the meane while you prouoke God to anger and set quarrels betwixt your Country and Heauen That I may winde vp this clew It were folly to commend to you the worth of peace we know that the excellency of Princes is expressed by serenity what good hath the earth which God doth not couch vnder the name of Peace Blessed be God and his Annointed we haue long and comfortably tasted the sweetnesse of this blessing the Lillies and Lions of our Salomon haue beene iustly worded with Beati pacifici Would we haue this happinesse perpetuated to vs to posterity Oh let Prince and people meet in the ambition to be Gens iusta a righteous nation righteous euery way First let God haue his owne His owne dayes his owne seruices his feare his loue his all Let
intrude thus into the throne of your Maker Consider and conferre seriously What faith is it that is thus necessarily required to each member in this Constitution Your owne Doctor shall define it Faith required to the receiuing in of members is the knowledge of the Doctrine of saluation by Christ 1 Cor. 12.9 Gal. 3.2 Now I beseech you in the feare of God lay by a while all vnchristian preiudice and peremptory verdicts of those soules which cost Christ as much bloud as your owne and tell me ingenuously whether you dare say that not onely your Christian brethren with whom you lately conuersed but euen your fore-fathers which liued vnder Queene Elizabeths first confused reformation knew not the doctrine of saluation by Christ if you say they did not your rash iudgement shall be punished fearefully by him whose office you vsurpe As you looke to answer before him that would not breake the bruised Reed nor quench the smoaking Flax presume not thus aboue men and Angels If they did then had they sufficient claime both to true Constitution and Church But this faith must be testified by obedience so it was If you thinke not so yours is not testified by loue both were weake both were true Weaknesse in any grace or worke takes not away truth Their sinnes of ignorance could no more disanull Gods couenant with them than multiplicity of wiues with the Patriarchs SECT IX Order 2. Part of Constitution how farre requisite and whether hindered by constraint D. Allis against the Descript Confess of the Brownists Brow State of true Christians Inquire into M. White Ans ibid. Arist Pol. 3. c. 1. WHat wanted they then Nothing but Order and not all Order but yours Order a thing requisite and excellent but let the world iudge whether essentiall Consider now I beseech you in the bowels of Christ Iesus whether this be a matter for which heauen and earth should be mixed whether for want of your Order all the world must be put out of all Order and the Church out of life and being Nothing say we can be more disorderly than the confusion of your Democracie or popular state if not Anarchie Where all in a sort ordaine and excommunicate We condemne you not for no true members of the Church what can be more orderlesse by your owne confessions than the Trine-vne Church at Amsterdam which yet you grant but faulty If there be disproportion and dislocation of some parts is it no true humane body will you rise from the feast vnlesse the dishes be set on in your owne fashion Is it no Citie if there bee mudwalles halfe broken low Cottages vnequally built no State-house But your order hath more essence than you can expresse and is the same which Polititians in their trade call 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 an incorporating into one common ciuill body by a voluntary vnion and that vnder a lawfull gouernment Our Church wants both wherein there is both constraint and false office Take your owne resemblance and your owne asking Say that some Tyrant as Basilius of Ruffâ—â— shall forcibly compell a certaine number of Subiects into Mosco and shall hold them in by an awfull Garrison forcing them to new lawes and Magistrates perhaps hard and bloudy They yeeld and making the best of all liue together in a cheerefull communion with due commerce louing conuersation submissiue execution of the enioyned lawes In such case Whether is Mosco a true Cittie or not Since your Doctor cites Aristotle Arist Pol. 3 c. 1. Edesius Frumentius pueri à Meropio Tyrio Philosopho in Indiam dâ—portati postca ibi Christianam religionem plantarunt Ruffâ—n l. 1. c. 9. Foemina inter Iberâ—s let it not irke him to learne of that Philosopher who can teach him that when Calisthenes had driuen out the Tyrant from Athens and set vp a new Gouernment and receiued many strangers and bondmen into the Tribes it was doubted not which of them were Citizens but whether they were made Citizens vniustly If you should finde a company of true Christians in vtmost India would you stand vpon termes and enquire how they became so Whiles they haue what is necessary for that heauenly profession what need your curiosity trouble it selfe with the meanes SECT X. Constraint requisite 2 Chr. 33.16 2 Chr. 34.32 33. 2 Chr. 15.13 Barr. against Gyff Brow Reformation without tarrying Greenewood Conference with Cooper Browne Reformation without tarrying Conference with Doctor Andr. Master Hutch Conference with D. Andr. Reformation without tarrying Ber. Fides suadenda non cogenda Counterpoyson Dixit Pater familias seruis Quoscunque inueneritis cogite intrare c. Aug. Epist 48. Pless de Eccles c. 10. Aug. Quod si â—ogip riegem aliquem vel ad bona sicuisset vos ipsi miseri à nobis ad fidem purissimam cogi deluistis sed absit à nostra conscientia vt ad fidem nostram aliquem cogamus Aug. Epist 48. 68. Qui phreneticum ligat qui letharg excitat ambobus molestus ambos amat Ibid. Clâ—mant Neminem ad vnitatem cogendum quid hoc aliud quam quod de vobis quidam Quod volumus sanctum est YOu see then what an idle plea constraint is in the constitution of a Citie the ground of all your exception But it is otherwise in Gods citie the Church why then doth his Doctorship parallel these two And why may not euen constraint it selfe haue place in the lawfull constitution or reformation of a Church Did not Manasses after his comming home to God charge and command Iuda to serue the Lord God of Israel Did not worthy Iosiah when he had made a couenant before the Lord cause all that were found in Ierusalem and Beniamin to stand to it and compelled all that were found in Israel to serue the Lord their God What haue Queene Elizabeth or King Iames done more Or what other Did not Asa vpon Obeds prophesie gather both Iuda and Beniamin and all the strangers from Ephraim Manasses and Simeon and enact with them that whosoeuer would not seeke the Lord God should bee slaine What meanes this peruersenesse You that teach we may not stay Princes leisure to reforme will you not allow Princes to vrge others to reforme What crime is this that men were not suffered to bee open Idolaters that they were forced to yeeld submission to Gods ordinances Euen your owne teach that Magistrates may compell Infidels to heare the doctrine of the Church and Papists you say elsewhere though too roughly are Infidels But you say not to be members of the Church Gods people are of the willing sort True Neither did they compell them to this They were before entred into the visible Church by true Baptisme though miserably corrupted They were not now initiated but purged Your subtill Doctor can tell vs from Bernard that faith is to be perswaded not to bee compelled yet let him remember that the guests must be compelled to come in though
the nose with an hot paire of Tongs and made him rore out for mercy supposed that euery Clergy man had the same Irons in the fire and therefore blew Coales to that good King of the dislike of these Clericall mariages and with the same breath inkindled the zeale of Monkerie The Church wherein I am now interessed and wherein I doe by the prouidence of God and the bounty of my gracious Master succeed their Saint Oswalds Priors yeelds me sufficient records hereof which because they are both worthy of publike light and giue no smal light to the businesse in hand I haue thought good here to insert * * The names of the Founders of the Church of Woâ—cester In the time of King Ethelred was Worcester made an Episcopall See Rosel was the first Bishop The 17 was Saint Oswâ—ld in whose time King Edgar gaue c. And by the meditation of Saint Oswald was this Cathedrali Church translated from marâ—eâ— Clerkes vnto Monkes Nomina Fundatorum Ecclesia Wigorniensis Tempore Ethelredi Regis c. constituta est sedes Episcopalis Wigorn Bosel Episcopus primus Septimusdecimus Sanctus Oswaldus tempore cuius Edgarus Rex dedit Mediante verò Beato Oswaldo à Clericis in Monachos translata est sedes Pontificalis honoris Then followes the Charter of King Edgar founding the Monkes with this Title Carta Regis Eadgari de Oswaldeslaw ALtitonantis Dei largifluâ Clementiâ qui est Rex Regum Dominus Dominantium Ego Eadgarus Anglorum Basileus omnium Regum insularum Oceani quae Britanniam circumiacent cunctarumque Nationum quae infra cam includuntur Imperator Dominus gratias ago ipsi Deo Omnipotenti Regi meo qui meum ImperiuÌ„ sic amplificauit exaltauit super Regnum Patrum meorum Quapropter ego Christi gloriam laudem in regno meo exaltare eius seruitium amplificare deuotus disposui per meos fideles fautores Danstanum videlicet Archiepiscopum Athelwoldum ac Oswaldum Episcopos quos mihi Patres spirituales confiliarios elegi magna ex parte secundum quod disposui perfeci Et ipsis supradictis meis cooperatoribus strenuè annitentibus jam XL. VII Monasteria cum Monachis Sanctimonialibus constitui si Christus vitam mihi tam diu concesserit vsque an quinquagessimum remissionis numerum meae deuotae Deo munificentiae oblationem protendere decreui Vnde nunc in praesenti Monasterium quod praedictus reuerendus Episcopus Oswaldus in sede Episcopali Wereceastre in honorem Sanctae Dei genetricis Mariae amplificauit eliminatis Clericorum neniis spurcis lasciuiis religiosis Dei seruis Monachis meo consensu fauore suffultus locauit Ego ipsis Monasticae religionis viris Regali authoritate confirmo consilio astipulatione Principum Optimatum meorum corroboro consigno ita vt jam amplius non sit fas neque ius Clericis reclamandi quicquam inde quippe qui magis elegerunt cum sui ordinis periculo Ecclesiastici beneficii dispendi suis vxoribus adhaerere quà m Deo castè canonicè seruire Et ideo cuncta quae illi de Ecclesia possederant cum ipsa Ecclesiâ siue Ecclesiastica siue Secularia tam mobilia quam immobilia ipsis Dei seruis Monachis ab hac die perpetualiter Regiae munificentia iure deinceps possidenda trado consigno ita firmiter vt nulli Principum nec etiam vlli Episcopo succedenti fas sit aut licitum quicquam inde subtrahere aut peruadere aut ab eorum potestate surripere in Clericorum ius iterum traducere quamdiu fides Christiana in Anglia perdurauerit Sed dimidum Centuriatum c. In the end dated thus Facta sunt haec Anno Dominicae Natiuitatis D. CCCC.LXIIII Indictione VIII Regni Eadgari AngloruÌ„ Regis 6. in Regia vrbe quae ab incolis Glouceastre nominatur in Natale Domini In English thus BY the bountifull mercy of Almighty God which is King of Kings and Lord of Lords I Edgar King of England and of all the Kings of the Ilands of the Ocean lying about Brittaine and of all the Nations that are included within it Emperour and Lord doe giue thankes to Almighty God my King which hath inlarged my Empire and exalted it aboue the Kingdome of my Fathers Wherefore I also hauing deuoted my selfe to exalt the glory and praise of Christ in my Kingdome and to inlarge his seruice haue intended and by my faithfull Well-willers Dunstan Archbishop Athelwold and Oswald Bishops whom I haue chosen for my spirituall Fathers and Counsellors I haue for the greatest part already performed what I entended c. And by the diligent indeuours of my fore-said Helpers I haue now constituted and made seuen and forty Monasteries with Monkes and Nunnes and if Christ shall giue me to liue so long I haue decreed to draw forth the Oblation of this my deuout Munificence vnto God to the full number of fifty which is the number of my remission * * So as it appeares this number was set to King Edgar by Dunstan for his penance Wherevpon now for the present I doe by my Royall Authoritie confirme to persons of Monasticall Religion and by the consent and astipulation of my Princes and Peeres doe establish and consigne to them that Monasterie which the foresaid reuerend Bishop Oswald to the honour of the Blessed Mother of God hath amplified in the Episcopall See of Wereceastre and expelling the wanton and filthy lasciuiousnesse of Clerkes hath by my consent and fauour bestowed it vpon the religious seruants of God the Monkes so as from henceforth it shall not be lawfull for the said Clerkes to challenge any thing therein as those which haue rather chosen with the danger of their Order and the losse of their Ecclesiasticall * * That is their Prebend Benefice to sticke vnto their wiues then chastely and canonically to serue God And therefore all that euer they possessed of the said Church whether Ecclesiasticall or Secular moueable or vnmoueable together with the Church it selfe I doe from this day forward for euer giue and consigne to the said Monkes to bee possessed of them in the right of my Royall Munificence so firmely that it shall not be lawfull for any Prince or any Bishop succeeding to subtract ought from them or to withdraw any of the Premisses from their power and to deliuer it backe againe to the right and possession of Clerkes so long as the Christian Faith shall remaine in England c. Facta sunt haec c. These things were done in the yeare of Christs Natiuitie D. CCCC.LXIIII Indiction VIII In the sixt yeare of the Raigne of Edgar King of England in the Royall Citie which by the Inhabitants is named Glouceastre in the Feast of the Natiuitie of our Lord c. That Dunstan did this none euer doubted but withall it is considerable who himselfe
one man slue all those thousands at a blow It was enough for the puissant King of Israel to follow the chase and to kill them whom Dauid had put to flight yet he that could lend his clothes and his armour to this exploit cannot abide to part with the honour of it to him that hath earned it so dearly The holy Songs of Dauid had not more quieted his spirits before then now the thankfull Song of the Israelitish women vexed him One little Dittie of Saul hath slaine his thousand and Dauid his ten thousand sung vnto the Timbrels of Israel fetcht againe that euill spirit which Dauids Musicke had expelled Saul needed not the torment of a worse spirit then Enuie Oh the vnreasonablenesse of this wicked passion The women gaue Saul more and Dauid lesse then he deserued For Saul alone could not kill a thousand and Dauid in that one act of killing Goliah slue in effect all the Philistims that were slaine that day and yet because they giue more to Dauid then to himselfe he that should haue endited begun that Song of thankfulnesse repines and growes now as mad with enuy as he was before with griefe Truth and Iustice are no protection against Malice Enuie is blind to all obiects saue other mens happinesse If the eyes of men could bee contained within their owne bounds and not roue forth into comparisons there could be no place for this vicious affection but when they haue once taken this lawlesse scope to themselues they lose the knowledge of home and care onely to be employed abroad in their owne torment Neuer was Sauls brest so fit a lodging for the euill spirit as now that it is drest vp with enuy It is as impossible that Hell should bee free from Deuils as a malicious heart Now doth the franticke King of Israel renew his old fits and walkes and talkes distractedly He was mad with Dauid and who but Dauid must be called to allay his madnesse Such as Dauids wisedome was he could not but know the termes wherein he stood with Saul yet in lieu of the harsh and discordous notes of his masters enuy he returnes pleasing Musicke vnto him He can neuer bee good Courtier nor good man that hath not learned to repay if not iniuries with thankes yet euill with good Whiles there was a Harpe in Dauids hand there was a Speare in Sauls wherewith he threatens death as the recompence of that sweet melodie He said I will smite Dauid through to the wall It is well for the innocent that wicked men cannot keep their owne counsell God fetcheth their thoughts out of their mouthes or their countenance for a seasonable preuention which else might proceed to secret execution It was time for Dauid to withdraw himselfe his obedience did not tye him to bee the marke of a furious master hee might ease Saul with his musicke with his blood hee might not Twice therefore doth he auoid the Presence not the Court not the Seruice of Saul One would haue thought rather that Dauid should haue beene affraid of Saul because the Deuill was so strong with him then that Saul should be affraid of Dauid because the Lord was with him yet we find all the feare in Saul of Dauid none in Dauid of Saul Hatred and feare are ordinary companions Dauid had wisedome and faith to dispell his feares Saul had nothing but infidelity and deiected selfe-condemned distempred thoughts which must needs nourish them yet Saul could not feare any hurt from Dauid whom he found so loyall and seruiceable Hee feares onely too much good vnto Dauid and the enuious feare is much more then the distrustfull now Dauids presence begins to be more displeasing then his Musicke was sweet Despight it selfe had rather preferre him to a remote dignity then endure him a neerer attendant This promotion encreaseth Dauids honour and loue and this loue and honour aggrauates Sauls hatred and feare Sauls madnesse hath not bereaued him of his craft For perceiuing how great Dauid was growne in the reputation of Israel he dares not offer any personall or direct violence to him but hires him into the iawes of a supposed death by no lesse price then his eldest Daughter Behold mine eldest daughter Merab her will I giue thee to wife onely be a valiant Sonne to me and fight the Lords Battels Could euer man speak more graciously more holily What could bee more graciously offered by a King then his eldest Daughter What care could be more holy then of the Lords battels yet neuer did Saul intend so much mischiefe to Dauid or so much vnfaithfulnesse to God as when he spake thus There is neuer so much danger of the false-hearted as when they make the fairest weather Sauls Speare bad Dauid be gone but his plausible words inuite him to danger This honour was due to Dauid before vpon the compact of his victory yet he that twice inquired into the reward of that enterprize before he vndertooke it neuer demanded it after that atchieuement neither had Saul the iustice to offer it as a recompence of so noble an exploit but as a snare to an enuied victory Charitie suspects not Dauid construes that as an effect and argument of his Masters loue which was no other but a child of Enuy but a plot of mischiefe and though he knew his owne desert and the Iustice of his claime to Merab yet hee in a sincere humilitie disparageth himselfe and his Parentage with a who am I As it was not the purpose of this modestie in Dauid to reiect but to sollicit the proffered fauour of Saul so was it not in the power of this bashfull humiliation to turne backe the edge of so keene an enuy It helpes not that Dauid makes himselfe meane whiles others magnifie his worth Whatsoeuer the colour was Saul meant nothing to Dauid but danger and death and since all those Battels will not effect that which he desired himselfe will not effect that which hee promised If hee cannot kill Dauid he will disgrace him Dauids honour was Sauls disease It was not likely therefore that Saul would adde vnto that honour whereof he was so sicke already Merab is giuen vnto another neither doe I heare Dauid complaine of so manifest an iniustice He knew that the God whose battels he fought had prouided a due reward of his patience If Merab faile God hath a Michal in store for him she is in loue with Dauid his comelinesse and valour haue so wonne her heart that she now emulates the affection of her Brother Ionathan If she be the yonger Sister yet she is more affectionate Saul is glad of the newes his Daughter could neuer liue to doe him better seruice then to be a new snare to his Aduersarie Shee shall bee therefore sacrificed to his enuie and her honest and sincere loue shall bee made a bait for her worthy and innocent Husband I will giue him her that shee may be a snare vnto him that the hand of the
and the Philistims How doth he wish now that hee had rather stood to the hazard of Sauls persecution than to haue put himselfe vpon the fauour of Achish Hee must fight on one side and on whether side soeuer he should fight hee could not auoyd to bee treacherous a condition worse than death to an honest heart which way he would haue resolued if it had comne to the execution who can know since himselfe was doubtfull either course had bin no better than desperate How could the Israelites euer haue receiued him for their King who in the open field had fought against them And contrarily if hee would haue fought against his friend for his enemy against Achish for Saul hee was now inuironed with iealous Philistims and might rather looke for the punishment of his Treason than the glory of a Victorie HIS heart had led him into these straits the Lord finds a way to leade him out The suggestions of his enemies doe herein befriend him The Princes of the Philistims whether of enuie or suspition pleade for Dauids dismission Send this fellow backe that hee may goe againe to his place which thou hast appointed him and let him not goe downe to the battle lest hee bee an Aduersary to vs. No Aduocate could haue said more himselfe durst not haue said so much Oh the wisdome and goodnesse of our God that can raise vp an Aduersary to deliuer out of those euils which our friends cannot That by the sword of an enemie can let out that Apostume which no Physician could tell how to cure It would be wide with us sometimes if it were not for others malice There could not bee a more iust question than this of the Philistim Princes What doe these Hebrewes here An Israelite is out of his element when hee is in an Armie of Philistims The true seruants of God are in their due places when they are in opposition to his enemies Profession of hostilitie becomes them better than leagues of amity Yet Achish likes Dauids conuersation and presence so well that hee professeth himselfe pleased with him as with an Angell of God How strange is it to heare that a Philistim should delight in that holy man whom an Israelite abhorres and should bee loth to be quit of Dauid whom Saul hath expelled Termes of ciuilitie be equally open to all religions to all professions The common graces of Gods children are able to attract loue from the most obstinate enemies of goodnesse If we affect them for by-respects of Valour Wisedome Discourse Wit it is their praise not ours But if for diuine Grace and Religion it is our prayse with theirs Such now was Dauids condition that he must pleade for that hee feared and argue against that which he desired What haue I done what hast thou found in thy seruant that I may not goe and fight against the enemies of my Lord the King Neuer any newes could be more cordiall to him than this of his dismission yet must he seeme to striue against it with an importunate profession of his forwardnesse to that act which hee most detested One degree of Dissimulation drawes on another those which haue once giuen way to a faulty course cannot easily either stop or turne backe but are in a sort forced to second their ill beginnings with worse proceedings It is a dangerous and miserable thing to cast our selues into those actions which draw with them a necessitie either of offending or miscarriage SAVL and the Witch of Endor EVen the worst men may sometimes make head against some sinnes Saul hath expelled the Sorcerers out of the Land of Israel and hath forbidden Magick vpon paine of death Hee that had no care to expell Satan out of his owne heart yet will seeme to driue him out of his Kingdome That wee see wicked then oppose themselues to some sinnes there is neither maruell nor comfort in it No doubt Satan made sport at this Edict of Saul what cares he to be banished in Sorcery whiles he is entertayned in malice He knew and found Saul his whiles he resisted and smiled to yeeld thus farre vnto his Vassall If we quit not all sinnes hee will bee content wee should either abandon or persecute some Where is no place for holy feare there will bee place for the seruile The gracelesse heart of Saul was astonied at the Philistims yet was neuer moued at the frownes of that God whose anger sent them nor of those sinnes of his which procured them Those that cannot feare for loue shall tremble for feare and how much better is awe than terror preuention than confusion There is nothing more lamentable than to see a man laugh when he should feare God shall laugh when such an ones feare commeth Extremitie of distresse will send euen the prophanest man to God like as the drowning man reacheth out his hand to that bough which he contemned whiles hee stood safe on the banke Saul now asketh counsell of the Lord whose Prophet hee hated whose Priests hee slew whose Annointed he persecutes Had Saul consulted with God when hee should this euill had not beene but how if this euill had not beene hee had consulted with God The thanke of this Act is due not to him but to his affection A forced piety is thanklesse and vnprofitable God will not answer him neither by Dreames nor by Vrim nor by Prophets Why should God answer that man by Dreames who had resisted him waking Why should hee answer him by Vrim that had slaine his Priests Why should he answer him by Prophets who hated the Father of the Prophets rebelled against the word of the Prophets It is an vnreasonable vnequality to hope to finde God at our command when wee would not be at his To looke that God should regard our voice in trouble when wee would not regard his in peace Vnto what mad shifts are men driuen by despayre If God will not answer Satan shall Saul said to his seruants Seeke me a woman that hath a familiar spirit If Saul had not knowne this course Deuillish why did he decree to banish it to mulct it with death yet now against the streame of his conscience hee will seeke to those whom he had condemned There needes no other iudge of Sauls act than himselfe had he not before opposed this sinne he had not so hainously sinned in committing it There cannot bee a more fearefull signe of an heart giuen vp to a reprobate sense than to cast it selfe wilfully into those sinnes which it hath proclaimed to detest The declinations to euill are many times insensible but when it breakes forth into such apparant effects euen others eyes may discerne it What was Saul the better to fore-know the issue of his approaching battell If this consultation could not haue strengthened him against his enemies or promoted his victory there might haue beene some colour for so foule an act Now what could he gaine but the satisfying of his bootlesse curiositie in
thine absence must needs bee the fulnesse of horror and torment Hide not thy face from vs O Lord but shew vs the light of thy countenance that we may liue and praise thee EVEN the fire of Ioabs field warmed the heart of Dauid whiles it gaue him proofe of the heat of Absaloms filiall affection As a man therefore inwardly weary of so long displeasure at last hee receiues Absalom to his sight to his fauour and seales his pardon with a kisse Naturall Parents know not how to retayne an euerlasting anger towards the fruit of their loynes how much lesse shall the GOD of mercies bee vnreconcileably displeased with his owne and suffer his wrath to burne like fire that cannot bee quenched Hee will not alwayes chide neither will hee keepe his anger for euer His wrath endureth but a moment in his fauour is life weeping may endure for a Night but ioy commeth in the Morning ABSALOM is now as great as faire Beautie and Greatnesse make him proud Pride workes his ruine Great spirits will not rest content with a moderate prosperitie Ere two yeares bee runne out Absalom runnes out into a desperate plot of rebellion None but his owne Father was aboue him in Israel None was so likely in humane exspectation to succeede his Father If his ambition could but haue contayned it selfe for a few yeares as Dauid was now neere his period dutifull carriage might haue procured that by succession which now â—e sought by force An aspiring minde is euer impatient and holds Time it selfe an enemy if it thrust it selfe importunately betwixt the hopes and fruition Ambition is neuer but in trauell and can finde no intermission of painfull throwes till-shee haue brought forth her abortiue Desires How happie were we if our affectation could be so eager of spirituall and heauenly promotions Oh that my Soule could finde it selfe so restlesse till it feele the weight of that Crowne of Glorie OVTWARD Pompe and vnwonted shewes of Magnificence are wont much to affect the light mindes of the vulgar Absalom therefore to the incomparable comelinesse of his person addes the vnusuall state of a more than Princely Equipage His Charets rattle and his Horses trample proudly in the Streets Fiftie Foot-men runne before their glittering Master Ierusalem rings of their glorious Prince and is readie to adore these continuall Triumps of Peace Excesse and Noueltie of exspensiue Brauery and Ostentation in publike persons giues iust cause to suspect either vanitie or a plot True-hearted Dauid can misdoubt nothing in him to whom hee had both giuen life and forgiuen this Loue construed all this as meant to the honour of a Fathers Court to the expression of ioy and thankfulnesse for his reconcilement The eyes and tongues of men are thus taken vp now hath Absalom laid snares for their hearts also He rises early and stands beside the way of the gate Ambition is no niggard of her paynes seldome euer is good meaning so industrious The more he shined in Beautie and Royall Attendance so much more glory it was to neglect himselfe and to preferre the care of Iustice to his owne ease Neither is Absalom more painfull then plausible his eare is open to all Plaintiues all Petitioners there is no cause which hee flatters not See thy matters are good and right his hand flatters euery commer with a salutation his lips with a kisse All men all matters are soothed sauing the state and gouernment the censure of that is no lesse deepe than the applause of all others There is none deputed of the King to heare thee What insinuations could bee more powerfull No Musicke can bee so sweet to the eares of the vnstable multitude as to heare well of themselues ill of their Gouernours Absalom needs not to wish himselfe vpon the Bench Euery man sayes Oh what a curteous Prince is Absolom What a iust and carefull Ruler would Absalom be How happy were we if we might be iudg'd by Absalom Those qualities which are wont single to grace others haue conspired to meete in Absalom Goodlinesse of Person Magnificence of State gracious Affabilitie vnwearied Diligence Humilitie in Greatnesse feeling Pittie loue of Iustice care of the Common-wealth The World hath not so complete a Prince as Absalom Thus the hearts of the people are not wonne but stolne by a close Traytor from their lawfully Annointed Souereigne Ouer-faire shewes are a iust Argument of vnsoundnesse no naturall Face hath so cleere a White and Redde as the painted Nothing wants now but a cloâ—e of Religion to perfect the Treachery of that vngracious Sonne who carryed Peace in his Name Warre in his heart and how easily is that put on Absalom hath an holy Vow to be payd in Hebron The deuout man had made it long since whiles hee was exiled in Syria and now hee hastes to performe it If the Lord shall bring me backe againe to Ierusalem then I will serue the Lord wicked Hypocrites care not to play with God that they may mocke men The more deformed any Act is the fayrer Visor it still seeketh How glad is the good old King that hee is blessed with so godly a Sonne whom hee dismisseth laden with his causlesse blessings What trust is there in flesh and bloud when Dauid is not safe from his owne Loynes The Conspiracie is now fully forged there lacked nothing but this guilt of Pietie to winne fauour and value in all eyes and now it is a wonder that but two hundred honest Citizens goe vp with Absalom from Ierusalem The true-hearted lye most open to Credulitie How easie it is to beguile harmelesse intentions The name of Dauids Sonne carryes them against the Father of Absalom and now these simple Israelites are vnwittingly made loyall Rebels Their hearts are free from a plot and they meane nothing but fidelitie in the attendance of a Traytor How many thousands are thus ignorantly misled into the traine of Errour Their simplicity is as worthy of pitty as their misguidance of indignation Those that will suffer themselues to be carryed with semblances of truth and faithfulnesse must needs bee as farre from safetie as innocence Contemplations VPON THE HISTORIE OF THE NEVV TESTAMENT The fifth Volume By IOS HALL SIC ELEVABITVR FILIVS HOMINIS Io 3. ANCHORA FIDEI LONDON Printed for THOMAS PAVIER MILES FLESHER and John Haviland 1624. Contemplations VPON THE HISTORIE OF THE NEW TESTAMENT The first Booke Containing The Angell and ZACHARY The Annuntiation The Birth of CHRIST The Sages and the Starre The Purification HEROD and the Infants TO MY MVCH HONOVRED AND RIGHT WORSHIPFVLL FRIEND SIR Henrie Yeluerton KNIGHT ATTVRNEY GENERALL TO HIS Maiestie RIGHT WORSHIPFVLL IT is not out of any satietie that I change from the old Testament to the new These two as they are the Brests of the Church so thâ—y yeeld Milke equally wholsome equally pleasant vnto able Nurselings Herein J thought good to haue respect vnto my Reader in whose strength there may be difference That other Brest
admission surely our iudgment shall be so much the greater by how much better we know whom we haue excluded What doe we cry shame on the Bethleemites whilest we are wilfully more churlish more vnthankfull There is no roome in my heart for the wonder at this humility He for whom heauen is too strait whom the heauen of heauens cannot containe lâ—es in the strait cabbin of the wombe and when he would inlarge himselfe for the world is not allowed the roome of an Inne The many mansions of heauen were at his disposing the earth was his and the fulnes of it yet he suffers himselfe to be refused of a base cottage and complaineth not What measure should discontent vs wretched men when thou O God farest thus from thy creatures How should we learne both to want and abound from thee which abounding with the glory and riches of heauen wouldest want a lodging in thy first welcome to the earth Thou camest to thine owne aâ— thy owne receiued thee not How can it trouble vs to be reiected of the world which is not ours what wonder is it if thy seruants wandred abroad in sheeps skins and goats skins destitute and afflicteth when their Lord is denied harbour how should all the world blush at this indignity of Bethleem He that came to saue men is sent for his first lodging to the beasts The stable it become his Inne the cratch his bed O strange cradle of that great King which heauen it selfe may enuy O Sauiour thou that wert both the Maker and Owner of heauen of earth couldst haue made thee a Palace without hands couldst haue commanded thee an empty roome in those houses which thy creatures had made When thou didst but bid the Angels auoid their first place they fell downe form heauen like lightning and when in thine humbled estate thou didst but say I am he who was able to stand before thee How easie had it bin for thee to haue made place for thy selfe in the throngs of the stateliest Courts Why couldest thou be thus homely but that by conteÌ„ning worldly glories thou mightst teach vs to contemne them that thou mightst sanctifie pouerty to them whom thou callest vnto want that since thou which hadst the choice of all earthly conditions wouldst be borne poore and despised those which must want out of necessity might not thinke their pouerty grieuous Here was neither friend to entertaine nor seruant to attend nor place wherein to be attended onely the poore beasts gaue way to the God of al the world It is the great mystery of godlines that God was manifested in the flesh and seene of Angels but here which was the top of all wonders the very beasts might see their Maker For those spirits to see God in the flesh it was not so strange as for the brute creatures to see him which was the God of spirits He that would be led into the wildernesse amongst wilde beasts to be tempted would come into the house of beasts to be borne that from the height of his diuine glory his humiliation might be the greater How can we be abased low enough for thee O Sauiour that hast thus neglected thy selfe for vs That the visitation might be answerable to the homelines of the place attendants prouision who shal come to congratulate his birth but poore shepherds The kings of the earth rest at home and haue no summons to attend him by whom they reigne God hath chosen the weake things of the world to confound the mighty In an obscure time the night vnto obscure men shepherds doth God manifest the light of his Son by glorious Angels It is not our meannesse O God that can exclude vs from the best of thy mercies yea thus far dost thou respect persons that thou hast put downe the mighty and exalted them of low degree If these shepherds had beene snorting in their beds they had no more seene Angels nor heard newes of their Sauior than their neighbours Their vigilancy is honored with this heauenly vision those which are industrious in any calling are capable of further blessings whereas the idle are fit for nothing but temptation No lesse than a whole Chore of Angels are worthy to sing the hymne of Glory to God for the incarnation of his Sonne What ioy is enough for vs whose nature he tooke and whom he came to restore by his incarnation If we had the tonges of Angels we could not raise this note high enough to the praise of our glorious Redeemer No sooner doe the shepherds heare the newes of a Sauiour than they run to Bethleem to seek him Those that left their beds to tend their flocks leaue their flocks to inquire after their Sauior No earthly thing is too deare to be forsaken for Christ If we suffer any worldly occasioÌ„ to stay vs froÌ„ Bethleem we care more for our sheep than our soules It is not possible that a faithful heart should heare where Christ is not labour to the sight to the fruition of him Where art thou O Sauiour but at home in thine owne house in the assembly of thy Saints Where art thou to be found but in thy Word and Sacraments yea there thou seekest for vs if there we haste not to seeke for thee we are worthy to want thee worthy that our want of thee here should make vs want the presence of thy face for euer The Sages and the Starre THe shepherds and rhe cratâ—h accorded well yet euen they saw nothing which they might not contemne neither was there any of those shepherds that seemed not more like a king than that King whom they came to see But oh the Diuine Maiesty that shined in this basenes There lies the Babe in the stable crying in the manger whom the Angels came downe from heauen to proclaime whom the Sages come from the East to adore whom an heauenly Star notifies to the world that now men might see that heauen and earth serues him-that neglected himselfe Those lights that hang low are not far seene but those which are high placed are equally seene in the remotest distances Thy light ô Sauiour was no lesse than heauenly The East saw that which Bethleem might haue seene oft times those which are neerest in place are farthest off in affection Large obiects when they are too close to the eie doe so ouer-fill the sense that they are not discerned What a shame is this to Bethleem the Sages came out of the East to worship him whom that village refused The Bethleemites were Iewes The wise-men Gentiles This first entertainment of Christ was a prâ—sage of the sequell The Gentiles shall come from far to adore Christ whiles the Iewes reiect him Those Easterlings were great searchers of the depths of nature professed Philosophers them hath God singled out to the honor of the manifestation of Christ Humane learning well improued makes vs capable of diuine There is no knowledge wherof God is not the Author he would neuer haue
an habit of seruility and now they are so acquainted with the yoke that the very noise of liberty which they supposed would not come with ease began to be vnwelcome To turne the causes of ioy into sorrow argues extreme deiectednesse and a distemper of iudgement no lesse than desperate Feare puts on a visor of deuotion Herod calls his learned councell and as not doubting whether the Messiah should be borne he askes where he shall be borne In the disparition of that other light there is a perpetually fixed Starre shining in the writings of the Prophets that guides the chiefe Priests and Scribes directly vnto Bethleem As yet enuy and preiudice had not blinded the eies and peruerted the hearts of the Iewish teachers so as now they clearely iustifie that Christ whom they afterwards condemne and by thus iustifying him condemne themselues in reiecting him The water that is vntroubled yeeldes the visage perfectly If God had no more witnesse but from his enemies we haue ground enough of our faith Herod feared but dissembled his feare as thinking it a shame that strangers should see there could any power arise vnder him worthy of his respect or awe Out of an vnwillingnesse therefore to discouer the impotency of his passion hee makes little adoe of the matter but onely after a priuy inquisition into the time imploies the informers in the search of the person Goe and search diligently for the Babe c. It was no great iourney from Ierusalem to Bethleem how easily might Herods cruelty haue secretly suborned some of his bloudy Courtiers to this enquiry and execution If God had not meant to mocke him before he found himselfe mocked of the wise men he had rather sent before their iourney than after their disappointment But that God in whose hands all hearts are did purposely besot him that he might not finde the way to so horrible a mischiefe There is no villany so great but it will maske it selfe vnder a shew of piety Herod will also worship the Babe The courtesie of a false Tyrant is death A crafty hypocrite neuer meanes so ill as when he speakes fairest the wise men are vpon their way full of expectation full of desire I see no man either of the City or Court to accompany them Whether distrust or feare hindred them I inquire not but of so many thousand Iewes no one stirs his foot to see that King of theirs which strangers came so farre to visit yet were not these resolute Sages discouraged with this solitarinesse and small respect nor drawne to repent of their iourney as thinking What doe we come so farre to honour a King whom no man will acknowledge What meane wee to trauell so many hundred miles to see that which the inhabitants will not looke out to behold but cheerfully renew their iourney to that place which the ancient light of prophesie had designed And now behold God incourages their holy forwardnesse from heauen by sending them their first guide as if he had said What neede ye care for the neglect of men when ye see heauen honours the King whom ye seeke What ioy these Sages conceiued when their eies first beheld the re-appearance of that happy Starre they onely can tell that after a long and sad night of tentation haue seene the louing countenance of God shining forth vpon their soules If with obedience and courage we can follow the calling of God in difficult enterprises we shall not want supplies of comfort Let not vs be wanting to God we shall be sure he cannot be wanting to vs. Hee that led Israel by a Pillar of fire into the Land of Promise leads the wise-men by a Starre to the Promised seede All his directions partake of that light which is in him For God is light this Starre moues both slowly and low as might bee fittest for the pace for the purpose of these Pilgrimes It is the goodnesse of God that in those meanes wherein we cannot reach him he descends vnto vs. Surely when the Wise-men saw the Star stand still they looked about to see what Palace there might be neare vnto that station fit for the birth of a King neither could they thinke that sorry shed was it which the Starre meant to point out but finding their guide setled ouer that base roofe they goe in to see what ghest it held They enter and O God what a King doe they finde how poore how contemptible wrapt in clouts laid in straw cradled in the manger attended with beasts what a sight was this after all the glorious promises of that Star after the predictions of Prophets after the magnificence of their expectation All their way afforded nothing so despicable as that Babe whom they came to worship But as those which could not haue bin wise-men vnlesse they had knowne that the greatest glories haue arisen from meane beginnings they fall downe and worship that hidden maiesty This basenesse hath bred wonder in them not contempt they well knew the Starre could not lie they which saw his Star a far off in the East when hee lay swadled in Bethleem doe also see his royalty further off in the despised estate of his infancy A royalty more than humane They well knew that stars did not vse to attend earthly Kings and if their ayme had not beene higher what was a Iewish King to Persian strangers answerable therefore hereunto was their adoration Neither did they lift vp emptie hands to him whom they worshipt but presented him with the most precious commodities of their country Gold Incense Myrrh not as thinking to enrich him with these but by way of homage acknowledging him the Lord of these If these Sages had beene Kings and had offered a Princely weight of gold the blessed Virgin had not needed in her purification to haue offered two young pigeons as the signe of her penury As God loues not empty hands so he measures fulnesse by the affection Let it be Gold or Incense or Myrth that we offer him it cannot but please him who doth not vse to aske how much but how good The Purification THere could be no impurity in the Sonne of God and if the best substance of a pure Virgin carried in it any taint of Adam that was scowred away by sanctification in the wombe and yet the Sonne would be circumcised and the Mother purified He that came to bee sinne for vs would in our persons be legally vncleane that by satisfying the law he might take away our vncleannesse Though he were exempted from the common condition of our birth yet he would not deliuer himselfe from those ordinary rites that implied the weakenesse and blemishes of humanity He would fulfill one law to abrogate it another to satisfie it He that was aboue the Law would come vnder the Law to free vs from the Law Not a day would be changed either in the Circumcision of Christ or the Purification of Mary Here was neither conuenience of place nor of necessaries
God that hee knew cherishing was euer went to follow stripes after vehement euacuation cordials after a darke night the cleare light of the morning Hope therfore doth not only vphold but cheare vp his heart in the midst of his sorrow If we can looke beyond the cloud of our affliction and see the Sun-shine of comfort on the other side of it we cannot bee so discouraged with the presence of euill as heartned with the issue As on the contrary let a man be neuer so mery within and see paine and miserie waiting for him at the doore his expectation of euill shall easily daunt all the sense of his pleasure the retributions of temporall fauours goe but by peraduentures It may be the Lord will looke on mine affliction of eternall are certaine and infallible If we suffer we shall reigne why should not the assurance of raigning make vs triumph in suffering Dauids patience drawes on the insolence of Shimei Euill natures grow presumptuous vpon forbearance In good dispositions iniury vnanswered growes weary of it selfe and dies in a voluntary remorse but in those dogged stomackes which are onely capable of the restraints of feare the silent digestion of a former wrong prouokes a second Mercy had need to be guided with wisedome left it proue cruell to it selfe Oh the base minds of inconstant Time-seruers Stay but a while till the wheele be a little turned you shall see humble Shimei fall downe on his face before Dauid in his returne ouer Iordan now his submission shall equall his former rudenesse his praiers shall requite his curfes his teares make amends for his stones Let not my Lord impute iniquitie vnto me neither doe thou remember that which thy seruant did peruersly the day that my Lord the King went out of Ierusalem that the King should take it to heart for thy seruant doth know that I haue sinned False-hearted Shimei had Absalom prospered thou hadst not sinned thou hadst not repented then hadst thou bragged of thine insultation ouer his miseries whose pardon thou now beggest with teares The changes of worldly minds are thanklesse since they are neither wrought out of conscience nor loue but onely by a slauish feare of a iust punishment Dauid could say no more to testifie his sorrow for his hainous sinnes against God to Nathan then Shimei sayes of himselfe to Dauid whereto may be added the aduantage of a voluntary confession in this offender which in Dauid was extorted by the reproofe of a Prophet yet is Dauids confession seriously penitent Shemies craftily hypocriticall Those alterations are iustly suspected which are shaped according to the times and outward occasions the true penitent lookes onely at God and his sinne and is changed when all other things are themselues Great offences had need of answerable satisfactions As Shimei was the onely man of the House of Beniamin that came forth and cursed Dauid in his flight so is hee the first man euen before those of the House of Ioseph though nearer in situation that comes to meet Dauid in his returne with prayers and gratulation Notorious offenders may not thinke to sit downe with the taske of ordinary seruices The retributions of their obedience must be proportiable to their crimes ACHITOPHEL SO soone as Dauid heard of Achitophels hand in that conspiracy hee fals to his prayers O Lord I pray thee turne the counsell of Achitophel into foolishnesse The knowne wisedome of his reuolted counsellor made him a dangerous and dreadfull aduersary Great parts mis-imployed cannot but proue most mischieuous when wickednesse is armed with wit and power none but a God can defeat it when we are matched with a strong and subtile enmity it is high time if euer to bee deuout If the bounty of God haue thought good to furnish his creatures with powers to warre against himselfe his wisedome knowes how to turne the abuse of those powers to the shame of the owners and the glory of the giuer Oh the policy of this Machiauell of Israel no lesse deepe then hell it selfe Goe in to thy fathers concubines which he hath left to keepe the house and when all Israel shall heare that thou art abhorred of thy father the hands of all that are with thee shall be strong The first care must be to secure the faction There can be no safety in siding with a doubtfull rebell if Absalom be a traytor yet he is a Sonne Nature may returne to it selfe Absalom may relent Dauid may remit where then are we that haue helpt to promote the conspiracy the danger is ours whiles this breach may bee peeced There is no way but to ingage Absalom in some further act vncapable of forgiuenesse Besides the throne let him violate the bed of his Father vnto his treason let him adde an incest no lesse vnnaturall now shall the world see that Absalom neither hopes nor cares for the reconciliation of a father Our quarrell can neuer haue any safe end but victory the hope whereof depends vpon the resolution of our followers they cannot bee resolute but vpon the vnpardonable wickednesse of their Leader Neither can this villany be shamefull enough if it be secret The closenesse of euill argues feare or modesty neither of which can beseeme him that would be a successefull traytor Set vp a Tent on the top of the house and let all Israel be witnesses of thy sinne and thy Fathers shame Ordinary crimes are for vulgar offenders Let Absalom sinne eminently and doe that which may make the world at once to blush and wonder Who would euer haue thought that Achitophel had liued at Court at the Councell-table of a Dauid Who would thinke that mouth had euer spoken well Yet had hee been no other then as the Oracle of God to the religious Court of Israel euen whiles he was not wise enough to be good Policy and grace are not alwayes lodged vnder one roofe This man whiles he was one of Dauids deepe Counsellors was one of Dauids fooles that said in their hearts There is no God else hee could not haue hoped to make good an euill with worse to build the successe of treason vpon incest Prophane hearts doe so contriue the plots of their wickednesse as if there were no ouer-ruling power to crosse their designes or to reuenge them He that sits in heauen laughs them to scorne and so farre giues way to their sinnes as their sinnes may proue plagues vnto themselues These two Sonnes of Dauid met with pestilent counsell Amnon is aduised to incest with his sister Absalom is aduised to incest with his fathers Concubines That by Ionadab this by Achitophel Both preuaile It is as easie at least to take ill counsell as to giue it Pronenesse to villany in the great cannot want either proiectors to deuise or parasites to execute the most odious and vnreasonable sinnes The Tent is spred lest it should not bee conspicuous enough on the top of the house The act is done in the fight of all Israel The
the fact as of the message There are busie spirits that loue to cary newes though thanklesse though purposelesse such was AhimaaZ the son of Zadock who importunately thrust himselfe into this seruice wise Ioab who well saw how vnwelcome tydings must be the burthen of the first post disswades him in vaine hee knew Dauid too well to imploy a frieÌ„d in that errand An Ethiopian seruant was a fitter bearer of such a message then the son of the Priest The entertainment of the person doth so follow the quality of the newes that Dauid could argue a far off He is a good man he commeth with good tidings Oh how welcome deserue those messengers to bee that bring vs the glad tidings of saluation that assure vs of the foile of all spirituall enemies and tell vs of nothing but victories and Crownes and Kingdomes If we thinke not their feet beautifull our hearts are foule with infidelity and secure worldlinesse So wise is Ahimaaz growne by Ioabs intimation that though hee out-went Cushi in his pace he suffers Cushi to out-goe him in his tale cunningly suppressing that part which he knew must be both necessarily deliuered and vnpleasingly receiued As our care is wont to be where our loue is Dauids first word is not how fares the host but how farâ—â— the yong man Absalom Like a wise and faithfull messenger Cushi answers by honest insinuation The enemies of my Lord the King and all that rise against thee to doe thee hurt be as that yong man is implying both what was done and why Dauid should approue it being done How is the good King thunder strooke with that word of his Black-more who as if he were at once bereaued of all comfort and cared not to liue but in the name of Absalom goes and weepes and cryes out O my son Absalom my son my son Absalom Would God I had dyed for thee O Absalom my son my son What is this wee heare that hee whose life Israel valued at ten thousand of theirs should be exchanged with a traitors that a good King whose life was sought should wish to lay it down for the preseruation of his murtherer The best men haue not wont to be the least passionate But what shall we say to that loue of thine O Sauiour who hast said of vs wretched traitors not Would God I had died for you But I will dye I doe dye I haue died for you Oh loue like thy selfe infinite incomprehensible whereat the Angels of Heauen stand yet amazed wherewith thy Saints are rauished Turne away thine eyes from me for they ouercome mee Oh thou that dwellest in the Gardens the companions hearken to thy voyce cause vs to heare it that we may in our measure answer thy loue and enioy it for euer SHEBAES Rebellion IT was the doome which God passed vpon the man after his owne heart by the mouth of Nathan that the sword should neuer depart from his house for the blood of Vriah After that wound healed by remission yet this scarre remaines Absalom is no sooner cast down into the pit then Sheba the son of Bichri is vp in armes If Dauid be not plagued yet he shal bee corrected First by the rod of a son then of a subiect He had lift vp his hand against a faithfull subiect now a faithlesse dares to lift vp his hand against him Malice like some hereditarie sicknesse runs in a blood Saul and Shimei and Sheba were all of an house That ancient grudge was not yet dead The fire of the house of Iemini was but raked vp neuer throughly out and now that which did but smoke in Shemei flames in Sheba Although euen through this chastisement it is not hard to discerne a Type of that perpetuall succession of enmity which should be raised against the true King of Israel O Son of Dauid when didst thou euer want enemies How wert thou designed by thine eternall Father for a signe that should be spoken against How did the Gentiles rage and the people imagine vaine things The Kings of the earth assembled and the Rulers came together against thee Yea how doe the subiects of thine owne kingdome daily conspire against thee Euen now whiles thou enioyest peace and glory at thy Fathers right hand as soone shalt thou want friends as enemies vpon earth No eye of any traitor could espie a iust quarrell in the gouernment of Dauid yet Sheba blowes the trumpet of rebellion and whiles Israel and Iudah are striuing who should haue the greatest part in their re-established Soueraigne hee stickes not to say We haue no part in Dauid neither haue wee inheritance in the son of Ishai and whiles he sayes Euery man to his tents O Israel hee calls euery man to his owne So in proclaiming a liberty from a iust and loyall subiection he inuites Israel to the bondage of an vsuâ—per That a lewde Conspirator should breathe Treason it is no wonder but is it not wonder and shame that vpon euery mutinous blast Israel should turne Traitor to Gods anointed It was their late expostulation with Dauid why their brethren the men of Iudah should haue stolne him from them now might Dauid mâ—re iustly expostulate why a rebell of their brethren should haue stolne them from him As nothing is more vnstable then the multitude so nothing is more subieâ—â— distastes then Soueraignty for as weake minds seeke pleasure in change so euery light conceit of irritation seemes sufficient colour of change Such as the false dispositions of the vulgar are loue cannot bee security enough for Princes without the awfulnesse of power What hold can there bee of popularity when the same hands that euen now fought for Dauid to be all theirs now fight against him vnder the son of Bichri as none of theirs As Bees when they are once vp in a swarm are ready to light vpon euery bow so the Israelites being stirred by the late commotion of Absalom are apt to follow euery Sheba It is vnsafe for any State that the multitude should once know the way to an insurrection the least track in this kind is easily made a path Yet if Israel rebell Iudah continues faithfull neither shall the son of Dauid euer be left destitute of some true subiects in the worst of Apostasies Hee that could command all hearts will euer bee followed by some God had rather glorifie himselfe by a remnant Great Commanders must haue actiue thoughts Dauid is not so taken vp with the embroiled affaires of his state as not to intend domesticke iustice His ten concubines which were shamelesly defiled by his incestuous son are condemned to ward and widowhood Had not that constupration been partly violent their punishment had not been so easie had it not also beene partly voluntary they had not been so much punished But how much so euer the act did partake of either force or will iustly are they sequestred from Dauids bed Absalom was not more vnnaturall in his rebellion then in his
God moued and Satan moued Neither is it any excuse to Satan or Dauid that God moued neither is it any blemish to God that Satan moued The rulers sinne is a punishment to a wicked people though they had many sinnes of their owne whereon God might haue grounded a iudgement yet as before he had punisht them with dearth for Sauls sinne so now hee will not punish them with plague but for Dauids sinne If God were not angry with a people hee would not giue vp their gouernors to such euils as whereby he is prouoked to vengeance and if their gouernours be thus giuen vp the people cannot be safe The body drownes not whiles the head is aboue the water when that once sinkes death is neere Iustly therefore are we charged to make prayers and supplications as for all so especially for those that are in eminent authoritie when we pray for our selues we pray not alwayes for them but we cannot pray for them and not pray for our selues the publique weale is not comprised in the priuate but the priuate in the publique What then was Dauids sinne He will needs haue Israel and Iudah numbred Surely there is no malignity in numbers Neither is it vnfit for a Prince to know his owne strength this is not the first time that Israel hath gone vnder a reckoning The act offends not but the mis-affection The same thing had bin commendably done out of a Princely prouidence which now through the curiositie pride mis-confidence of the doer proues hainously vicious Those actions which are in themselues indifferent receiue either their life or their bane from the intentions of the agent Moses numbreth the people with thankes Dauid with displeasure Those sinnes which carie the smoothest foreheads and haue the most honest appearances may more prouoke the wrath of God then those which beare the most abomination in their faces How many thousand wickednesses passed through the hands of Israel which wee men would rather haue branded out for a iudgement then this of Dauids The righteous Iudge of the world censures sinnes not by their ill lookes but by their foule hearts Who can but wonder to see Ioab the Saint and Dauid the trespasser No Prophet could speake better then that man of blood The Lord thy God increase the people an hundredfold more then they be and that the eyes of my Lord the King may see it but why doth my Lord the King desire this thing There is no man so lewd as not to be somtimes in good moods as not to dislike some euill contrarily no man on earth can be so holy as not sometimes to ouerlash It were pitie that either Ioab or Dauid should be tryed by euery act How commonly haue we seene those men ready to giue good aduice to others for the auoiding of some sins who in more grosse outrages haue not had grace to counsell their owne hearts The same man that had deserued death from Dauid for his treacherous cruelty disswade Dauid from an act that caried but a suspition of euill It is not so much to be regarded who it is that admonisheth vs as what hee brings Good counsell is neuer the worse for the foule cariage There are some dishes that wee may eate euen from sluttish hands The purpose of sinne in a faithfull man is odious much more the resolution Notwithstanding Ioabs discreet admonition Dauid will hold on his course and will know the number of the people onely that he may know it Ioab and the Captaines addresse themselues to the worke In things which are not in themselues euill it is not for subiects to dispute but to obey That which authoritie may sinne in commanding is done of the inferiour not with safety onely but with praise Nine moneths and twenty dayes is this generall muster in hand at last the number is brought in Israel is found eight hundred thousand strong Iudah fiue hundred thousand the ordinary companies which serued by course for the royall guard foure and twenty thousand each moneth needed not be reckoned the addition of them with their seuerall Captaines raises the summe of Israel to the rate of eleuen hundred thousand A power able to puffe vp a carnall heart but how can an heart that is more then flesh trust to an arme of flesh Oh holy Dauid whither hath a glorious vanity transported thee Thou which once didst sing so sweetly Put not your trust in Princes nor in the sonne of man for that is no helpe in him His breath departeth and hee returneth to his earth then his thought perish Blessed is he that hath the God of Iacob for his helpe whose hope is in the Lord his God How canst thou now stoope to so vnsafe and vnworthy a confidence As some stomackfull horse that will not be stopt in his career with the sharpest â—it but runnes on heaâ—ily till he come to some wall or ditch and their stands still and trembles so did Dauid All the disswasions of Ioab could not restraine him from his intended course almost ten moneths doth hee runne on impetuously in a way of his owne rough and dangerous at last his heart smites him the conscience of his offence and the feare of iudgement haue fetcht him vpon his knees O Lord I haue sinned exceedingly in that I haue done therefore now Lord I beseech thee take away the trespasse of thy seruant for I haue done very foolishly It is possible for a sinne not to bait onely but to soiourne in the holiest soule but though it soiourne there as a stranger it shall not dwell there as an owner The renued heart after some rouings of errour will once ere ouer-long returne home to it selfe and fall out with that ill guide wherewith it was misled and with it selfe for being misled and now it is resolued into teares and breathes forth nothing but sighs and confessions and deprecations Here needed no Nathan by a parabolicall circumlocution to fetch in Dauid to a sight and acknowledgement of his sinne the heart of the penitent supplyed the Prophet no others tongue could smite him so deepe as his owne thoughts But though his reines chastised him in the night yet his Seer scourges him in the morning Thus saith the Lord I offer thee three things choose thee which of them I shall doe vnto thee But what shall we say to this When vpon the Prophets reproofe for an adultery clokeâ— with murder Dauid did but say I haue sinned it was presently returned God hath put away thy sinne neither did any smart follow but the death of a mis-begotten infant and now when he voluntarily reproued himselfe for but a needlesse muster and sought for pardon vnbidden with great humiliation God sends him three terrible scourges Famine Sword or Pestilence that he may choose with which of them he had rather to bleed he shall haue the fauour of an election not of a remission God is more angred with a spirituall and immediate affront offered to his Majestie in
them not to his feast with the Kings sonnes and seruants Sometimes a very omission is an affront and a menace They well knew that since they were not called as guests they were counted as enemies Ceremonies of courtesie though they be in themselues slieght and arbitrarie yet the neglect of them in some cases may vndergoe a dangerous construction Nathan was the man by whom God had sent that errand of grace to Dauid concerning Salomon assuring him both to raigne and prosper yet now when Adonijahs plot was thus on foot he doth not fit still and depend vpon the issue of Gods decree but he bestirres him in the businesse and consults with Bathsheba how at once to saue their liues and to aduance Salomon and defeat Adonijah Gods pre-determination includes the meanes as well as the end the same prouidence that had ordained a Crowne to Salomon a repulse to Adonijah preseruation to Bathsheba and Nathan had fore-appointed the wise and industrious endeuours of the Prophet to bring about his iust and holy purposes If we would not haue God wanting to vs wee must not bee wanting to our selues Euen when wee know what God hath meant to vs wee may not bee negligent The Prophets of God did not look for reuelation in all their affaires in some things they were left to the counsell of their owne hearts the policy of Nathan was of vse as well as his prophecy that alone hath turned the streame into the right channell Nothing could be more wisely contriued then the sending in of Bathsheba to Dauid with so seasonable forceable an expostulation and the seconding of hers with his owne Though lust were dead in Dauid yet the respects of his old matrimoniall loue liued still the very presence of Bathsheba pleaded strongly but her speech more the time was when his affection offended in excesse towards her being then anothers he cannot now neglect her being his owne and if either his age or the remorse of his old offence should haue set him off yet shee knew his oath was sure My Lord thou swarest by the Lord thy God vnto thine handmaid saying Assuredly Salomon thy sonne shall raigne after me and he shall sit vpon my throne His word had beene firme but his oath was inuiolable wee are ingaged if wee haue promised but if wee haue sworne we are bound Neither heauen nor earth hath any gieues for that man that can shake off the feâ—ters of an oath for he cares not for that God whom he dares inuoke to a falshood and he that cares not for God will not care for man Ere Bathsheba can bee ouer the threshold Nathan vpon compact is knocking at the doore Gods Prophet was neuer but welcome to the bed-chamber of King Dauid In a seeming strangenesse hee fals vpon the same suit vpon the same complaint with Bathsheba Honest policies doe not mis-become the holiest Prophets Shee might seeme to speake as a woman as a mother out of passion the word of a Prophet could not bee misdoubted Hee therefore that had formerly brought to Dauid that chiding and bloody message concerning Bathsheba comes now to Dauid to sue for the life and honour of Bathsheba and he that was sent from God to Dauid to bring the newes of a gracious promise of fauour vnto Salomon comes now to challenge the execution of it from the hands of a father and hee whose place freed him from suspition of a faction complaines of the insolent demeanure and proclamation of Adonijah what he began with an humble obeysance shutting vp in a lowly and louing expostulation Is this thing done by my Lord the King and thou hast not shewed thy seruant who should sit on the Throne of my Lord the King after him As Nathan was of Gods Counsell vnto Dauid so was he of Dauids Counsell both to God and the State As God therefore vpon all occasions told Nathan what he meant to doe with Dauid so had Dauid wont to tell Nathan what he meant to doe in his holy and most important ciuill affaires There are cases wherein it is not vnfit for Gods Prophets to meddle with matters of State It is no disparagement to religious Princes to impart their counsels vnto them who can requite them with the counsels of God That wood which a single yron could not riue is soone splitted with a double wedge The seasonable importunity of Bathsheba and Nathan thus seconding each other hath so wrought vpon Dauid that now his loue to Adonijah giues place to indignation nature to an holy fidelity and now he renewes his ancient oath to Bathsheba with a passionate solemnity As the Lord liueth who hath redeemed my soule out of all aduersity euen as I sware vnto thee by the Lord God of Israel saying Assuredly Salomon thy sonne shall reigne after me and he shall sit vpon my throne in my stead so will I certainly doe this day In the decay of Dauids body I find not his intellectiue powers any whit impaired As one therefore that from his bed could with a perfect if weake hand stere the gouernment of Israel hee giues wise and full directions for the inauguration of Salomon Zadok the Priest and Nathan the Prophet and Benaiah the Captaine receiue his graue and Princely charge for the cariage of that so weightie a businesse They are commanded to take with them the royall guard to set Salomon vpon his fathers Mule to care him downe in state to Gihon to anoint him with the holy oyle of the Tabernacle to sound the trumpets and proclaime him in the streets to bring him backe with triumph and magnificence to the Court and to set him in the royall Throne with all the due ceremonies of Coronation How pleasing was this command to them who in Salomons glory saw their owne safety Benaiah applauds it and not fearing a fathers enuie in Dauids presence wisheth Salomons throne exalted aboue his The people are rauished with the ioy of so hopefull a succession and breake the earth and fill the heauen with the noise of their Musicke and shoutings Salomons guests had now at last better cheare then Adonijahs whose feast as all wicked-mens ended in horror no sooner are their bellies full of meat then their eares are full of the sound of those trumpets which at once proclaime Salomons triumph and their confusion Euer after the meale is ended comes the reckoning God could as easily haue preuented this iollity as marred it But hee willingly suffers vaine men to please themselues for the time in the conceited successe of their own proiects that afterwards their disappointment may be so much the more grieuous No doubt at this feast there was many an health drunken to Adonijah many a confident boast of their prospering designe many a scorne of the despised faction of Salomon now for their last dish is serued vp astonishment and fearfull expectation of a iust reuenge Ionathan the sonne of Abiathar the Priest brings the newes of Salomons solemne and ioyfull enthronization
that holy vse an hundred thousand talents of gold a thousand thousand talents of siluer besides brasse and yron passing weight Hee weighes out those precious metalls for their seuerall designements Euery future vessell is laid out already in his poise if not in his forme Hee excites the Princes of Israel to their assistance in so high a worke He takes notice of their bountifull offerings He numbers vp the Leuites for the publique seruice and sets them their taskes Hee appoints the Singers and other Musitians to their stations the Porters to the Gates that should be And now when he hath set all things in a desired order and forwardnesse he shuts vp with a zealous blessings of his Salomon and his people and sleepes with his fathers Oh blessed soule how quiet a possession hast thou now taken after so many tumults of a better Crowne Thou that hast prepared all things for the house of thy God how happily art thou now welcomed to that house of his not made with hands eternall in the heauens Who now shall enuie vnto good Princes the honour of ouerseeing the businesses of God and his Church when Dauid was thus punctuall in these diuine prouisions What feare can bee of vsurpation where they haue so glorious a precedent Now is Salomon the second time crowned King of Israel and now in his owne right as formerly in his fathers sits peaceably vpon the Throne of the Lord His awe and power comâ— on faster then his yeeres Enuie and ambition where it is once kindled may sooner be hid in the ashes then quite put out Adonijah yet hangs after his old hopes He remembers how sweet he found the name of a King and now hath laid a new plot for the setting vp of his crackt title He would make the bed a step to the throne His old complices are sure enough His part would gather much strength if he might inioy Abishag the relict of his father to wife If it were not the Iewish fashion as is pretended that a Kings widow should mary none but a King yet certainly the power both of the alliance and friendship of a Queene must needes not a little aduance his purpose The crafty riuall dare not either moue the suit to Salomon or effect the mariage without him but would cunningly vndermine the sonne by the suit of that mother whose suit had vndermined him The weaker vessells are commonly vsed in the most dangerous suggestions of euill Bathsheba was so wise a woman that some of her counsels are canonized for diuine yet she saw not the depth of this drift of Adonijah therefore she both entertaines the suit and moues it But what euer were the intent of the suitor could she choose but see the vnlawfulnesse of so incestuous a match It is not long since shee saw her late husband Dauid abominating the bed of those his Concubines that had been touched by his sonne Absalom and can she hold it lawfull that his sonne Adonijah should climb vp to the bed of his fathers wife Sometimes euen the best eyes are dimme and discerne not those things which are obuious to weaker sights Or whether did not Bathsheba well see the foulenesse of the suit and yet in compassion of Adonijahs late repulse wherein she was the chiefe agent and in a desire to make him amends for the losse of the Kingdome she yeelds euen thus to gratifie him It is an iniurious weakenesse to bee drawne vpon any by-respects to the furtherance of faulty suits of vnlawfull actions No sooner doth Bathsheba come in place then Salomon her sonne rises from his chaire of State and meets her and bowes to her and sets her on his right hand as not so remembring himselfe to be a King that he should forget he was a sonne No outward dignity can take away the rights and obligations of nature Had Bathsheba beene as meane as Salomon was mighty she had caried away this honor from a gracious sonne Yet for all these due complements Bathsheba goes away with a deniall Reuerence she shall haue she shall not haue a condescent In the acts of Magistracie all regards of naturall relations must giue way That which she propounded as a small request is now after a generall and confused ingagement reiected as vnreasonable It were pity wee should bee heard in all our suits Bathsheba makes a petition against herselfe and knowes it not her safetie and life depends vpon Salomons raign yet she vnwittingly moues for the aduancement of Adonijah Salomon was to dutifull too checke his mother and too wise to yeeld to her In vnfit supplications wee are most heard when we are repelled Thus doth our God many times answer our prayers with mercifull denialls and most blesseth vs in crossing our desires Wise Salomon doth not find himselfe perplexed with the scruple of his promise he that had said Aske on for I will not say thee nay can now sweare God doe so to mee and more also if Adonijah haue not spoken this word against his owne life His promise was according to his supposition his supposition was of no other then of a suit honest reasonable expedient now he holds himselfe free from that grant wherein there was at once both sin and danger No man can be intangled with generall words against his owne iust and honest intentions The policies of wicked men befoole them at last this intercession hath vndone Adonijah and in stead of the Throne hastens his graue The sword of Benaiah puts an end to that dangerous riuality Ioab and Abiathar still held Champerty with Adonijah Their hand was both in his claime of the Kingdome and in the suit of Abishag There are crimes wherein there are no accessories such is thâ—â— of treason Abiathar may thanke his burden that he liues Had he not borne the Arke of the Lord before Dauid he had not now caried his head vpon his shoulders Had he not been afflicted with Dauid he had perished with Adonijah now though he were in his owne merit a man of death yet he shall suruiue his partners Get thee to Anathoth vnto thine owne fields The Priesthood of Abiathar as it aggrauated his crime so it shall preserue his life Such honor haue good Princes giuen to the Ministers of the Sanctuarie that their very coate hath beene defence enough against the sword of iustice how much more should it be of proofe against the contempt of base persons Besides his function respect is had to his sufferings The father and brethren of Abiathar were slaine for Dauids sake therefore for Dauids sake Abiathar though worthy of death shall liue He had been now a dead man if he had not beene formerly afflicted Thus doth our good God deale with vs by the rod he preuents the sword and therefore will not condemne vs for our sins because we haue suffered If Abiathar doe not forfait his life yet his office he shall he must change Ierusalem for Anathoth and the Priesthood for a retired priuacie
his power notwithstanding Dauids Caueat to haue laid downe his hoare-head in the graue without blood The iust God infatuates those whom he means to plague Two of Shimeies seruants are fled to Gath and now hee saddles his Asse and is gone to fetch them backe Either he thinkes this word of Salomon is forgotten or in the multitude of greater affaires not heeded or this so small an occurrence will not come to his eare Couetousnesse and presumption of impunity are the destruction of many a soule Shimei seekes his seruants and loses himselfe How many are there who cry out of this folly and yet imitate it These earthly things either are our seruants or should be how commonly doe we see men run out of the bounds set by Gods law to hunt after them till their soules incurre a fearefull iudgment Princes haue thousands of eies eares If Shimei wil for more secresie saddle his own Asse and take as is like the benefit of night for his passage his iourney cannot be hid from Salomon How warie had those men need to be which are obnoxious Without delay is Shimei complained of conuented charged with violation both of the oath of God and the iniunction of Salomon and that all these might appeare to be but an occasion of that punishment whose cause was more remote now is all that old venome laid before him which his malice had long since spit at Gods anointed Thou knowest all the wickednesse whereto thine heart is priuie that thou didst to Dauid my father Had this old tallie beene striken off yet could not Shimei haue pleaded ought for his life For had he said Let not my Lord the King be thus mortally displeased for so smal an offence Who euer died for passing ouer Kidron What man is the worse for my harmelesse iourney It had soone been returned If the act be small yet the circumstances are deadly The commands of Soueraigne authority make the sleightest duties weighty If the iourney be harmelesse yet not the disobedience It is not for subiects to poyse the Princes charge in the scales of their weake constructions but they must suppose it euer to be of such importance as is pretended by the Commander Besides the precept here was a mutuall adiuration Shimei swore not to goe Salomon swore his death if he went the one oath must be reuenged the other must be kept If Shimei were false in offending Salomon will be iust in punishing Now therefore that which Abishai the sonne of Zeruiah wished to haue done in the greenenesse of the wound and was repelled after long festering Benaiah is commanded to doe The stones that Shimei threw at Dauid strucke not so deepe as Benaiahs sword The tongue that cursed the Lords anointed hath paid the head to boot Vengeance against rebels may sleepe it cannot die A sure if late iudgement attends those that dare lift vp either their hand or tongue against the sacred persons of Gods Vice-gerents How much lesse will the God of heauen suffer vnreuenged the insolencies and blasphemies against his owne diuine Maiestie It is a fearefull word he should not be iust if he should hold these guiltlesse SALOMONS Choyce with his iudgement vpon the two Harlots AFter so many messages and proofes of grace Salomon begins doubtfully both for his match and for his deuotion If Pharaohs daughter were not a Proselyte his earely choyce was besides vnwarrantable dangerous The high places not onely stood but were frequented both by the people and King I doe not finde Dauid climbing vp those mis-hallowed hills in an affectation of the variety of Altars Salomon doth so and yet loues the Lord and is loued of God againe Such is the mercy of our God that he will not suffer our well-meant weaknesses to bereaue vs of his fauours he rathers pities then plagues vs for the infirmities of vpright hearts Gibeon was well worthy to be the chiefe yea the onely high place There was the allowed Altar of God there was the Tabernacle though as then seuered from the Arke thither did yong Salomon go vp and as desiring to begin his raigne with God there he offers no lesse then a thousand sacrifices Salomon worships God by day God appeares to Salomon by night Well may we looke to enioy God when wee haue serued him The night cannot but bee happy whose day hath beene holy It was no vnusuall course with God to reueale himselfe vnto his seruants by dreams So did he here to Salomon who saw more with his eies shut then euer they could see open euen him that was inuisible The good King had offered vnto God a thousand burnt sacrifices and now God offereth him his option Aske what I shall giue thee He whose the beasts are on a thousand mountaines graciously accepts a small returne of his owne It stands not with the munificence of a bountifull God to bee indebted to his creature we cannot giue him ought vnrecompensed There is no way wherein we can be so liberall to our selues as by giuing to the possessor of all things And art thou still O God lesse free vnto vs thy meaner seruants vnder the Gospell Hast thou not said Whatsoeuer ye shall aske the Father in my Name it shall be giuen you Onely giue vs grace not to be wanting vnto thee and we know thou canst not suffer any thing to be wanting vnto vs. The night followes the temper of the day and the heart so vseth to sleepe as it wakes Had not the thoughts of Salomon beene intent vpon wisdome by day he had not made it his suit in his dreame There needs no leisure of deliberation The heart was so fore-stalled with the loue and admiration of wisdome that not abiding the least motion of a competition it fastens on that grace it had longed for Giue vnto thy seruant an vnderstanding heart to iudge thy people Had not Salomon beene wise before he had not knowne the worth of wisdome he had not preferred it in his desires The dung-hill cockes of the World cannot know the price of this pearle those that haue it know that all other excellencies are but trash and rubbish vnto it Salomon was a great King and saw that he had power enough but withall hee found that royaltie without wisdome was no other then eminent dishonour There is no trade of life whereto there belongs not a peculiar wisdome without which there is nothing but a tedious vnprofitablenesse much more to the hiest and busiest vocation the regiment of men As God hath no reason to giue his best fauours vnasked so hath hee no will to with-hold them where they are asked He that in his cradle had the title of Beloued of God is now beloued more in the thron for the loue desire of wisdom this soil could neuer haue born this fruit alone Salomon could not so much as haue dreamed of wisdome if God had not put it into him and now God takes the suit so well as if he were beholden to
halfe was not told me Her eyes were more sure informers then her eares Shee did not so much heare as see Salomons wisedome in these reall effects His answers did not so much demonstrate it as his prudent gouernment There are some whose speeches are witty whiles their cariage is weake whose deeds are incongruities whiles their words are Apothegmes It is not worth the name of wisedome that may bee heard onely and not seene Good discourse is but the froth of wisedome the pure and solid substance of it is in well-framed actions if we know these things happy are we if we doe them And if this great person admired the wisedome the buildings the domesticke order of Salomon and chiefly his stately ascent into the House of the Lord how should our soules be taken vp with wonder at thee O thou true son of Dauid and Prince of euerlasting peace who receiuedst the spirit not by measure who hast built this glorious house not made with hands euen the heauen of heauens whose infinite prouidence hath sweetly disposed of all the family of thy creatures both in heauen and earth and who lastly didst ascend vp on high and ledst captiuitie captiue and gauest gifts to men So well had this studious Ladie profited by the Lectures of that exquisite Master that now she enuies shee magnifies none but them who may liue within the aire of Salomons wisedome Happy are thy men and happy are thy seruants which stand continually before thee and that beare thy wisedome As if she could haue beene content to haue changed her Throne for the footstoole of Salomon It is not easie to conceiue how great a blessing it is to liue vnder those lips which doe both preserue knowledge and vtter it If we were not glutted with good counsell we should finde no rellish in any worldly contentment in comparison hereof But he that is full despiseth an hony-combe She whom her owne experience had taught how happy a thing it is to haue a skilfull Pilote sitting at the sterne of the State blesseth Israel for Salomon blesseth God for Israel blesseth Salomon and Israel mutually in each other Blessed bee the Lord thy God which delighted in thee to set thee on the Throne of Israel Because the Lord loued Israel for euer therefore made he the King to doe iudgement and iustice It was not more Salomons aduancement to be King of Israel then it was the aduancement of Israel to be gouerned by a Salomon There is no earthly proofe of Gods loue to any Nation comparable to the substitution of a wise and pious gouernour to him wee owe our peace our life and which is deseruedly dearer the life of our soules the Gospell But oh God how much hast thou loued thine Israel for euer in that thou hast set ouer it that righteous Branch of Iesse whose name is Wonderfull Counsellor the mighty God the euerlasting Father the Prince of peace in whose dayes Iudah shall be saued and Israel shall dwell safely Sing O heauen and reioyce O earth and breake forth into singing O mountaines for God hath comforted his people and will haue euerlasting mercy vpon his afflicted The Queene of Sheba did not bring her gold and precious stones to looke on or to re-carie but to giue to a wealthier then her selfe She giues therefore to Salomon an hundred and twenty talents of gold besides costly stones and odours He that made siluer in Hierusalem as stones is yet richly presented on all hands The riuers still runne into the Sea To him that hath shall be giuen How should wee bring vnto thee O thou King of Heauen the purest gold of thine owne graces the sweetest odours of our obediences Was not this withall a type of that homage which should be done vnto thee O Sauiour by the heads of the Nations The Kings of Tarshish and the Iles bring presents the Kings of Sheba and Saba bring gifts yea all Kings shall worship thee all Nations shall serue thee They cannot enrich themselues but by giuing vnto thee It could not stand with Salomons magnificence to receiue rich courtesies without a returne The greater the person was the greater was the obligation of requitall The gifts of meane persons are taken but as tributes of duty it is dishonourable to take from equals and not to retribute there was not therefore more freedome in her gift then in her receit Her own will was the measure of both She gaue what she would she receiued whatsoeuer shee would aske And shee had little profited by Salomons schoole if she had not learned to aske the best She returnes therefore more richly laden then she came she gaue to Salomon as a thankfull Client of wisedome Salomon returnes to her as a munificent Patrone according to the liberalitie of a King We shall be sure to be gainers by whatsoeuer we giue vnto thee O thou God of wisedome and peace Oh that we could come from the remote regions of our infidelitie and worldlinesse to learne wisdome of thee who both teachest and giuest it abundantly without vpbraiding without grudging could bring with vs the poore presents of our faithfull desires and sincere seruices how wouldest thou receiue vs with a gracious acceptation and send vs away laden with present comfort with eternall glory SALOMONS defection SInce the first man Adam the world hath not yeelded either so great an example of wisedome or so fearfull an example of apostasie as Salomon What humane knowledge Adam had in the perfection of nature by creation Salomon had by infusion both fully both from one fountaine If Adam called all creatures by their names Salomon spake from the Cedars of Lebanon to the mosse that springs out of the wall and besides these vegetables there was no Beast nor Fowle nor Fish nor creeping thing that escaped his discourse Both fell both fell by one meanes as Adam so might Salomon haue said The woman deceiued me It is true indeed that Adam fell as all Salomon as one yet so as that this one is the patterne of the frailty of all If knowledge could haue giuen an immunity from sinne both had stood Affections are those feet of the soule on which it either stands or fals Salomon loued many out-landish women I wonder not if the wise King mis-caried Euery word hath bane enough for a man Women many women outlandish idolatrous and those not onely had but doted on Sexe multitude nation condition all conspired to the ruine of a Salomon If one woman vndid all mankinde what maruell is it if many women vndid one yet had those many beene the daughters of Israel they had tempted him onely to lust not to mis-deuotion now they were of those Nations whereof the Lord had said to the children of Israel Goe not ye in to them nor let them come in to you for surely they will turne your hearts after their gods to them did Salomon ioyne in loue who can maruell if they disioyned his heart from God Satan hath found
people that knowes not the Law is accursed Yet the mercie of God makes an aduantage of their simplicity in that they are therefore lesse subiect to cauillation and incredulitie as contrarily his iustice causes the proud knowledge of the other to lie as a blocke in their way to the ready assent vnto the diuine power of the Messias Let the pride of glorious aduersaries disdaine the pouerty of the clients of the Gospell it shall not repent vs to goe to heauen with the vulgar whiles their great ones goe in state to perdition The multitude wondered Who censured but Scribes great Doctors of the Law of the diuinity of the Iewes What Scribes but those of Ierusalem the most eminent Academie of Iudea These were the men who out of their deepe reputed iudgment cast these foule aspersions vpon Christ Great wits oft-times mis-lead both the owners and followers How many shall once wish they had beene borne dullards yea idiots when they shal find their wit to haue barred them out of heauen Where is the Scribe where is the disputer of this world Hath not God made the wisdome of the world foolishnesse Say the world what it will a dram of holinesse is worth a pound of wit Let others censure with the Scribes let me wonder with the multitude What could malice say worse Hee casteth out Deuills through Beelzebub the Prince of Deuils The Iewes well knew that the Gods of the heathen were no other then Deuills Amongst whom for that the Lord of Flies so called whether for the concourse of flies to the abundance of his sacrifices or for his ayde implored against the infestation of those swarmes was held the chiefe therefore they stile him The Prince of Deuills There is a subordination of spirits some hier in degree some inferiour to others Our Sauiour himselfe tells vs of the Deuill and his Angels Messengers are inferiour to those that send them The seuen Deuills that entered into the swept and garnished house were worse then the former Neither can Principalities and Powers and Gouernours and Princes of the darkenesse of this World designe other then seuerall rankes of euill Angels There can be no beeing without some kinde of order there can bee no order in paritie If wee looke vp into heauen there is The King of Gods The Lord of Lords hier then the hiest If to the earth There are Monarchs Kings Princes Peeres people If wee looke downe to hell There is the Prince of Deuills They labour for confusion that call for parity What should the Church doe with such a forme as is not exemplified in heauen in earth in hell One deuill according to their supposition may be vsed to cast out another How far the command of one spirit ouer another may extend it is a sector of internall state too deepe for the inquiry of men The thing it selfe is apparent vpon compact and precontracted composition one giues way to other for the common aduantage As we see in the Common-wealth of Cheaters and Gut-purses one doth the fact another is seed to bring it out and to procure restitution both are of the trade both conspire to the fraud the actor falls not out with the reuealer but diuides with him that cunning spoile One malicious miscreant sets the Deuill on worke to the inflicting of disease or death another vpon agreement for a further spirituall gaine takes him off There is a Deuill in both And if there seeme more bodily fauour there is no lesse spirituall danger in the latter In the one Satan wins the agent the suitor in the other It will bee no cause of discord in hell that one deuill giues ease to the body which another tormented that both may triumph in the gaine of a soule O God that any creature which beares thine Image should not abhorre to bee beholden to the powers of hell for aid for aduice Is it not because there is not a God in Israel that men goe to inquire of the God of Ekron Can men bee so sottish to thinke that the vowed enemie of their soules can offer them a bait without an hooke What euill is there in the City which the Lord hath not done what is there which he cannot as easily redresse He wounds he heales againe And if he will not it is the Lord let him doe what seemes good in his eies If he doe not deliuer vs he will crowne our faithfulnesse in a patient perseuerance The wounds of a God no better then the salues of Satan Was it possible that the wit of Enuy could deuise so hie a slander Beelzebub was a God of the heathen therefore herein they accuse him for an Idolater Beelzebub was a Deuill to the Iewes therefore they accuse him for a coniurer Beelzebub was the chiefe of Deuils therefore they accuse him for an Archexorcist for the worst kind of Magician Some professors of this blacke Art though their worke be deuillish yet they pretend to doe it in the name of Iesus and will presumptuously seeme to do that by command which is secretly transacted by agreement the Scribes accuse Christ of a direct compact with the Deuill and suppose both a league and familiarity which by the law of Moses in the very hand of Saul was no other then deadly Yea so deepe doth this wound reach that our Sauiour searching it to the bottome findes no lesse in it then the sinne against the Holy Ghost inferring hereupon that dreadfull sentence of the irremissiblenesse of that sinne vnto death And if this horrible crimination were cast vpon thee O Sauiour in whom the Prince of this world found nothing what wonder is it if wee thy sinfull seruants bee branded on all sides with euill tongues Yea which is yet more how plaine is it that these men forced their tongue to speake this slander against their owne heart Else this blasphemie had beene onely against the sonne of man not against the holy Ghost but now that the searcher of hearts finds it to bee no lesse then against the blessed Spirit of God the spight must needs be obstinate their malice doth wilfully crosse their conscience Enuie neuer regards how true but how mischieuous So it may gall or kill it cares little whether with truth or falshood For vs Blessed are we when men reuile vs and say all manner of euill of vs for the name of Christ For them What reward shall be giuen to thee thou false tongue Euen sharpe arrowes with hot burning coles Yea those very coles of hell from which thou wert enkindled There was yet a third sort that went a mid way betwixt wonder and censure These were not so malicious as to impute the miracle to a Satanicall operation they confesse it good but not enough and therefore vrge Christ to a further proofe Though thou hast cast out this dumbe Deuill yet this is no sufficient argument of thy diuine power We haue yet seene nothing from thee like those ancient miracles of the times of our
wicked spirits haue their wish The Swine are choked in the waues What ease is this to them Good God that there should bee any creature that seekes contentment in destroying in tormenting the good creatures of their Maker This is the diet of hell Those fiends feed vpon spight towards man so much more as hee doth more resemble his Creator Towards all other liuing substances so much more as they may be more vsefull to man The Swine ran downe violently what maruell is it if their Keepers fled that miraculous worke which should haue drawne them to Christ driues them from him They run with the newes the country comes in with clamour The whole multitude of the country about besought him to depart The multitude is a beast of many heads euery head hath a seuerall mouth and euery mouth with a seuerall tongue and euery tongue a seuerall accent Euery head hath a seuerall braine and euery braine thoughts of their owne so as it is hard to finde a multitude without some diuision At least seldome euer hath a good motion found a perfect accordance it is not not so infrequent for a multitude to conspire in euill Generalitie of assent is no warrant for any act Common errour caries away many who inquire not into the reason of ought but the practise The way to hell is a beaten road through the many feet that tread it when vice grows into fashion singularitie is a vertue There was not a Gadarene found that either dehorted their fellowes or opposed the motion it is a figne of people giuen vp to iudgment when no man makes head against proiects of euill Alas what can one strong man doe against a whole throng of wickednesse Yet this good comes of an vnpreuailing resistance that God forbeares to plague where he finds but a sprinkling of faith happy are they who like vnto the celestiall bodies which being caried about with the sway of the highest sphere yet creepe on their owne wayes keepe on the courses of their owne holinesse against the swinge of common corruptions They shall both deliuer their owne soules and helpe to withhold iudgement from others The Gadarenes sue to Christ for his departure It is too much fauour to attribute this to their modesty as if they held themselues vnworthy of so diuine a guest Why then did they fall vpon this suit in a time of their losse Why did they not taxe themselues and intimate a secret desire of that which they durst not begge It is too much rigour to attribute it to the loue of their hogges and an anger at their losse then they had not intreated but expelled him It was their feare that moued this harsh suit A seruile feare of danger to their persons to their goods Lest he that could so absolutely command the Deuils should haue set these tormentors vpon them Lest their other Demoniacks should be dispossessed with like losse I cannot blame these Gaderens that they feared This power was worthy of trembling at Their feare was vniust They should haue argued This man hath power ouer men beasts deuils it is good hauing him to our friend his presence is our safety and protection Now they contrarily mis-inferre Thus powerfull is he it is good he were further off What miserable and pernicious mis-constructions doe men make of God of diuine attributes and actions God is omnipotent able to take infinite vengeance of sinne Oh that he were not Hee is prouident I may be carelesse He is mercifull I may sinne He is holy Let him depart from me for I am a sinfull man How witty sophisters are naturall men to deceiue their owne soules to rob themselues of a God Oh Sauiour how worthy are they to want thee that wish to be rid of thee Thou hast iust cause to bee weary of vs euen whiles we sue to hold thee but when once our wretched vnthankfulnesse growes weary of thee who can pitie vs to bee punished with thy departure Who can say it is other then righteous that thou shouldest regest one day vpon vs Depart from me yee wicked Contemplations VPON THE HISTORIE OF THE OLD TESTAMENT The seuenth Volume In two Bookes By I.H. D.D. LONDON Printed for THO PAVIER MILES FLESHER and Iohn Haviland 1625. Contemplations VPON THE OLD TESTAMENT THE EIGHTEENTH BOOKE Wherein are REHOBOAM IEROBOAM The seduced Prophet IEROBOAMS Wife ASA ELIJAH with the Sareptan ELIJAH with the Baalites ELIJAH running before AHAB flying from IEzEBEL By IOS HALL D. of Diuinitie and Deane of WORCESTER TO THE RIGHT HONORABLE IAMES LORD HAYE BARON OF Saley Viscount Doncaster Earle of Carlile one of the Lords of his Maiesties most Honorable Priuie Councell RIGHT HONORABLE I Cannot but thus gratulate to you your happy returne from your many and noble imployments which haue made you some yeeres a stranger at home and sorenowned abroad that all the better parts of Europe know and honor your name no lesse then if you had beene borne theirs Neither is any of them so sauage as not to say when they heare mention of your worth that Vertue is a thousand Escuchions Jf now your short breathing-time may allow your Lordship the freedome of quiet and holy thoughts cast your eyes vpon Jsrael and Judah vpon the Kings and Prophets of both in such beneficiall varietie as prophane historie shall promise in vaine Your Lordship shall see Rehoboam following Salomon in nothing but his seat and his fall as much more wilfull then his father as lesse wise all head no heart losing those ten Tribes with a churlish breath whom he would and might not recouer with blood Ieroboam as crafty as wicked plotting a reuolt creating a religion to his state marring Jsraelites to make subiects branded in his name smitten in his hand in his loynes You shall see a faithfull messenger of God after miraculous proofe of his courage fidelity power good nature paying deare for a little circumstance of credulous disobedience The Lyon is sent to call for his blood as the price of his forbidden harbour You shall see the blinde Prophet descrying the disguise of a Queene the iudgement of the King the remouall of a Prince too good for Ieroboams heire You shall see the right stocke of Royal succession flourishing in Asa whiles that true heire of Dauid though not without some blemishes of infirmity inherits a perfect heart purges his Kingdome of Sodomy of Jdolatry not balking sinne euen where he honored nature You shall see the wonder of Prophets Elijah opening and shutting heauen as his priuate chest catored for by the Rauens nor lesse miraculously catoring for the Sareptan contesting with Ahab confronting the Baalites speaking both fire and water from heauen in one euening meekely lacquaying his Soueraigne weakely flying from Iezabel fed supernaturally by Angels hid in the rocke of Horeb confirmed by those dreadfull apparitions that had confounded some other casting his mantle vpon his homely successor and by the touch of that garment turning him from a ploughman to
the opportunity of Ahabs presence when he might be sure Iezebel was away Obadiah meets the Prophet knowes him and as if he had seene God in him fals on his face to him vvhom he knew his master persecuted Though a great Peere hee had learned to honor a prophet No respect was too much for the president of that sacred colledge To the poore boarder of the Sareptan here was no lesse then a prostration and My Lord Elijah from the great High Steward of Israel Those that are truely gracious cannot be niggardly of their obseruances to the messengers of God Elijah receiues the reuerence returnes a charge Goe tell thy Lord Behold Elijah is here Obadiah finds this lode too heauy neither is he more striken with the boldnes then with the vnkindnesse of this command boldnesse in respect of Elijah vnkindnesse in respect of himselfe For thus he thinkes If Elijah do come to Ahab he dies If he doe not come I die If it bee knowne that I met him and brought him not it is death If I say that he will come voluntarily and God shall alter his intentions it is death How vnhappy a man am I that must be either Elijahs executioner or my own were Ahabs displeasure but smoking I might hope to quēch it but now that the flame of it hath broken forth to the notice to the search of all the Kingdomes and Nations round about it may consume me I cannot extinguish it This message were for an enemy of Elijah for a client of Baal As for me I haue well approued my true deuotion to God my loue to his Prophets What haue I done that I should be singled out either to kill Elijah or to be killed for him Many an hard plunge must that man needs be driuen to who would hold his conscience together with the seruice and fauor of a Tyrant It is an happy thing to serue a iust master there is no danger no straine in such obedience But when the Prophet bindes his resolution with an oath and cleares the heart of Obadiah from all feares from all suspicions the good man dares bee the messenger of that which he saw was decreed in heauen Doubtlesse Ahab startled to heare of Elijah comming to meet him as one that did not more hate then feare the Prophet Well might he thinke thus long thus far haue I sought Elijah Elijah would not come to seeke me but vnder a sure guard and with some strange commission His course mantle hath the aduantage of my robe and Scepter If I can command a peece of the earth I see hee can command heauen The edge of his reuenge is taken off with a doubtfull expectation of the issue and now when Elijah offers himselfe to the eies of Ahab He who durst not strike yet durst challenge the Prophet Art thou hee that troubleth Israel Ieroboams hand was still in Ahabs thoughts he holds it not so safe to smite as to expostulate He that was the head of Israel speakes out that which was in the heart of all his people that Elijah was the cause of all their sorrow Alas what hath the righteous Prophet done He taxed their sin he foretold the iudgement he deserued it not he inflicted it not yet he smarts and they are guilty As if some fond people should accuse the Herald or the Trumpet as the cause of their warre or as if some ignorant peasant when he sees his fowles bathing in his pond should cry out of them as the causes of soule weather Oh the heroicall Spirit of Elijah he stand alone amids all the traine of Ahab and dares not onely repell this charge but retort it I haue not troubled Israel but thou and thy fathers house in that yee haue forsaken the Commandements of the Lord and thou hast followed Baalim No earthly glory can daunt him who hath the cleere and heartning visions of God This holy Seer discernes the true cause of our sufferings to bee our sinnes Foolish men are plagued for their offences and it is no small part of their plague that they see it not The onely common disturber of men Families Cities Kingdomes worlds is sinne There is no such traitor to any state as the wilfully wicked The quietest and most plausible offender is secretly seditious and stirreth quarrels in heauen The true messengers of God cary authority euen where they are maligned Elijah doth at once reproue the King and require of him the improuement of his power in gathering all Israel to Carmel in fetching thither all the Prophets of Baal Baal was rich in Israel whiles God was poore Whiles God hath but one hundred Prophets hid closely in Obadiahs caues Baal hath eight hundred and fifty foure hundred and fifty dispersed ouen the villages and townes of Israel foure hundred at the Court Gods Prophets are glad of bread and water whiles the foure hundred Trencher Prophets of Iezebel feed on her dainties They lurke in caues whiles these Lord it in the pleasantest groues Outward prosperity is a false note of truth All these with all Israel doth Elijah require Ahab to summon vnto Carmel It is in the power of Kings to command the Assembly of the Prophets the Prophet sues to the Prince for the indiction of this Synode They are iniurious to Soueraignty who arrogate this power to none but spirituall hands How is it that Ahab is as ready to performe this charge as Elijah to moue it I dare answer for his heart that it was not drawne with loue Was it out of the sense of one iudgement and feare of another hee smarted with the dearth and drought and well thinkes Elijah would not be so round with him for nothing Was it out of an expectation of some miraculous exploit which the Prophet would doe in the sight of all Israel Or was it out of the ouer-ruling power of the Almighty The heart of Kings is in the hand of God and he turnes it which way soeuer he pleaseth Israel is met together Elijah rates them not so much for their superstition as for their vnsetlednesse and irresolution One Israelite serues God another Baal yea the same Israelite perhaps serues both God and Baal How long halt yee betweene two opinions If the Lord be God follow him but if Baal then follow him Nothing is more odious to God then a prophane neutrality in maine oppositions of religion To go vpright in a wrong way is a lesse eie-sore to God then to halt betwixt right wrong The Spirit wisheth that the Laodicean were either hot or cold either temper would be better borne then neither then both In reconcileable differences nothing is more safe then indifferency both of practice and opinion but in cases of so necessary hostility as betwixt God and Baal hee that is on neither side is the deadlyest enemy to both Lesse hatefull are they to God that serue him not at all then they that serue him with a riuall Whether out of guiltinesse or feare or
nothing more dangerous for any state then to call in forraigne powers for the suppression of an home-bred enemie the remedy hath oft in this case proued worse then the disease Asa King of Iudah implores the ayde of Benhadad the Syrian against Baasha King of Israel That stranger hath good colour to set his foot in some out-skirt-townes of Israel and now these serue him but for the handsell of more Such sweetnesse doth that Edomite find in the soile of Israel that his ambition will not take vp with lesse then all He that entred as a Friend will proceed as a Conqueror and now aimes at no lesse then Samaria it selfe the heart the head of the ten Tribes There was no cause to hope for better successe of so perfidious a League with an Infidell Who can looke for other then warre when he sees Ahab and Iezebel in the Throne Israel in the groues and temples of Baalim The ambition of Benhadad was not so much guilty of this warre as the Idolatry of that wicked nation How can they expect peace from earth who doe wilfully fight against heauen Rather will the God of Hosts arme the brute the senselesse creatures against Israel then he will suffer their defiance vnreuenged Ahab and Benhadad are well matched an Idolatrous Israelite with a paganish Idumaean well may God plague each with other who meanes vengeance to them both Ahab finds himselfe hard pressed with the siege and therefore is glad to enter into treaties of peace Benhadad knowes his owne strength and offers insolent conditions Thy siluer and thy gold is mine thy wiues also and thy children euen the goodliest are mine It is a fearefull thing to be in the mercy of an enemy In case of hostility might will carue for it selfe Ahab now after the diusion of Iudah was but halfe a King Benhadad had two and thirthy Kings to attend him What equality was in this opposition Wisely doth Ahab therefore as a reed in a tempest stoop to this violent charge of so potent an enemy My Lord O King according to thy saying I am thine and all that I haue It is not for the ouer-powred to capitulate Weaknesse may not argue but yeeld Tyranny is but drawne on by submission and where it finds feare and deiection insulteth Benhadad not content with the soueraigntie of Ahabs goods cals for the possession Ahab had offred the Dominion with reseruation of his subordinate interest he will be a tributary so he may be an owner Benhadad imperiously besides the command cals for the propriety and suffers not the King of Israel to enioy those things at all which he would inioy but vnder the fauour of that predominancie Ouer-strained subiection turnes desperate if conditions bee imposed worse then death there needes no long disputation of the remedy The Elders of Israel whose share was proportionably in this danger hearten Ahab to a deniall which yet comes out so fearefully as that it appeares rather extorted by the peremptory indignation of the people then proceeding out of any generosity of his Spirit Neither doth he say I will not but I may not The proud Syrian who would haue taken it in foule scorne to bee denied though he had sent for all the heads of Israel snuffes vp the wind like a wilde Asse in the Wildernesse and brags and threats and sweares The gods doe so to me and more also if the dust of Samaria shall suffice for handfulls for all the people that follow me Not the men not the goods onely of Samaria shall bee caried away captiue but the very earth whereon it stands and this with how much ease No Souldier shall need to bee charged with more then an handfull to make a valley where the mother City of Israel once stood Oh vaine boaster In whom I know not whether pride or folly be more eminent Victorie is to bee atchieued not to bee sworne future euents are no matter of an oath Thy gods if they had beene might haue beene called as witnesses of thy intentions not of that successe whereof thou wouldst be the Author without them Thy gods can doe nothing to thee nothing for thee nothing for themselues all thine Aramites shall not cary away one corne of sand out of Israel except it bee vpon the soles of their feet in their shamefull flight It is well if they can cary backe those skins that they brought thither Let not him that girdeth on his harnesse boast himselfe as hee that putteth it off There is no cause to feare that man that trusts in himselfe Man may cast the dice of war but the disposition of them is of the Lord. Ahab was lewd but Benhadad was insolent If therefore Ahab shall be scourged with the rod of Benhadads feare Benhadad shall bee smitten with the sword of Ahabs reuenge Of all things God will not endure a presumptuous and selfe-confident vaunter after Elijahs flight and complaint yet a Prophet is addressed to Ahab Thus saith the Lord Hast thou seene all this great multitude behold I will deliuer it into thine hand this day and thou shalt know that I am the Lord Who can wonder enough at this vnweariable mercy of God After the fire and ruine fetcht miraculously from Heauen Ahab had promised much performed nothing yet againe will God blesse and solicit him with victory One of those Prophets whom hee persecuted to death shall comfort his deiection with the newes of deliuerance and triumph Had this great worke beene wrought without premonition either chance or Baal or the golden calues had caried away the thankes Before hand therefore shall Ahab know both the Author and the meanes of his victory God for the Author the two hundred thirty two yong men of the Princes for the meanes What are these for the Vant-gard and seuen thousand Israelite for the maine battell against the troupes of three thirty Kings and as many centuries of Syrians as Israel had single souldiers An equality of number had taken away the wonder of the euent but now the God of hoasts will be confessed in this issue not the valor of men How indifferent it is with thee O Lord to saue by many or by few to destroy many or few A world is no more to thee then a man how easie is it for thee to enable vs to be more then Conquerors ouer Principalities and Powers to subdue spirituall wickednesses to flesh and blood Through thee we can doe great things yea we can doe all things through thee that strengthnest vs Let not vs want faith we are sure there can bee no want in thy power or mercy There was nothing in Benhadads pauilions but drink and surfet and iollity as if wine should make way for blood Security is the certain vsher of destruction we neuer haue to much cause to feare as when we feare nothing This handful of Israel dares look out vpon the Prophets assurance to the vast host of Benhadad It is enough for that proud Pagan to sit
with thee is mercy and plentious redemption thine hand is open before our mouthes before our hearts If we did not see thee smile vpon suiters we durst not presse to thy footstoole Behold now we know that the King of heauen the God of Israel is a mercifull God Let vs put sackcloth vpon our loynes and strew ashes vpon our heads and goe meet the Lord God of Israel that he may saue our soules How well doth this habit become insolent and blasphemous Benhadad and his followers a rope and sackcloth A rope for a Crowne sackcloth for a robe Neither is there lesse change in the tongue Thy seruant Benhadad saith I pray thee let me liue Euen now the King of Israel said to Benhadad My Lord O King I am thine Tell my Lord the King all that thou didst send for to thy seruant I will doe Now Benhadad sends to the King of Israel Thy seruant Benhadad saith I pray thee let me liue Hee that was erewhile a Lord and King is now a seruant and he that was a seruant to the king of Syria is now his Lord he that would blow away all Israel in dust is now glad to beg for his own life at the doore of a despised enemy no courage is so haughty which the God of hosts cannot easily bring vnder what are mē or deuils in those almighty hāds The greater the deiection was the stronger was the motiue of commiseration That haltar pleaded for life and that plea for but a life stirred the bowels for fauour How readily did Ahab see in Benhadads sudden misery the image of the instability of all humane things and relents at the view of so deepe and passionate a submission Had not Benhadad said Thy seruant Ahab had neuer said My brother seldome euer was there losse in humility How much lesse can we feare disparagement in the annihilating of our selues before that infinite Maiestie The drowning man snatches at euery twig It is no maruell if the messengers of Benhadad catch hastilie at that last of grace and hold it fast Thy brother Benhadad Fauours are wont to draw on each other Kindnesses breed on themselues neither need wee any other perswasion to beneficence then from our owne acts Ahab cals for the King of Syria sets him in his owne Charet treats with him of an easie yet firme league giues him both his life and his Kingdome Neither is the Crowne of Syria sooner lost then recouered Onely hee that came a free Prince returnes tributarie Onely his traine is clipt too short for his wings an hundred twentie seuen thousand Syrians are abated of his Guard homeward Blasphemy hath escaped too well Ahab hath at once peace with Benhadad warre with God God proclaimes it by his Herald one of the sonnes of the Prophets not yet in his owne forme but disguised both in fashion and complaint It was a strange suit of a Prophet Smite me I pray thee Many a Prophet was smitten and would not neuer any but this wished to bee smitten The rest of his fellowes were glad to say Saue mee this onely sayes Smite me His honest neighbour out of loue and reuerence forbeares to strike There are too many thinkes hee that smite the Prophets though I refraine What wrong hast thou done that I should repay with blowes Hadst thou sued for a fauour I could not haue denyed thee now thou suest for thine hurt the deniall is a fauour Thus he thought but Charitie cannot excuse disobedience Had the man of God called for blowes vpon his owne head the refusall had beene iust and thanke-worthy but now that he sayes In the Word of the Lord Smite me this kindnesse is deadly Because thou hast not obeyed the voyce of the Lord behold assoone as thou art departed from me a Lyon shall slay thee It is not for vs to examine the charges of the Almighty Be they neuer so harsh or improbable if they bee once knowne for his there is no way but obedience or death Not to smite a Prophet when God commands is no lesse sinne then to smite a Prophet when God forbids It is the diuine precept or prohibition that either makes or aggrauates an euill And if the Israelite bee thus reuenged that smote not a Prophet what shall become of Ahab that smote not Benhadad Euery man is not thus indulgent an easie request will gaine blowes to a Prophet from the next hand yea and a wound in smiting I know not whether it were an harder taske for the Prophet to require a wound then for a well-meaning Israelite to giue it Both must bee done The Prophet hath what hee would what hee must will a sight of his owne blood and now disguised herewith and with ashes vpon his face hee way-layes the King of Israel and sadly complaines of himselfe in a reall parable for dismissing a Syrian prisoner deliuered to his hands vpon no lesse charge then his life and soone receiues sentence of death from his owne mouth Well was that wound bestowed that strucke Ahabs soule through the flesh of the Prophet The disguise is remoued The King sees not a souldier but a Seer and now finds that he hath vnawares passed sentence vpon himselfe There needs no other doome then from the lips of the offender Thus saith the Lord Because thou hast let goe out of thy hand a man whom I appointed to vtter destruction therefore thy life shall go for his life and thy people for his people Had not Ahab knowne the will of God concerning Benhadad that had beene mercy to an enemy which was now cruelty to himselfe to Israel His eares had heard of the blasphemies of that wicked tongue His eyes had seene God goe before him in the example of that reuenge No Prince can strike so deepe into his state as in not striking In priuate fauour there may bee publike vnmercifulnesse AHAB and NABOTH NAboth had a faire Vineyard It had beene better for him to haue had none His vineyard yeelded him the bitter Grapes of death Many a one hath beene sold to death by his lands and goods wealth hath beene a snare as to the soule so to the life Why doe wee call those goods which are many times the bane of the owner Naboths vineyard lay neere to the Court of Iezebel It had beene better for him it had beene planted in the wildernesse Doubtlesse this vicinity made it more commodious to the possessor but more enuious and vnsafe It was now the perpetuall obiect of an euill eye and stirred those desires which could neither be well denyed nor satisfied Eminency is still ioyned with perill obscuritie with peace There can bee no worse annoyance to an inheritance then the greatnesse of an euill neighbourhood Naboths vines stood too neere the smoake of Iezebels chimneys too much within the prospect of Ahabs window Now lately had the King of Israel beene twice victorious ouer the Syrians no sooner is he returned home then hee is ouercome with euill desires The foyle
hee gaue was not worse then that hee tooke There is more true glory in the conquest of our lusts then in all bloody Trophees In vaine shall Ahab boast of subduing a forraigne enemy whiles he is subdued by a domesticke enemy within his own brest Opportunity and Conuenience is guilty of many a theft Had not this ground lien so faire Ahab had not beene tempted His eye lets in this euill guest into the soule which now dares come forth at the mouth Giue mee thy vineyard that I may haue it for a garden of herbes because it is neere to my house and I will giue thee a better vineyard for it or if it seeme good to thee I will giue thee the worth of it in money Yet had Ahab so much ciuility and iustice that he would not wring Naboths patrimony out of his hand by force but requires it vpon a faire composition whether of price or of exchange His gouernment was vicious not tyrannicall Proprietie of goods was inuiolably maintained by him No lesse was Naboth allowed to claime a right in his vineyard then Ahab in his palace This wee owe to lawfull Soueraignty to call ought our owne and well worthy is this priuiledge to be repaid with all humble and loyall respects The motion of Ahab had it beene to any other then an Israelite had beene as iust equall reasonable as the repulse had beene rude churlish inhumane It is fit that Princes should receiue due satisfaction in the iust demands not onely of their necessities but conuenience and pleasure well may they challenge this retribution to the benefit of our common peace and protection If there bee any sweetnesse in our vineyards any strength in our fields we may thanke their scepters Iustly may they expect from vs the commoditie the delight of their habitation and if we gladly yeeld not to their full elbow-roome both of site and prouision we can be no other then ingratefull Yet dares not Naboth giue any other answer to so plausible a motion then The Lard forbid it me that I should giue thee the inheritance of my Fathers The honest Israelite saw violence in this ingenuity There are no stronger commands then the requests of the great It is well that Ahab will not wrest away this patrimony it is not well that he desired it The land was not so much stood vpon as the law One earth might be as good as another and money equiualent to either The Lord had forbidden to alien their inheritance Naboth did not feare losse but sinne What Naboth might not lawfully doe Ahab might not lawfully require It pleased God to bee very punctuall and cautelous both in the distinction and preseruation of the intirenesse of these Iewish inheritances Nothing but extreme necessitie might warrant a sale of land and that but for a time if not sooner yet at the Iubile it must reuert to the first owner It was not without a comfortable signification that whosoeuer had once his part in the land of Promise could neuer lose it Certainly Ahab could not but know this diuine restriction yet doubts not to say Giue me thy vineyard The vnconscionable will know no other law but their profit their pleasure A lawlesse greatnesse hates all limitations and abides not to heare men should need any other warrant but will Naboth dares not be thus tractable How gladly would he be quit of his inheritance if God would acquit him from the sinne Not out of wilfulnesse but obedience doth this faithfull Israelite hold off from this demand of his Soueraign not daring to please an earthly King with offending the heauenly When Princes command lawfull things God commands by them when vnlawfull they command against God passiue obedience we must giue actiue we may not wee follow then as subordinate not as opposite to the highest Who cannot but see and pity the straits of honest Naboth Ahab requires what God forbids he must fall out either with his God or his King Conscience caries him against policy and he resolues not to sinne that he might be gracious For a world he may not giue his vineyard Those who are themselues godlesse thinke the holy care of others but idly scrupulous The King of Israel could not chuse but see that onely Gods prohibition lay in the way of his designes not the stomacke of a froward subiect yet he goes away into his house heauy and displeased and casts himselfe downe vpon bed and turnes away his face and refuses his meat Hee hath taken a surfet of Naboths grapes which marres his appetite and threats his life How ill can great hearts endure to bee crossed though vpon the most reasonable and iust grounds Ahabs place call'd him to the Guardianship of Gods Law and now his heart is ready to breake that this parcell of that Law may not bee broken No maruell if hee made not dainty to transgresse a locall statute of God who did so shamefully violate the eternall Law of both Tables I know not whether the spleen or the gall of Ahab be more affected Whether more of anger or griefe I cannot say but sick he is keepes his bed and balks his meat as if he should die of no other death thē the salads that he would haue had O the impotēt passion and insatiable desires of Couetousnesse Ahab is Lord King of all the territories of Israel Naboth is the owner of one poore Vineyard Ahab cannot inioy Israel if Naboth inioy his Vineyard Besides Samaria Ahab was the great Lord Paramount of Damascus and all Syria the victor of him that was attended with two and thirty Kings Naboth was a plaine townsman of Iezreel the good husband of a little Vineyard Whether is the weathier I doe not heare Naboth wish for any thing of Ahabs I heare Ahab wishing not without indignation of a repulse for somwhat from Naboth Riches pouerty is more in the heart then in the hand He is wealthy that is contented he is poore that wanteth more Oh rich Naboth that carest not for all the large possessions of Ahab so thou maist bee the Lord of thine owne Vineyard Oh miserable Ahab that carest not for thine owne possessions whiles thou mayest not be the Lord of Naboths Vineyard He that caused the disease sends him a Physitian Satan knew of old how to make vse of such helpers Iezebel comes to Ahabs bed-side and casts cold water in his face and puts into him spirits of her owne extracting Dost thou now gouerne the Kingdome of Israel Arise eat bread and let thine heart be merry I will giue thee the Vineyard of Naboth Ahab wanted neither wit nor wickednesse Yet is he in both a very nouice to this Zidonian dame There needs no other Deuill then Iezebel whether to proiect euill or to worke it She chides the pusillanimity of her deiected husband and perswades him his rule cannot bee free vnlesse it be licentious that there should bee no bounds for soueraignetie but will Already hath shee
Ahab shall both bleed Naboth by the stones of the Iezreelites Ahab by the shafts of the Aramites The dogs shall taste of the blood of both What Ahab hath done in crueltie he shall suffer in iustice The cause and the end make the difference happy on Naboths side on Ahabs wofull Naboth bleeds as a Martyr Ahab as a murtherer What euer is Ahabs condition Naboth changes a vineyard on earth for a Kingdome in heauen Neuer any wicked man gained by the persecution of an innocent Neuer any innocent man was a loser by suffering from the wicked Neither was this iudgement personall but hereditarie I will take away thy posterity and will make thine house like the house of Ieroboam Him that dieth of Ahab in the City the Dogs shall eat and him that dieth in the field shall the Fowles of the aire eat Ahab shall not need to take thought for the traducing of this ill gotten inheritance God hath taken order for his heires whom his sin hath made no lesse the heires of his curse then of his body Their fathers cruelty to Naboth hath made them together with their mother Iezebel dogs-meat The reuenge of God doth at last make amends for the delay Whether now is Naboths vineyard paid for The man that had sold himselfe to worke wickednesse yet rues the bargaine I doe not heare Ahab as bad as hee was reuile or threaten the Prophet but hee rends his clothes and wears and lies in sack-cloth and fasts and walks softly Who that had seen Ahab would not haue deemed him a true penitent All this was the visor of sorrow not the face or if the face not the heart or if the sorrow of the heart yet not the repentance A sorrow for the iudgment not a repentance for the sinne The very deuils howle to be tormented Griefe is not euer a signe of grace Ahab rends his clothes he did not rend his heart he puts on sack-cloth not amendment he lies in sack-cloth but he lies in his Idolatry he walks softly he walkes not sincerely worldly sorrow causeth death Happy is that griefe for which the soule is the holier Yet what is this I see This very shadow of penitence caries away mercy It is no small mercy to defer an euill Euen Ahabs humiliation shall prorogue the iudgement such as the penitence was such shall be the reward a temporary reward of a temporary penitence As Ahab might be thus sorrowfull and neuer the better so he may be thus fauoured and neuer the happier Oh God how graciously art thou ready to reward a sound and holy repentance who art thus indulgent to a carnall and seruile deiection AHAB and MICAIAH OR The Death of AHAB WHo would haue look't to haue hard any more of the wars of the Syrians with Israel after so great a slaughter after so firme a league a league not of peace onely but of Brotherhood The haltars the sack-cloth of Benhadads followers were worn out as of vse so of memory and now they are changed for Iron and steele It is but three yeares that this peace lasts and now that warre begins which shall make an end of Ahab The King of Israel rues his vniust mercie according to the word of the Prophet that gift of a life was but an exchange Because Ahab gaue Benhadad his life Benhadad shall take Ahabs He must forfeit in himselfe what he hath giuen to another There can bee no better fruit of too much kindnesse to Infidels It was one Article of the league betwixt Ahab and his brother Benhadad that there should bee a speedy restitution of all the Israelitish Cities The rest are yeelded onely Ramoth Gilead is held backe vnthankfully iniuriously He that beg'd but his life receiues his Kingdome and now rests not content with his owne bounds Iustly doth Ahab challenge his owne iustly doth he moue a war to recouer his owne from a perfidious tributary the lawfulnesse of actions may not bee iudged by the euents but by the grounds the wise and holy arbiter of the world knowes why many times the better cause hath the worse successe Many a iust businesse is crossed for a punishment to the agent Yet Israel and Iuda were now peeced in friendship Iehosaphat the good King of Iuda had made affinity with Ahab the Idolatrous King of Israel and besides a personall visitation ioynes his forces with his new Kinsman against an old confederate Iuda had called in Syria against Israel and now Israel cals in Iuda against Syria Thus rather should it be It is fit that the more pure Church should ioyne with the more corrupt against a common Paganish enemy Iehosaphat hath match't with Ahab not with a diuorce of his deuotion Hee will fight not without God Inquire I pray thee at the Word of the Lord to day Had hee done thus sooner I feare Athaliah had neuer call'd him father This motion was newes in Israel It was vvont to be said Inquire of Baal The good King of Iudah will bring Religion into fashion in the Court of Israel Ahab had inquired of his counsellor What needed he be so deuout as to inquire of his Prophets Onely Iehosaphats presence made him thus godly It is an happy thing to conuerse with the vertuous their counsell and example cannot but leaue some tincture behind them of a good profession if not of piety Those that are truly religious dare not but take God with them in all their affaires with him they can be as valiant as timorous without him Ahab had Clergy enough such as it was Foure hundred Prophets of the groues were reserued from appearing to Elijahs challenge these are now consulted by Ahab they liue to betray the life of him who saued theirs These care not so much to inquire what God would say as what Ahab would haue them say they saw vvhich way the Kings heart was bent that way they bent their tongues Goe vp for the Lord shall deliuer it into the hands of the King False Prophets care onely to please a plausible falshood passes with them aboue an harsh truth Had they seene Ahab fearfull they had said Peace Peace now they see him resolute war and victory It is a fearfull presage of ruine when the Prophets conspire in assentation Their number consent confidence hath easily won credit with Ahab Wee doe all vvillingly beleeue what we wish Iehosaphat is not so soone satisfied These Prophets were it is like obtruded to him a stranger for the true Prophets of the true God The iudicious King sees cause to suspect them and now perceiuing at what altars they serued hates to rest in their testimony Is there not here a Prophet of the Lord besides that we might inquire of him One single Prophet speaking from the Oracles of God is more worth then foure hundred Baalites Truth may not euer be measured by the poll It is not number but weight that must cary it in a Councell of Prophets A solid Verity in one mouth is worthy to
by a deuill Surely Iehoshaphat cannot but wonder at so vnequall a contention to see one silly Prophet affronting foure hundred with whom lest confidence should carie it behold Zedekiah more bold more zealous If Michaiah haue giuen him with his fellowes the lie he giues Michaiah the fist Before these two great Guardians of peace and iustice swaggering Zedekiah smites Michaiah on the face and with the blow expostulates Which way went the Spirit of the Lord from mee to speake vnto thee For a Prophet to smite a Prophet in the face of two Kings vvas intollerably insolent the act was much vnbeseeming the person more the presence Prophets may reproue they may not strike It was enough for Ahab to punish with the hand no weapon was for Zedekiah but his tongue neither could this rude presumption haue beene well taken if malice had not made magistracie insensible of this vsurpation Ahab was well content to see that hated mouth beaten by any hand It is no new condition of Gods faithfull messengers to smart for saying true Falshood doth not more bewray it selfe in any thing then in blowes Truth suffers whiles errour persecutes None are more ready to boast of the Spirit of God then those that haue the least As in vessels the full are silent Innocent Michaiah neither defends nor complaines It would haue well beseemed the religious King of Iudah to haue spoken in the cause of the dumbe to haue checked insolent Zedekiah Hee is content to giue way to this tide of peremptorie and generall opposition The helplesse Prophet stands alone yet layes about him with his tongue Behold thou shalt see in that day when thou shalt goe into an inner chamber to hide thy selfe Now the proud Baalite shewed himselfe too much ere long he shall bee glad to lurke vnseene his hornes of iron cannot beare off this danger The sonne of Ahab cannot chuse but in the zeale of reuenging his fathers deadly seducement call for that false head of Zedekiah In vaine shall that Impostor seeke to hide himselfe from iustice But in the meane while hee goes away with honour Michaiah with censure Take Michaiah and carie him backe to Amon the Gouernour of the Citie and to Ioash the Kings sonne and say Thus saith the King Put this fellow in prison and feed him with bread of affliction and with water of affliction vntill I come in peace An hard doome of Truth The Iayle for his lodging coorse bread and water for his food shall but reserue Michaiah for a further reuenge The returne of Ahab shall be the bane of the Prophet Was not this hee that aduised Benhadad not to boast in putting on his Armour as in the vngirding it and doth hee now promise himselfe peace and victory before hee buckle it on No warning will disswade the wilfull So assured doth Ahab make himselfe of successe that hee threats ere he goe what hee will doe when hee returnes in peace How iustly doth God deride the misreckonings of proud and foolish men If Ahab had had no other sinnes his very confidence shall defeat him yet the Prophet cannot be ouercome in his resolution he knowes his grounds cannot deceiue him and dare therefore cast the credit of his function vpon this issue If thou returne at all in peace the Lord hath not spoken by mee And hee said Hearken O people euery one of you Let him neuer be called a Prophet that dare not trust his God This was no aduenture therefore of reputation or life since hee knew whom hee beleeued the euent was no lesse sure then if it had beene past Hee is no God that is not constant to himselfe Hath hee spoken and shall hee not performe What hold haue wee for our soules but his eternall Word The being of God is not more sure then his promises then his sentences of iudgement Well may wee appeale the testimony of the world in both If there bee not plagues for the wicked if there be not rewards for the righteous God hath not spoken by vs. Not Ahab onely but good Iehoshaphat is caried with the multitude Their forces are ioyned against Ramoth The King of Israel doth not so trust his Prophets that hee dares trust himselfe in his owne cloathes Thus shall hee elude Michaiahs threat Iwis the iudgement of God the Syrian shafts cannot finde him out in this vnsuspected disguise How fondly doe vaine men imagine to shift off the iust reuenges of the Almighty The King of Syria giues charge to his Captaines to fight against none but the King of Israel Thus doth the vnthankfull Infidell repay the mercy of his late victor Ill was the Snake saued that requites the fauour of his life with a sting Thus still the greatest are the fairest marke to enuious eyes By how much more eminent any man is in the Israel of God so many more and more dangerous enemies must hee expect Both earth and hell conspire in their opposition to the worthiest Those who are aduanced aboue others haue so much more need of the guard both of their owne vigilancy and others prayers Iehoshaphat had like to haue paid deare for his loue Hee is pursued for him in whose amitie hee offended His cryes deliuer him his cryes not to his pursuers but to his God whose mercy takes not aduantage of our infirmitie but rescues vs from those euils which wee wilfully prouoke It is Ahab against whom not the Syrians onely but God himselfe intends this quarrell The enemy is taken off from Iehoshaphat Oh the iust and mighty hand of that diuine prouidence which directeth all our actions to his owne ends which takes order where euery shaft shall light and guides the arrow of the strong Archer into the ioynts of Ahabs harnesse It was shot at a venture fals by a destiny and there fals where it may carie death to an hidden debtor In all actions both voluntarie and casuall thy will O God shall bee done by vs with what euer intentions Little did the Syrian know whom hee had striken no more then the arrow wherewith he stroke An inuisible hand disposed of both to the punishment of Ahab to the vindication of Michaiah How worthily O God art thou to bee adored in thy iustice and wisedome to bee feared in thy iudgements Too late doth Ahab now thinke of the faire warnings of Michaiah which hee vnwisely contemned of the painfull flatteries of Zedekiah which hee stubbornly beleeued That guilty blood of his runs downe out of his wound into the midst of his charet and paies Naboth his arerages O Ahab what art thou the better for thine Iuory house whiles thou hast a blacke soule What comfort hast thou now in those flattering Prophets which tickled thine cares and secured thee of victories What ioy is it to thee now that thou wast great Who had not rather be a Michaiah in the Iayle then Ahab in the Charet Wicked men haue the aduantage of the way godly men of the end The Charet is washed
in the poole of Samaria the dogges come to claime their due they licke vp the blood of the great King of Israel The tongues of those brute creatures shall make good the tongue of Gods Prophet Michaiah is iustified Naboth is reuenged the Baalites confounded Ahab iudged Righteous art thou O God in all thy waies and holy in all thy workes AHAzIAH sicke and ELIJAH reuenged AHaziah succeeds his father Ahab both in his throne and in his sinne Who could looke for better issue of those loines of those examples God followes him with a double iudgement of the reuolt of Moab and of his owne sicknesse All the reigne of Ahab had Moab beene a quiet Tributarie and furnished Israel with rich flockes and fleeces now their subiection dies with that warlike King and will not be inherited This rebellion tooke aduantage as from the weaker spirits so from the sickly body of Ahaziah whose disease was not naturall but casuall walking in his palace of Samaria some grate in the floore of his Chamber breakes vnder him and giues way to that fall whereby hee is bruised and languisheth The same hand that guided Ahabs shaft cracks Ahaziahs lattesse How infinite varietie of plagues hath the iust GOD for obstinate sinners whether in the field or in the chamber he knowes to finde them out How fearlesly did Ahaziah walke on his wonted pauement The Lord hath laid a trap for him whereinto whiles he thinkes least he fals irrecouerably No place is safe for the man that is at variance with God The body of Ahaziah was not more sicke then his soule was gracelesse None but chance was his enemy none but the God of Ekron must bee his friend He lookes not vp to the Omnipotent hand of diuine iustice for the disease or of mercy for the remedy An Idoll is his refuge whether for cure or intelligence Wee heare not till now of Baal-zebub this new God of flies is perhaps of his making who now is a suter to his owne erection All these heathen Deities were but a Deuill with change of appellations the influence of that euill spirit deluded those miserable clients else there was no fly so impotent as that out-side of the god of Ekron Who would thinke that any Israelite could so farre dote vpon a stocke or a Fiend Time gathered much credit to this Idol in so much as the Iewes afterwards stiled Beel-zebub the Prince of all the regions of darknesse Ahaziah is the first that brings his Oracle in request and payes him the tribute of his deuotion Hee sends messengers and sayes Goe inquire of Baal-zebub the god of Ekron whether I shall recouer of this disease The message was either idle or wicked idle if he sent it to a stock if to a deuill both idle and wicked What can the most intelligent spirits know of future things but what they see either in their causes or in the light of participation What a madnesse was it in Ahaziah to seeke to the posterne whiles the fore-gate stood open Could those euill spirits truely foretell euents no way pre-existent yet they might not without sinne bee consulted the euill of their nature debarres all the benefit of their information If not as intelligencers much lesse may they be sought to as gods who cannot blush to heare and see that euen the very Euangelicall Israel should yeeld Pilgrims to the shrines of darknesse How many after this cleere light of the Gospell in their losses in their sicknesses send to these infernall Oracles and damne themselues wilfully in a vaine curiositie The message of the iealous God intercepts them with a iust disdaine as here by Elijah Is it not because there is not a God in Israel that yee goe to enquire of Baal-zebub the god of Ekron What can be a greater disparagement to the True God then to be neglected then to stand aside and see vs make loue to an hellish riuall were there no God in Israel in heauen what could wee doe other what worse This affront of what euer Ahaziah cannot escape without a reuenge Therefore thus saith the Lord Thou shalt not come downe from that bed on which thou art gone vp but shalt surely die It is an high indignitie to the True God not to be sought to in our necessities but so to bee cashiered from our deuotions as to haue a false god thrust in his roome is such a scorne as it is well if it can escape with one death Let now the famous god of Ekron take off that brand of feared mortalitie which the liuing God hath set vpon Ahaziah Let Baal-zebub make good some better newes to his distressed suppliant Rather the King of Israel is himselfe without his repentance hasting to Beel-zebub This errand is soone done The messengers are returned ere they goe Not a little were they amazed to heare their secret message from anothers mouth neither could chuse but thinke Hee that can tell what Ahaziah said what hee thought can foretell how hee shall speed Wee haue met with a greater God then wee went to seeke what need wee inquire for another answer With this conceit with this report they returne to their sicke Lord and astonish him with so short so sad a relation No maruell if the King inquired curiously of the habit and fashion of the man that could know this that durst say this They describe him a man whether of an hairy skin or of rough course carelesse attire thus drest thus girded Ahaziah readily apprehends it to be Elijah the old friend of his father Ahab of his mother Iezebel More then once had he seene him an vnwelcome guest in the Court of Israel The times had beene such that the Prophet could not at once speake true and please Nothing but reproofes and menaces sounded from the mouth of Elijah Michaiah and hee were still as welcome to the eyes of that guilty Prince as the Syrian arrow was into his flesh Too well therefore had Ahaziah noted that querulous Seer and now is not a little troubled to see himselfe in succession haunted with that bold and ill-boding spirit Behold the true sonne of Iezebel the anguish of his disease the expectation of death cannot take off the edge of his persecution of Elijah It is against his will that his death-bed is not bloody Had Ahaziah meant any other then a cruell violence to Elijah he had sent a peaceable messenger to call him to the Court hee had not sent a Captaine with a band of Souldiers to fetch him the instruments which hee vseth cary reuenge in their face If he had not thought Elijah more then a man what needed a band of fifty to apprehend one and if he did thinke him such why would hee send to apprehend him by fifty Surely Ahaziah knew of old how miraculous a Prophet Elijah was what power that man had ouer all their base Deities what command of the Elements of the heauens and yet hee sends to attache him It is a strange thing
thousand Rammes with fleeces to the King of Israel The backes of Israel can ill misse the wooll of Moab they will put on iron to recouer their cloth Iehoshaphat had beene once well chid well frighted for ioyning with Ahab against Aram yet doth he not sticke now againe to come into the field with Iehoram against Moab The case is more fauourable lesse dangerous Baal is cast downe The Images of the false gods are gone though the false Images of the true God stand still Beside this rebellious Moab had ioyned with the Syrians formerly against Iudah so as Iehoshaphat is interessed in the reuenge After resolution of the end wisely doe these Kings deliberate of the way It is agreed to passe through Edom that Kingdome was annexed to the Crowne of Iudah well might Iehoshaphat make bold with his owne It was it seemes a march farre about in the measure of the way but neerest to their purpose the assault would bee thus more easie if the passage were more tedious The three Kings of Israel Iudah Edom together with their Armies are vpon foot They are no sooner comne into the parching wildes of Edom then they are ready to die for thirst If the channels were far off yet the waters were further the scorching beames of the Sun haue dried them vp and haue left those riuers more fit for walke then entertainment What are the greatest Monarchs of the world if they want but water to their mouthes What can their Crownes and Plumes and rich Armes made them when they are abridged but of that which is the drinke of beasts With dry tongues and lippes doe they now conferre of their common misery Iehoram deplores the calamity into which they were falne but Iehoshaphat askes for a Prophet Euery man can bewaile a mischiefe euery man cannot finde the way out of it still yet I heare good Iehoshaphat speake too late He should haue inquired for a Prophet ere he had gone forth so had hee auoided these straits Not to consult at all with God is Iehorams sinne to consult late is Iehoshaphats the former is atheous carelesnesse the later forgetfull ouer-sight The best man may slacken good duties the worst contemnes them Not without some specialty from God doth Elisha follow the campe Else that had beene no Element for a Prophet Little did the good King of Iudah thinke that God was so neere him Purposely was this holy Seer sent for the succour of Iehoshaphat and his faithfull followers when they were so farre from dreaming of their deliuerie that they knew not of a danger It would be wide with the best men if the eye of diuine prouidence were not open vpon them when the eye of their care is shut towards it How well did Elisha in the warres The strongest squadron of Israel was within that brest All their Armour of proofe had not so much safety and protection as his Mantle Though the King of Israel would take no notice of the Prophet yet one of his Courtiers did Here is Elisha the sonne of Shaphat which powred water on the hands of Elijah This follower of Iehoram knowes Elijah by his owne name by his fathers by his masters The Court of Israel was profane and Idolatrous enough yet euen there Gods Prophet had both knowledge and honour His very seruice to Elijah was enough to win him reuerence It is better to be an attendant of some man then to be attended by many That hee had powred water on Elijahs hands was insinuation enough that hee could powre out water for those three Kings The three Kings vvalke downe by the motion of Iehoshaphat to the man of God It was newes to see three Kings going downe to the seruant of him vvho ran before the charet of Ahab Religion and necessity haue both of them much power of humiliation I know not vvhether more Either zeale or need vvill make a Prophet honored How sharply dares the man of God to chide his Soueraigne the King of Israel The liberty of the Prophets vvas no lesse singular then their calling Hee that vvould borrow their tongue must shew their Commission As God reproued Kings for their sakes so did not they sticke to reproue Kings for his sake Thus much freedome they must leaue to their successors that vve may not spare the vices of them vvhose persons we must spare Iustly is Iehoram turn'd off to the Prophets of his father and the Prophets of his mother It is but right and equall that those which wee haue made the comfort and stay of our peace should be the refuge of our extremity If our prosperity haue made the world our God how worthily shall our death-bed be choaked with this exprobration Neither would the case beare an Apology nor the time an expostulation Iehoram cannot excuse he can complaine he findes that now three Kings three Kingdomes are at the mercy of one Prophet it was time for him to speake faire nothing sounds from him but lamentations and intreaties Nay for the Lord hath called these three Kings together to deliuer them into the hand of Moab Iehoram hath so much grace as to confesse the impotency of those hee had trusted and the power of that God whom hee had neglected Euery sinner cannot see and acknowledge the hand of God in his sufferings Already hath the distressed Prince gained something by this misery None complaines so much as he none feeles so much as hee All the rest suffer for him and therefore he suffers in them all The man of God who well sees the in-sufficiency of Iehorams humiliation layes on yet more load As the Lord liueth before whom I stand Surely were it not that I regard the presence of Iehoshaphat the King of Iudah I would not looke toward thee nor see thee Behold the double Spirit of Elijah the master was not more bold with the father then the seruant was with the sonne Elisha was a subiect and a Prophet Hee must say that as a Prophet which hee might not as a subiect As a Prophet hee would not haue lookt at him whom as a subiect he would haue bowed to It is one thing when God speaks by him another when he speakes of himselfe That it might well appeare his dislike of sinne stood with his honour of Soueraignty Iehoshaphat goes away with that respect which Iehoram missed No lesse doth God and his Prophet regard religious sincerity then they abhorre Idolatry and profanenesse What shall not be done for a Iehoshaphat For his sake shall those two other Princes and their vast Armies liue and preuaile Edom and Israel whether single or conioyned had perished by the drought of the desert by the sword of Moab One Iehoshaphat giues them both life and victory It is in the power of one good man to oblige a world wee receiue true though insensible fauours from the presence of the righteous Next to being good it is happy to conuerse with them that are so if wee bee not bettered by their example
without cruelty though in the hot chases of warre executions may be iustifiable yet in the coolenesse of deliberation it can bee no other then inhumane to take those liues which haue beene yeelded to mercy But here thy bow and thy sword are guiltlesse of the successe onely a strange prouidence of the Almighty hath cast them into thine hands whom neither thy force nor thy fraud could haue compassed If it bee victory thou aimest at ouercome them with kindnesse Set bread and water before them that they may eate and drinke Oh noble reuenge of Elisha to feast his persecutors To prouide a Table for those who had prouided a graue for him These Syrians came to Dothan full of bloody purposes to Elisha he sends them from Samaria full of good cheare and iollity Thus thus should a Prophet punish his pursuers No vengeance but this is heroicall and fit for Christian imitation If thine enemy hunger giue him bread to eate if hee thirst giue him water to drinke For thou shalt heape coales of fire vpon his head and the Lord shall reward thee Be not ouercome with euill but ouercome euill with good The King of Israel hath done that by his feast which hee could not haue done by his sword The bands of Syria will no more come by way of ambush or incursion into the bounds of Israel Neuer did a charitable act goe away without the retribution of a blessing In doing some good to our enemies wee doe most good to our selues God cannot but loue in vs this imitation of his mercy who bids his Sunne shine and his raine fall where he is most prouoked and that loue is neuer fruitlesse The Famine of Samaria releeued NOt many good turnes are written in Marble soone haue these Syrians forgotten the mercifull beneficence of Israel After the forbearance of some hostile inroade all the forces of Syria are mustered against Iehoram That very Samaria which had releeued the distressed Aramites is by the Aramites besieged and is affamished by those whom it had fed The famine within the walles was more terrible then the sword without Their worst enemy was shut within and could not be dislodged of their owne bowels Whither hath the Idolatry of Israel brought them Before they had beene scourged with warre with drought with dearth as with single cords they remaine incorrigible and now God twists two of these bloody lashes together and galls them euen to death there needs no other executioners then their owne mawes Those things which in their nature were not edible at least to an Israelite were now both deare and dainty The Asse was besides the vntoothsomnesse an impure creature that which the law of Ceremonies had made vncleane the law of necessitie had made delicate and precious the bones of so carrion an head could not bee picked for lesse then foure hundred pieces of siluer neither was this scarcitie of victuals only but of all other necessaries for humane vse that the belly might not complaine alone the whole man was equally pinched The King of Israel is neither exempted from the iudgement nor yet yeelds vnder it He walkes vpon the walls of his Samaria to ouersee the Watches set the Engines ready the Guards changed together with the posture of the enemy when a woman cries to him out of the Citie Help my Lord O King Next to God what refuge haue we in all our necessities but his Anointed Earthly Soueraigntie can aide vs in the case of the iniustice of men but what can it doe against the iudgements of God If the Lord doe not helpe thee whence shall I helpe thee out of the barne floore or out of the wine-presse Euen the greatest powers must stoope to afflictions in themselues how should they be able to preuent them in others To sue for aide where is an vtter impotence of redresse is but to vpbraid the weaknesse and aggrauate the misery of those whom we implore Iehoram mistakes the suit The suppliant cals to him for a wofull peece of Iustice Two mothers haue agreed to eate their sonnes The one hath yeelded hers to be boiled and eaten the other after shee hath taken her part of so prodigious a banquet withdrawes her child and hides him from the knife Hunger and enuy make the Plaintiffe importunate and now shee craues the benefit of royall iustice Shee that made the first motion with-holds her part of the bargain and flyes from that promise whose trust had made this mother childlesse Oh the direfull effects of famine that turnes off all respects of nature and giues no place to horror causing the tender mother to lay her hands yea her teeth vpon the fruit of her owne body and to receiue that into her stomacke which shee hath brought forth of her wombe What should Iehoram doe The match was monstrous The challenge was iust yet vnnaturall This complainant had purchased one halfe of the liuing child by the one halfe of hers dead The mother of the suruiuing Infant is pressed by couenant by hunger restrained by nature To force a mother to deliuer vp her child to voluntarie slaughter had been cruell To force a Debtor to pay a confessed arerage seemed but equall If the remaining child be not dressed for food this mother of the deuoured child is both robbed and affamished If he be innocent blood is shed by authoritie It is no maruell if the questiō astonished the Iudge not so much for the difficulty of the demand as the horror of the occasion to what lamentable distresse did Iehoram find his people driuen Not without cause did the King of Israel rend his garments and shew his sackcloth wel might he see his people branded with that ancient curse which God had denounced against the rebellious The Lord shall bring a Nation against thee of a fierce countenance which shall not regard the person of the old nor shew fauour to the yong And he shall besiege thee in all thy gates And thou shalt eat the fruit of thine owne body the flesh of thy sonnes and of thy daughters The tender and delicate woman her eyes shall bee euill towards her yong one that commeth out from betweene her feet and toward◠the children which shee shall beare for she shall eate them for want of all things secretly in the siege and straitnesse He mournes for the plague he mournes not for the cause of this plague his sinne and theirs I finde his sorrow I find not his repentance The worst man may grieue for his smart onely the good heart grieues for his offence In stead of being penitent Iehoram is furious and turnes his rage from his sinnes against the Prophet God doe so to me and more also if the head of Elisha the son of Shaphat shall stand on him this day Alas what hath the righteous done Perhaps Elisha that wee may imagine some colours of this displeasure fore-threatned this iudgement but they deserued it perhaps hee might haue auerted it by his prayers their
vnrepentance disabled him Perhaps he perswaded Iehoram to hold out the siege though through much hardnesse he foresaw the deliuerance In all this how hath Elisha forfeited his head All Israel did not afford an head so guiltlesse as this that was destined to slaughter This is the fashion of the world the lewd blames the innocent and will reuenge their owne sins vpon others vprightnesse In the midst of all this sad estate of Samaria and these stormes of Iehoram the Prophet sits quietly in his owne house amongst his holy Consorts bewailing no doubt both the sinnes and misery of their people and prophetically conferring of the issue when suddenly God reueales to him the bloody intent and message of Iehoram and he at once reueales it to his fellowes See yee how this sonne of a murderer hath sent to take away mine head Oh the vnimitable libertie of a Prophet The same God that shewed him his danger suggested his words He may be bold where wee must be awfull Stil is Naboths blood laid in Iehorams dish The foule fact of Ahab blemisheth his posterity and now when the sonne threats violence to the innocent murder is obiected to him as hereditary He that foresaw his owne perill prouides for his safety Shut the doore and hold him fast at the doore No man is bound to tender his throat to an vniust stroke This bloodie commission was preuented by a propheticall fore-sight The same eye that saw the executioner comming to smite him saw also the King hasting after him to stay the blow The Prophet had beene no other then guilty of his owne blood if hee had not reserued himselfe a while for the rescue of authority Oh the inconstancy of carnall hearts It was not long since Iehoram could say to Elisha My father shall I smite them now he is ready to smite him as an enemy whom he honoured as a father Yet againe his lippes had no sooner giuen sentence of death against the Prophet then his feet stirre to recall it It should seeme that Elisha vpon the challenges expostulations of Iehorams messenger had sent a perswasiue message to the King of Israel yet a while to wait patiently vpon God for his deliuerance The discontented Prince flies off in an impotent anger Behold this euill is of the Lord what should I wait for the Lord any longer Oh the desperate resolutions of impatient mindes They haue stinted God both for his time and his measure if hee exceed either they either turne their backs vpon him or fly in his face The position was true the inference deadly All that euill was of the Lord they deserued it hee sent it What then It should haue been therefore argued Hee that sent it can remoue it I will wait vpon his mercy vnder whose iustice I suffer Impatience and distrust shall but aggrauate my iudgment It is the Lord let him doe what hee will But now to despaire because God is iust to defie mercy because it lingers to reiect God for correction it is a presumptuous madnesse an impious pettishnesse Yet in spight of all these prouocations both of King and people Elisha hath good newes for Iehoram Thus saith the Lord To morrow about this time shall a measure of fine flowre be sold for a Shekel and two measures of Barly for a Shekell in the gate of Samaria Miserable Israel now sees an end of this hard triall One daies patience shall free them both of siege and famine Gods deliuerances may ouer-stay our expectation not the due period of his owne counsels Oh infinite mercy when man sayes No longer God sayes To morrow As if he would condescend where he might iudge and would please them who deserued nothing but punishment The word seemed not more comfortable then incredible A Lord on whose hand the King leaned answered the man of God and said Behold if the Lord would make windowes in heauen might this thing be Prophesies before they be fulfilled are riddles no spirit can areed them but that by which they are deliuered It is a foolish and iniurious infidelity to question a possibility where wee know the message is Gods How easie is it for that omnipotent hand to effect those things which surpasse all the reach of humane conceit Had God intended a miraculous multiplication was it not as easie for him to increase the corne or meale of Samaria as the widowes oyle was it not as easie for him to giue plenty of victuals without opening the windowes of heauen as to giue plenty of water without wind or raine The Almighty hates to be distrusted This Peere of Israel shall rue his vnbeleefe Behold thou shalt see it with thine eyes but shalt not eate thereof The sight shall be yeelded for conuiction the fruition shall bee denied for punishment Well is that man worthy to want the benefit which hee would not beleeue Who can pity to see Infidelity excluded from the blessings of earth from the glory of heauen How strange a choice doth God make of the Intelligencers of so happy a change Foure Lepers sit at the entring of the Gate they see nothing but death before them famine within the wals the enemy without The election is wofull at last they resolue vpon the lesser euill Famine is worse then the Syrian In the famine there is certaintie of perishing amongst the Syrians hazzard Perhaps the enemy may haue some pity hunger hath none and were the death equally certaine it were more easie to die by the sword then by famine vpon this deliberation they come downe into the Syrian campe to finde either speed of mercy or dispatch Their hunger would not giue them respite till morning By twi-light are they falne vpon the vttermost tents Behold there was no man They maruell at the silence and solitude they looke and listen the noise of their owne feet affrighted them their guilty hearts supplied the Syrians and expected fearfully those which were as fearefully fled How easily can the Almighty confound the power of the strong the policie of the wise God puts a Pannick terror into the hearts of the proud Syrians hee makes them heare a noise of charets and a noise of horses euen the noise of a great hoast They say one to another Loe the King of Israel hath hired against vs the Kings of the Hittites and the Kings of the Egyptians to come vpon vs they arise therefore in a confused rout and leauing all their substance behinde them flee for their liues Not long before Elishaes seruant saw charets and horses but heard none Now these Syrians heare charets and horses but see none That sight comforted his heart this sound dismaied theirs The Israelites heard no noise within the walls the Lepers heard no noise without the gates Only the Syrians heard this noise in their campe What a scorne doth God put vpon these presumptuous Aramites He will not vouchsafe to vse any substantiall stratagem against them nothing but an empty sound shall scatter them
good to thee This argument seemed to carry such command with it as that Dauid not onely may but must embrew his hands in bloud vnlesse hee will bee found wanting to God and himselfe Those temptations are most powerfull which fetch their force from the pretence of a religious obedience Whereas those which are raised from arbitrary and priuate respects admit of an easie dispensation If there were such a prediction one clause of it was ambiguous and they take it at the worst Thou shalt doe to him as shall seeme good to thee that might not seeme good to him which seemed euill vnto God There is nothing more dangerous than to make construction of Gods purposes out of euentuall appearances If carnall probabilities might be the rule of our iudgement what could God seeme to intend other than Sauls death in offering him naked into the hands of those whom he vniustly persecuted how could Dauids souldiers thinke that God had sent Saul thither on any other errand than to fetch his bane and if Saul could haue seene his owne danger he had giuen himselfe for dead for his heart guilty to his owne bloudy desires could not but haue expected the same measure which it meant But wise and holy Dauid not transported either with mis-conceit of the euent or fury of passion or sollicitation of his followers dares make no other vse of this accident than the triall of his loyalty and the inducement of his peace It had beene as easie for him to cut the throat of Saul as his garment but now his coat onely shall be the worse not his person neither doth he in the maiming of a cloake seeke his owne reuenge but a monument of his innocence Before Saul rent Samuels garment now Dauid cutteth Sauls both were significant The rending of the one signified the Kingdome torne out of those vnworthy hands the cutting of the other that the life of Saul might haue beene as easily cut off Saul needes no other Monitor of his owne danger than what he weares The vpper garment of Saul was laid aside whiles he went to couer his feet so as the cut of the garment did not threaten any touch of the body yet euen the violence offered to a remote garment strikes the heart of Dauid which findes a present remorse for harmefully touching that which did once touch the person of his Master Tender consciences are moued to regret at those actions which strong hearts passe ouer with a careles ease It troubled not Saul to seeke after the bloud of a righteous seruant there is no lesse difference of consciences than stomacks some stomachs will digest the hardest meates and turne ouer substances not in their nature edible whiles others surfet of the lightest food and complaine euen of dainties Euery gracious heart is in some measure scrupulous and findes more safety in feare than in presumption And if it be so strait as to curbe it selfe in from the liberty which it might take in things which are not vnlawfull how much lesse will it dare to take scope vnto euill By how much that state is better where nothing is allowed than where all things by so much is the strict and â—nnorous conscience better than the lawlesse There is good likelihood of that man which is any way scrupulous of his wayes but he which makes no bones of his actions is apparently hopelesse Since Dauids followers pleaded Gods testimony to him as a motiue to bloud Dauid appeales the same God for his preseruation from bloud The Lord keepe me from doing that thing to my Master the Lords Annointed and now the good man hath worke enough to defend both himselfe and his persecuter himselfe from the importunate necessitie of doing violence and his Master from suffering it It was not more easie to rule his owne hands than difficult to rule a multitude Dauids troupe consisted of Male-contents all that were in distresse in debt in bitternesse of soule were gathered to him Many if neuer so well ordered are hard to command a few if disorderly more hard many and disorderly must needs bee so much the hardest of all that Dauid neuer atchieued any victory like vnto this wherein hee first ouercame himselfe then his Souldiers And what was the charme wherewith Dauid allayed those raging spirits of his followers No other but this Hee is the Annointed of the Lord. That holy Oyle was the Antidote for his bloud Saul did not lend Dauid so impearceable an Armour when hee should encounter Goliah as Dauid now lent him in this plea of his vnction Which of all the discontented Out-lawes that lurked in that Caue durst put forth his hand against Saul when they once heard Hee is the Lords Annointed Such an impression of awe hath the diuine Prouidence caused his Image to make in the hearts of men as that it makes Traytors cowards So as in steede of striking they tremble How much more lawlesse than the Out-lawes of Israel are those professed Ring-leaders of Christianitie which teach and practise and incourage and reward and canonize the violation of Maiestie It is not enough for those who are commanders of others to refraine their owne hands from doing euil but they must carefully preuent the iniquitie of their heeles else they shall bee iustly reputed to doe that by others which in their owne persons they auoyded the Lawes both of God and man presuppose vs in some sort answerable for our charge as taking it for granted that wee should not vndertake those raynes which wee cannot mannage There was no reason Dauid should lose the thankes of so noble a demonstration of his loyalty Whereto hee trusts so much that hee dares call backe the man by whom hee was pursued and make him iudge whether that fact had not deserued a life As his act so his word and gesture imported nothing but humble obedience neither was there more meeknesse than force in that seasonable perswasion Wherein hee lets Saul see the error of his credulity the vniust slanders of maliciousnesse the oportunity of his reuenge the proofe of his forbearance the vndeniable euidence of his innocence and after a lowly disparagement of himselfe appeales to God for iudgement for protection So liuely and feeling Oratory did Saul find in the lap of his garment and the lips of Dauid that it is not in the power of his enuie or ill nature to hold out any longer Is this thy voice my sonne Dauid and Saul lift vp his voice and wept and said Thou art more righteous than I. Hee whose harpe had wont to quiet the frenzy of Saul hath now by his words calmed his fury so that now he sheds teares in steed of bloud and confesses his owne wrong and Dauids integrity And as if hee were new againe entred into the bounds of Naioth in Ramath hee prayes and prophesies good to him whom hee maliced for good The Lord render thee good for that thou hast done to mee this day for now behold I know that
thou shalt bee King There is no heart made of flesh that sometime or other relents not euen â—lint and marble will in some weather stand on droppes I cannot thinke these teares and protestations fained Doubtlesse Saul meant as hee said and passed through sensible fittes of good and euill Let no man thinke himselfe the better for good motions the praise and benefite of those Guests is not in the receit but the retention Who that had seene this meeting could but haue thought all had beene sure on Dauids side What can secure vs if not Teares and Praiers and Oathes Doublesse Dauids men which knew themselues obnoxious to Lawes and Creditors beganne to thinke of some new refuge as making account this new peeced league would bee euerlasting they looked when Saul would take Dauid home to the Court and dissolue his Armie and recompence that vniust persecution with iust honour when behold in the loose Saul goes home but Dauid and his men goe vp vnto the hold Wise Dauid knowes Saul not to be more kinde than vntrusty and therefore had rather seeke safety in his hold than in the hold of an hollow and vnsteedie friendship Heere are good words but no securitie which therefore an experienced man giues the hearing but stands the while vpon his owne gard No Charitie bindes vs to a trust of those whom wee haue found faithlesse Crudelitie vpon weake grounds after palpable disappointments is the Daughter of Folly A man that is Weather-wise though hee finde an abatement of the storme yet will not stirre from vnder his shelter whiles hee sees it thicke in the winde Distrust is the iust gaine of vnfaithfulnesse NABAL and ABIGAIL IF innocencie could haue secured from Sauls malice Dauid had not bin persecuted and yet vnder that wicked King aged Samuel dyes in his bed That there might be no place for Enuie the good Prophet had retyred himselfe to the Schooles Yet he that hated Dauid for what hee should be did no lesse hate Samuel for what hee had bin Euen in the midst of Sauls malignitie there remained in his heart impressions of awfulnesse vnto Samuel he feared where he loued not The restraint of God curbeth the rage of his most violent enemies so as they cannot doe their worst As good Husbands doe not put all their Corne to the Ouen but saue some for seede so doth God euer in the worst of persecutions Samuel is dead Dauid banished Saul tyrannizeth Israel hath good cause to mourne it is no maruell if this lamentation be vniuersall There is no Israelite that feeleth not the losse of a Samuel A good Prophet is the common Treasure wherein euery gracious soule hath a share That man hath a dry heart which can part with Gods Prophet without teares Nabal was according to his name foolish yet rich and mighty Earthly possessions are not alwayes accompanied with wit and grace Euen the Line of faithfull Caleb will afford an ill-conditioned Nabal Vertue is not like vnto Lands inheritable All that is traduced with the seede is either euill or not good Let no man bragge with the Iewes that he hath Abram to his father God hath raised vp of this stone a sonne to Caleb Abigail which signifieth her fathers ioy had sorrow enough to be matched with so vnworthy an Husband If her father had meant shee should haue had ioy in herselfe or in her life he had not disposed her to an Husband though rich yet fond and wicked It is like he married her to the wealth not to the man Many a childe is cast away vpon riches Wealth in our matches should be as some graines or scruples in ballance super-added to the gold of vertuous qualities to weigh downe the scales when it is made the substanceÌ„ of the weight and good qualities the appendance there is but one earth poysed with another which wheresoeuer it is done it is a wonder if either the children proue not the Parents sorrow or the Parents theirs Nabals Sheep-shearing was famous Three thousand â—eeces must needes require many hands neither is any thing more plentifull commonly than a Churles Feast What a world was this that the noble Champion and Rescuer of Israel Gods Annointed is driuen to send to a base Carle for victuals It is no measuring of men by the depth of the purse by outward prosperitie Seruants are oft-times set on horse backe whiles Princes goe on foot Our estimation must be led by their inward worth which is not alterable by time nor diminishable with externall conditions One rag of a Dauid is more worth than the Ward-robes of a thousand Nabals Euen the best deseruings may want No man may bee contemned for his necessitie perhaps he may be so much richer in grace as he is poorer in estate neither hath violence or casualtie more impouerished a Dauid than his pouertie hath enriched him He whose folly hath made himselfe miserable is iustly rewarded with neglect but he that suffers for good deserues so much more honour from others as his distresse is more Our compassion or respect must be ruled according to the cause of anothers misery One good turne requires another in some cases not hurting is meritorious Hee that should examine the qualities of Dauids followers must needes grant it worthy of a see that Nabals flockes lay vntouched in Carmel but more that Dauids Souldiers were Nabals Sheepheards yea the keepers of his Sheepheards gaue them a iust interest in that sheep shearing Feast iustly should they haue beene set at the vpper end of the Table That Nabals sheepe were safe hee might thanke his Sheepheards that his Sheepheards were safe he might thanke Dauids Souldiers It is no small benefit that wee receiue in a safe protection well may wee thinke our substance due where wee owe our selues Yet this churlish Nabal doth not onely giue nothing to Dauids Messengers but which is worse than nothing ill words Who is Dauid or Who is the sonne of Ishai There be many seruants now adaies that breake-away from their Masters Dauid asked him bread hee giueth him stones All Israel knew and honoured their Deliuerer yet this Clowne to saue his victuals will needes make him a man either of no merits or ill either an obscure man or a Fugitiue Nothing is more cheape than good words these Nabal might haue giuen and beene neuer the poorer If he had beene resolued to shut his hands in a feare of Sauls reuenge he might haue so tempered his denyall that the repulse might haue beene free from offence But now his foule-mouth doth not onely deny but reuile It should haue bin Nabals glory That his Tribe yeelded such a Successor to the Throne of Israel now in all likelihood his enuie stirs him vp to disgrace that man who surpassed him in honour and vertue more than he was surpassed by him in wealth and ease Many an one speakes faire that meanes ill but when the mouth speakes foule it argues a corrupt heart If with Saint Iames his verball