THE RIGHTEOVS MANS EVILS AND THE LORDS DELIVERANCES By GILBERT PRIMEROSE Minister of the French Church of London PSAL. 129.2 Many a time have they afflicted me from my youth yet they have not prevayled against mee LONDON Printed by H. L. for Nathanael Newberry and are to be sold at the signe of the Starre in Popes-head Alley Anno 1625. TO THE RIGHT NOBLE RIGHT HONOVRABLE AND RIGHT RELIgious Lord IAMES MARQVESS of HAMMILTON Earle of Arran and Cambridge Knight of the most noble Order of the Garter Counsellor of the Kings most honourable privie Councell in both Realmes of England and Scotland Lord Great Steward of his Majesties houshold c. RIGHT HONOVRABLE WHat reading of holy Scripture and of Ecclesiasticall stories what experience hath taught mee of the Righteous mans Evils and the Lords deliverances that I preached to my Church at London in nine Sermons which in this booke I have dedicated to your Honour as an acknowledgement of the heroicall and Christian vertues which shine in your most Noble and Honourable person and as an homage due to them not as having any worthinesse and excellencie from their author whereby he should presume to offer them to such a Lord in whom all things excell in worth and shine in a most eminent degree of excellencie In Empires Kingdomes States Cities Families wee read and see the truth of the Oracle which said to ATTALVS King of Bithinia THOU AND THY SON NOT THE SONS OF THY SON His Maiestie who now holdeth the raines of this peaceable and flourishing kingdome is the onely King knowne in the world by stories who can reckon neere two thousand yeeres since his roiall Ancestors of whom he is lincally descended wore Crownes and Scepters In France they thinke it much if a man can prove his Nobilitie by foure Descents Since three hundred and odde yeeres that SIR GILBERT HAMMILTON came from England to Scotland was there advanced to all titles and degrees of honours of dignities of greatnesse among the most noble and honourable of the Realme by the HEROS of those dayes and King without peere ROBERT BRVCE who had knowne in England the antiquitie of his noble house and of all men then living could best iudge of his courage martiall actes and deserts and being preferred there to the mariage of the onely Daughter to my Lord Earle of Murray the Kings Nephew by his Princely Sister became the Stocke of the illustrious Race of the HAMMILTONS in Scotland whereof your Honour is the golden head how many Descents how many generations may be reckoned The fables tell of BELLEROPHON how after he had done many feates of armes not so much by his owne wisdome and strength as by the helpe of his winged Horse called PEGASVS he waxed proud and attempting with the same wings to mount up to heaven was flung to the earth and brake his leg whereby they teach us in a mysticall sense that many after they have beene borne upon the wings of their Princes favour and thereby have done good services conceive too ambitious and proud hopes and as if favour were desert aspiring to ascend into heaven to exalt their Throne above the rest of the starres and to be like unto their Maker are cut downe to the ground in an instant where all their pompe is laid in a grave of shame and dishonour as the Scripture speaketh of the King of Babylon under the name of LVCIFER In all the ancient stories hardly shall we finde any great man whose predecessors or himselfe have not beene stained with the blot of rebellion against their Soveraignes or of some negligence of their dutie towards them But your Honours forefathers had ever their affections so addicted to our Kings that King IAMES the third with the consent of the States and applause of the whole Realme thought them worthy to be rewarded with the mariage of his onely and deare Sister whom he gave in wedlocke to IAMES Lord Hammilton of whom your Lordship is come by many lineall successions This proximitie of blood to our Kings hath ever beene to your Ancesters and to your owne selfe a most attractive Adamant drawing and tying inseparably your hearts desires wills affections duties and services to their will and desires in all innocencie and uprightnesse according to Gods commandement the practice whereof is the stay of the State and the maintainer of peace in the Church and Common-weale FEARE GOD AND THE KING AND MEDDLE NOT WITH FACTIOVS MEN. So that this may be the Poesie of the Cognizance of your Honours most ancient and honourable Family FIDEET OBSEQVIO Of this fidelitie of these long profitable and acceptable services to our Kings continued in your Lordships familie from generation to generation and most effectually confirmed by your owne generous wise and good cariage in the Court and in the State the Kings Maiestie is a most glorious witnesse and a most magnificent rewarder For that affection which his Maiestie sheweth to your Honour those Dignities wherewith hee hath honoured you namely this last of LORD STEWARD of his royall House what are they but publike testimonies of the continuation of your good faithfull and well liked services to his Maiesties Royall person to our most excellent and hopefull Prince his Royall and onely Sonne and to the states of both kingdomes In the Court you are to his Maiestie that which IOSEPH was to PHARAO King of Egypt OBADIAH to ACHAB King of Israel MORDECAI to AHASVERVS King of Persia and ELIAKIM to whom God gave the key of the house of DAVID to the good King EZECHIAH and most like unto THEODORVS in the Court of VALENS Emperour of the Orient who being come of a most ancient and noble stocke and well brought up from the Cradle was not inferiour to any of the Imperiall Court in modestie wisedome erudition and good carriage ever seemed better than the charges and places whereunto he was advanced and was the onely man whose tongue was never licentiously unbridled never spake without consideration and foresight yea was never shut through feare of danger or hope of preferment and therefore was equally loved of great and small as your Lp. for the same vertues is much respected and loved of all states and degrees in both nations For by Gods speciall and rare blessing you carry your selfe in all your demeanour at Court and abroad so wisely that I may boldly affirme that to none if not to you doth belong that rare and wonderfull praise which Cicero giveth to BRVTVS and Marcellin to PRETEXTATVS saying that they did no thing to please yet whatsoever they did pleased and that other which all men gave to ANTHEMIVS Governour to the religious Emperour ARCADIVS HE SEEMED TO BE WISE AND SO HE WAS. The Royall Prophet David saith most truly in the twelfth Psalme that wicked men walke on every side when rascals are exalted among the sonnes of men Then DAVID fleeth and DOEG triumpheth But innocencie is protected oppression is repressed the states flourish
kingdomes prosper the people have peace when generous and worthy men who hate couetousnesse flattery and envy who respect above all worldly things the honour of the King who have no other end of their actions but the weal of the State are neerest to Kings DARIVS King of Persia holding a Pomegranet in his hand wished in stead of all treasures to have as many ZOPYRES as there were graines in that Apple shewing that there is nothing so needfull and profitable to Kings as faithfull Counsellers and servants of the chiefe of the Nobilitie such as ZOPYRVS was and yet no Iewell so rare to be found For though there be many nobles about Kings there be few upon whose fidelitie wisdome and magnanimitie Kings may relie Therefore blessed is this Realme wherein so many ZOPYRES so many of the heads of the Nobilitie are ever neere our most wise religious and righteous Kings eares Amongst whom your Honour shineth as a radiant Planet among the bright and glistering starres What are generositie wisdome faithfulnesse to the King love to the native soyle good and acceptable services to the State but gorgeous and glittering sinnes if they be severed from true godlinesse from faith in our Lord IESVS CHRIST from love to his beloved Church from holinesse of life and good workes acceptable to God What are Courtiers what are the Nobles of the Land what are Kings themselves without Christian vertues but like a certaine people of Asia which were wont to carry earthen vessels in golden Boxes What are all their riches honours dignities pleasures pastimes delights but trifles but faire vanishing bubbles which must give place to things more solid that bring to true beleevers an everlasting felicitie and ioy For as the shell of an Egge howsoever it bee white smoothe and well formed must bee broken that the Chicken may come out and that wherefore the shell was made appeare So the fashion and shew of this world must passe away that the incomprehensible estate which God hath laid up and keepeth in heaven for his deare ones may shine and bee made manifest Therefore where greatnesse and godlinesse where wordly prerogatives and celestiall priviledges where carnall and spirituall nobilitie faith in Christ and faithfulnesse to the King love to the State and charitie to the Church a vehement passion for the common-weale and true zeale to God are ioyned and maried together as they are in your Honours person every man that seeth them is bound to acknowledge to admire and to praise them and to render all honour and serviceable duties to those whom God hath so mercifully wonderfully honoured This then is the cause of the Dedication of these my Sermons to your Honour For who shall blame me if so far as in me is I honour with my Penne a Lord whom God hath sorichly honoured with his Gifts And who shall denie but that Sermons of the righteous mans evils and of the Lords deliverances may yea should bee dedicated to a Lord who though living in the midst of worldly contentments eateth the Paschall Lambe not onely with unleavened bread of sincerity truth but also with the bitter hearbes of godly sorrow ever sighing ever sobbing before God for the affliction of Ioseph ever praying ever crying to heaven for the deliverance restauration of Ierusalem lapping of the glib-sliding pleasures of this transitorie and fugitive life as GEDEONS souldiers lapped of the running waters and tasting them with thanks-giving as temporall gifts of God but drinking great draughts of teares flowing from the eyes of spirituall sadnesse ever expecting with a most firme hope the accomplishment of the Prophecies by the ruine of Babylon and deliverance of the Church ever hastening setting forward that necessary glorious worke by courageous and faithfull counsels and all other meanes lawfull and possible I cannot omit that which toucheth my selfe For being banished from France for the Gospell of Christ and for my nations sake and comming to his Maiesties Court where like unto ENDIMION after his long sleepe I saw nothing but new faces and seemed to my selfe as a man fallen out of the Cloudes your Honour embraced me with such kindnesse and humanitie and recommended me to his Maiestie with such affection that I should be iustly condemned of ingratitude if I did ever forget it Let that foule vice goe and burie it selfe in the gulfe of hell where it was bred I had rather be esteemed clownish and home-bred by rendring to your Honour in these unpolished sheetes such thankes as I can than called unthankefull by neglecting of my dutie The poore woman with her mite was as acceptable to God as the rich men with their rich gifts because shee gave what she had with a free heart And great Lords receive of their Vassals strawes and trifles for homage of great tenements I doubt not but this small and unworthy hommage shall finde in your most worthy Lordship the like acceptation as comming from one who with a true heart poures out his prayers to God for the increasing of all the blessings of this life and of the life to come upon your most honourable Person and illustrious Familie and who is Your Honours most humble most obedient and most affectionate Servant Gilbert Primerose THE RIGHTEOVS MANS EVILS AND THE LORDS DELIVERANCES THE FIRST SERMON Of Evils incident to man as he is man and of the Righteous man PSAL. 34. VER 19. Many are the evills of the righteous but the LORD delivereth him out of them all I. ALl men are subiect to many evills II. Kings Princes great men III. As well as other men IV. David ascribeth to the righteous man mo evills than to other men V. If the righteous man be examined according to the rules of the Law there is none righteous VI. If in Gods mercifull acceptation of the will for the deed all true Christians are righteous VII Description of the righteous negatively and affirmatively VIII He that is righteous and holy may call himselfe so IX Although hypocrites and wicked men claime that name to themselves X. The true characters of wicked men XI Their best workes are great sinnes XII The Church is the Congregation of righteous men and is assaulted with many evills XIII Exhortation to righteousnesse I IF wee take but a slight view of man who in his own pride and loftinesse of minde hath taken to himselfe the glorious title of the Little world if wee consider him in his person in his state wee shall finde that he is but a cage of rottennesse a sinke of filth and a world of wretchednesse The seed wherof he comes is a stinking excrement and the ground wherein he is sowen is a quagmire of dirt a sinke of uncleanenesse a strait and darke pit of loathsome and pestilent putrefaction from whence he doth not escape but is thrust out as a noisom troublesome guest who neyther can be kept longer nor set at libertie without unspeakeable torments both to the mother who hath
but the evill which I would not that I doe Whereof the Apostle rendreth this reason writing to the Galathians b Gal. 5.17 for the flesh lusteth against the Spirit and the Spirit against the flesh and these are contrary the one to the other so that yee cannot doe the things that yee would teaching most cleerely that the sinnes of the spirituall man come from his weakenesse and not from his will otherwise they should be sinnes of malice and not of infirmitie I conclude then that if mans righteousnesse be strictly examined in the balance of the Law there never was and c Eccles 7.20 there is not a iust man upon earth that doth good and sinneth not saving our Lord Iesus Christ who through the prerogative of his immaculate conception by the wonderfull operation of the holy Spirit was d Rom. 8.3 in the likenesse of sinfull flesh e Heb. 7.26 holy harmelesse undefiled separate from sinners and for that cause is called f Act. 3.14 the Righteous that title belonging only to him in that respect 1. Ioh. 2.1 VI. But what godly men cannot claime to themselves in the rigorous strictnesse of the Law that they finde in Gods mercifull acceptation and in the modification of his blessed Gospel wherein he entitleth his beloved children with this honourable name of Righteous men judging of them not by the imperfect perfection of their righteousnesses g Esa 64.6 which are as filthy ragges but by their affection and earnest endevour to be such as they should and which they strive with might and maine to be h Phil. 3.7 13 14. forgetting those things which are behinde and reaching forth to those things which are before and so pressing toward the marke for the price of the high calling of God in Christ Iesus For God who sheweth himselfe in the Law clothed with the majestuous and inexorable severitie of a Iudge representeth himselfe in the Gospel as a Father arrayed with meekenesse and mercy regarding the willingnesse of his children rather than anie perfection which may besought but shall not be found in their obedidience so long as they are in the way to their home For in the faithfull and true Christian there are two men i Ephes 4.22 24. The old man which we carry with us from our mothers womb when we are first borne and the new man which is given to us when wee are borne againe That man is Satans worke and the bitter fruit of the rebellion of the first Adam This man is the worke of Gods Spirit and the sweet fruit of the obedience of the second Adam That man is corrupt by deceitfull lusts and therefore is ever busied in drawing us away from goodnesse and entising us to evill This man is created after God in righteousnesse and true holinesse and is ever thrusting us forward from evill to good That man is strong and mightie This man is feeble and withstandeth with great difficultie That man though very powerfull hard to be overcome waxeth old and decayeth from day to day untill he be altogether destroyed This man increaseth every day in might and vigour and like the people of Israel when they were upon their journey ascending to appeare before God in Sion goeth k Psal 84.7 from strength to strength till he come l Ephes 4.13 unto a perfect man unto the measure of the stature of the fulnesse of Christ. So that man is at the last subdued overthrowne and killed by this man as the monstrous Gyant Goliah was by little David That man where he reigneth bringeth forth for fruit m Rom. 6.21 22. shame and his end is death This man hath his fruit in holinesse and his end is everlasting life From hence it is that God when he is to speake and make us know what account he maketh of his servants considereth them not according unto those relickes of the old man whose strength is weakened and whose life decayeth and dyeth every day to call them Sinners and wicked ones but for his n Phil. 1.6 owne good workes sake which he hath begun in them and will performe untill the day of Iesus Christ calleth them Saints Righteous Perfect For the Divels worke in us is not so considerable to defame us publikely with the disgracefull name of Sinners and wicked men as Gods worke is to grace us with the honourable title of Saints and Righteous men namely seeing the Lord maintaineth setteth forward performeth his own good work at length destroyeth Satans work in us as I have said What wonder then if he qualifieth us with titles of honour according as we are already shall be hereafter for ever and ever through his power and grace and not according as Satan hath made us and as wee shall not be alwayes for evermore For this cause it is written that o Numb 23.21 He hath not beheld iniquity in Iacob neyther hath he seene perversenesse in Israel Not that there is none but because p Mich. 7.18 he pardoneth iniquity and passeth by the transgression of the remnant if his heritage covering it with the precious robe of the righteousnesse of his deare Son q Col. 1.22 in whom he hath made us holy unblameable unreproveable and r Coloss 2.10 complete in his own fight And therefore righteous and perfect in Christ of unrighteous and uncomplete in our selves VII The man whom God calleth righteous in this sense is pourtrayed by the holy Spirit as well negatively as affirmatively David saith of him negatively that Å¿ Psal 1.1 he walketh not in the counsaile of the ungodly nor standeth in the way of sinners nor sitteth in the seate of the scornefull and t Psal 119 3. doth no iniquitie S. Iohn saith that v 1. Ioh. 3.6 9. bee sinneth not or as he explaineth himselfe doth not commit sinne that is to say he sinneth not with pleasure and content Whereof the holy Apostle rendreth two reasons for the first he saith that he that committeth sinne is of the Divell he is Satans bond slave for the Divell sinneth from the beginning he hath ever beene is and shall be busied in ill doing Therefore whosoever sinneth as he doth is his and not Gods But the righteous man is delivered out of his clawes through our Lord Iesus Christ the Sonne of God x Vers 8. who for this purpose was manifested that he might destroy the workes of the Divell His second reason is this y Vers 9. Whosoever is borne of God doth not commit sinne for his seed the seed of his predestination and of his Spirit remaineth in him and he cannot sinne because he is borne of God a Bern. de natuâ—â digai tat amoâ— c. 6. Piccatum patitur potius quà m facit quiex Deo natur est Bernard saith That he rather suffereth sinne than committeth it According to that saying of the Apostle b Rom. 7.20 If I doe that I
crying c Psal 37 7. Raze it raze it even to the foundation thereof VI. Such hath ever beene the condition both of every righteous man whose aboad is d Ezec. 2 6 with briers thornes and scorpions and of the whole Church which is c Cane 2.2 as the lillie among the thorns f Pro. 17.17 A friend loveth at all times and he shall be borne as a brother in adversitie The righteous man findeth seldome such friends kinsmen and friends who should love and protect him are eyther the first to procure unto him all kind of mischiefe or behold his adversitie as if they were fremm bodies And which is worthy your observation they which have or challenge to themselues the title and right of the eldest and first borne have ever persecuted their youngers because they were their betters Was it not g 1. Ioh. 3.12 Cain the first borne who murthered his innocent brother Abel h Gal. 4.29 Ismael borne after the flesh persecuted he not Isaac who was borne after the spirit i Gen. 27.41 Esau hated he not his younger brother Iacob and was not this his vow I will slay my brother Iacob This hatred was it not propagated to all their progenie Had ever the Israelites descended of Iacob more fierce and mischievous enemies than the viperous brood of Esau As soone as David was anointed King over Israel k 1. Sam. 17.28 Eliab his elder brother envied him the l 1. Sam. 23.19 Ziphims men of his owne Tribe treacherously betrayed him m 1. Sam. 22.3 4. Neither could he finde any place of refuge for his father and mother in all Israel but was constrained to seeke a safegard for them in Moab Hee is no sooner peaceable in his kingdome n 2. Sam. 15.13 31. but his owne sonne seekes his life but Achitophel his gouernor his familiar who was privie to all his secrets secondeth the Parricide with his pernicious counsell but the whole people followed their deadly attempts o 2. Chro. 13.8 c. The ten Tribes after their revolt frō God and from the King challenged to themselves the glorious title of Israel and under that name which before was common to the twelve persecuted the other two which retaining the puritie of Gods service were constrained to discerne themselues from these Apostates by the new name of Iowes When Ierusalem was destroyed by the Babylonians p Lam. 1.2 She wept sore in the night and her teares were on her cheekes among all her lovers shee had none to comfort her all her friends dealt treacherously with her they were become her enemies Yee heare Christs spouse complaining in the song of Salomon q Cant. 1.6 My mothers children were angry with me They made me the keeper of the vineyard but mine own vineyard have I not kept r Cant. 5.7 the watch men that wēt about the city found me they smote me they wounded me the keepers of the wals took away my vitile from me VII Christ cometh no sooner into the world but ſ Mat. 2.16 Herod seeketh to make him away and for his sake slayeth all the children of Bethlehem yea hee laid violent hands on his owne son borne of a woman of the Tribe of Iuda and therefore Augustus Caesar said that It was safer to be Herods pork than his sonne t Mat. 14.10 Herod Antipas the beheader of Iohn the Baptist v Luk. 23.11 mocked him and sent him again to Pilate who condemned him The whole people of the Iewes who should have adored him cryed x Iohn 19.6 15. Away with him crucifie him crucisie bum If yee seek the first Actors of this Tragedie ye shall finde that the Pharisees were the first who y Mat. 12.14 took counsell against him how they might destroy him that a Mat. 21.15 the chief Priests Scribes envied him b Mat. 26.3 that they assembled together with the Elders of the people unto the Palace of the High-Priest who was called Caiphas and consulted to kill him c ver 65 66 that the High-Priest condemned him of blasphemie that all together they pronounced him to be guilty of death d Mat. 27.2 12 20. delivered him to Pontius Pilate the Governor accused him perswaded the people that they should ask Barrabas and destroy Iesus So was fulfilled that which is written in the Psalmes c Psal 118.22 The stone which the builders reiected the same is become the head of the corner This is the Lords doing and it is marvellous in our eyes f Iohn 7.5 His owne brethren not onely beleeved not in him but also g Mar. 3 21 they went out to lay hold on him for they said Hee is beside himself Likewise h Mat. 26.23 one of his owne Disciples who dipped his hand in the dish with him betrayed him And therefore Iohn saith that i Iohn 1.23 Hee came unto his owne and his owne received him not VIII Looke what intertainment the Master received of his owne the same received his disciples not of the lees of the people onely but also of those which sat at the rudder and held the stern of the common-wealth and of the Church Christ foretold it should bee so saying k Mat. 10.17 18. Beware of men for they will deliver you up to the Councels and they will scourge you in their Synagogues And yee shall be brought before Governors and Kings for my sake The first and most violent enemies which they found were they l Rev. 3.9 which said they were Iewes and were not but the Synagogue of Satan Their Ring-leaders were the m Acts 4.1 Acts 5.17 24 40. High-Priest with all the rest of the Priests the Captain of the Temple the Sadducees and Pharisees Wheresoever the Apostles came that cursed Nation egged against them all kinde of folks n Act. 13.50 devout and honourable women the chief men of cities o Acts 14 19. the whole people As p 2 Thes 2.15 16. they both killed the Lord Iesus and their owne Prophets so saith the Apostle have they persecuted us They please not GOD and are contrary to all men forbidding us to speak to the Gentiles that they might be saved Had the Church at that time no other persecuters The Churches of the Gentiles q verse 14 suffred like things of their owne countrey-men At r 2 Cor. 11 32. Damascus the Governer under Aretas the King sought to apprehend Paul At ſ Acts 17.5 Thessalonica all the lewd fellows of the baser sort made an uprore against him At t Acts 16.19 Philippi the Masters of the Pythonissa seeing the hope of their gaine gone because Paul had cast the spirit of divination out of her egged the Magistrates against him and Silas At v Acts 19.24 Ephesus Demetrius the Silver-smith for a like cause raised no small stirre against him x Acts 24.1 Tertullus the Oratour accused him y 2