A SERMON AT Paules Crosse ON BEHALFE OF PAVLES CHVRCH MARCH 26. 1620. By the B. of London Both preached and published by his Majesties commandement LONDON Printed by EDWARD GRIFFIN for ELIZABETH ADAMS 1620. PSAL. 102. vers 13 14. 13. Thou shalt arise and haue mercy vpon Sion for the time to fauour hir yea the set time is come 14. For thy seruants take pleasure in hir stones and fauour the dust thereof THE Verses are two so are my parts the one belongeth to God Thou shalt arise c. The other to man For thy seruants take pleasure c. Both these riuers of mercy the waters that bee aboue the firmament and the waters beneath Mercy from heauen and mercy from earth run into Sion there is Collectio aquarum the subiect and sea of miserie and therefore the fitter vessell to receiue mercy Mercy doth well to all sorts of men but especially to the houshold of Faith Galat. 6. therefore to Sion aboue all the parts of the earth And mercy commeth amisse at no time but how faire is mercy in a time of need Vt nubes pluviae tempore siccitatis 35. Ecclis as a clowd of rain in the time of drought therefore when the time the set time to haue mercy is come And mercy is a gracefull ornament in all sorts of men especially in those that are the children of God Bee yee mercifull as your heauenly Father is mercifull Luc. 6. therefore the seruants take pleasure c. But when wee haue all sayd or done the mercy of God is aboue all his works and therefore aboue the mercies of all men and Angels O let me fall into the hands of God for his mercy is exceeding great but let mee not fall into the hands of men 2 Sam. 24. therefore Tu exurgens Thou shalt arise and haue mercy vpon Sion All these parcells of my text when I consider them aright me thinketh they walke togither as the beasts and birds that went into the Arke all by couples First here is God and his mercy Tu misereberis but not without an accent Tu exurgens thou shalt arise and haue mercy that is it is not a wishing and woulding mercy but a preuailing speeding releeuing mercy Secondly here is Sion and her misery for miserable shee must needs bee that standeth in need of mercy but not without an accent When it is come to that extremitie that the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of Sion is brought to an 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 hir composition to resolution euen vnto the stones and dust of it Thirdly here is time and times opportunity but not without an accent of the vtmost exigent pressure and hazard of time that can be imagined for it is time and with an 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 eccho resound againe time and with an 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the very set and appoynted time is come Lastly here are the seruants of God and their charity but not without an accent For it is such a charity as bringeth affliction disquiet pitty into their soules which is affectio maerens a mournfull affection for the miserie of Sion Put them all together To vndergoe this worke of restauration 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 you haue the powerfullest agent Thou and his readiest propension preparation to it shalt arise with his sweetest action and haue mercy the dearest obiect not an vnica a soule a saint but Sion a Church a Communion of Saints in the vrgent'st time when time yea time the appoynted time is come not onely in the wisdome of God but in the opinion of men for the seruants of God out of their tenderest and softest affections of loue and compassion to the extremest desolation and dissolution of Sion euen in materiam primam to the very stones and dust of it call for comfort Thou shalt arise and haue mercy vpon Sion for the time c. I begin with the first part which is Gods part and belongeth vnto him Wherein you haue his person Tu his position exurgens his disposition misereberis his patient Sion the perswasion quia tempus and the pressure of that perswasion statutum tempus Tu. His person We begin well in Dei nomine My text and the worke of my text haue a blessed beginning Quod foelix faustumque fit Wee begin with God Christo duce auspice Christo and God must begin the worke Ad primaÌ„ voceÌ„ timidas aduertimus aures I craue your religious attention for the first words sake In the beginning God made heauen and earth and God must begin to new make Sion or it will neuer be Nisi Dominus aedificauerit vnlesse the Lord build the house their labour is but lost that build it We see the disioynted stones of Sion like the dismembred parts of Medeas children and hir honour layd in the dust Out of such weake and beggerly elements who can repaire hir againe but he that of the dust of the ground which is the terme of my text made man and of the rib of the man as it were one rafter of the house built the woman wee are speaking of building and of the stones by the riuers bankes raiseth vp children to Abraham Sonne of man God to his Prophet 37. Ezech. shall these bones liue Lord thou knowest Erant sicca vehementer they were very dry Yet prophecie and hee prophcied and the spirit of life entred into them and they came togither bone to his bone Shall these disiected and deplored stones euer come togither againe and shall the dust arise and giue thanks to thee and serue in thy Sanctuary they aske the question in scorne Nehem. 4. Nunquid aedificari poterunt lapides ex aceruis pulueris Shall these stones bee built out of the heaps of dust Yes for Tu exurgens misereberis Thou shalt arise and haue mercy vpon Sion It is plainely exprest Zach. 4. Non in exercitu c. not by an armie nor by strength but by my spirit saith the Lord and they shall bring forth the principall stone with showting and crying Grace Grace vnto it Wee haue begun happily bonis auspicijs 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 with the good speed of God Other foundation can no man lay And hauing found out 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a wise Master-builder of the worke let vs seeke out the worke it selfe To this hee commeth addrest and prepared Exurgens thou shalt arise as a Bridegroome saith the Prophet of the Sunne that commeth out of his bride-chamber or like a strong man to runne his race Psal. 19. or as one that awaketh out of sleepe or as a Gyant refresht with wine Psal. 78. After long expectation till their eyes faile in their heads and strong exclamation till their tongues cleaue to the roofes of their mouthes vp Lord why sleepest thou proud insultation of the enemy where is now their God Exurgam ait Dominê° I will vp saith the Lord and helpe the distressed Thou
shalt arise And wee must arise in our thoughts and not haue so grosse and earthly a conceit of God as if hee arose indeed who neuer sitteth or lyeth downe or giueth any rest to the temples of his head or as if hee returned to his worke which he neuer intermitteth Semper agens semper quietus saith S. Austin It were a phrase of speech fitter to be vsed to Samson sitting in the lap of Delilah Tu exurge Vp Samson the Philistines are vpon thee or to Ionas sleeping in the bottome of the ship Quid tu soporate Vp sleeper call vpon thy God or in scoffe and subsannation of some Idoll-god as Elias of Baal perhaps he sleepeth But viuens vidensque that euer-liuing and all-seeing God whose eyes are neuer closed vp Hee neither slumbreth nor sleepeth that keepeth Israel and whose seuen eyes goe thorow the earth Zach. 4. Nunquam minûs otiosus quam cum otiosus neuer doing more then when hee seemeth to doe nothing at all cannot in propriety of speech thus bee entreated But as himselfe speaketh Hos. 12. after the Latine Assimilatus sum in manibus Prophetarum it hath euer beene the manner of Prophets and the Pen-men of the Holy Ghost to make resemblances and expressions of God from the fashions of man who when he is weary and giueth ouer his worke sitteth vpon a stoole as old Eli or languidus in cubitum leaneth vpon his arme or stretcheth himselfe vpon a couch But when he intendeth his businesse to purpose then hee standeth vpon his feet explicateth and displayeth his limbes and setteth his whole body in a readinesse And thus in a parable and some sort doth God His cessation and pawsing to vs-ward for the time from outward and apparant help carrieth some shew of indisposition and otiation in God as if he were gone to rest and minded vs not But doe we heare of his rising vp We may assure our selues the Lord will neglect vs no longer but the worke of his prouidence and care which hath bin throwne aside for the time will in hand againe To be short that that we gaine by Exurgens is this that the mercy which God intendeth to Sion is not a mentall mercy alone we wish you good lucke nor onely a verball mercy Goe in peace helpe your selues Iam 2. it is a reall and effectuall mercy in that God doth arise that is aduance and exalt himselfe and gather his forces about him to exhibite this mercy And so from his person Thou and his position or prouision shalt arise we are come to the third his disposition which in man is affection passion but in God action Thou shalt haue mercy Misereberis We neuer came at the kernell marrow of my text till now This is the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the word of comfort Sion had no hope of recouerie till shee heard of the sweet name of mercy Crueltie pulled hir downe exinanite exinanite downe with hir downe with hir euen to the ground and drew the line of vanitie ouer hir Mercy must set hir vp againe Tu misereberis is a large theme to preach vpon and I haue but my time yea my set and appointed time and therefore must march like Iehu The heauens are within a span the earth within a circle the waters within the fist the mountaines vpon the ballance the Sunne within tropicks but what number or measure or bounders shall I set to the mercies of God He that had wisedome as a floud the Preacher of Preachers and preached vpon that sad text wofull and disgracefull to the sonnes of men Vanitie of vanities all is vanitie how iustly and euerlastingly might he haue preached vpon this text Mercy vpon mercy all is mercy O mercy the lady and empresse of all the glorious attributes of God what shall I say of thee Heauen and earth are full of thy glory The glorious company of the Prophets praise thee the goodly fellowship of the Apostles praise thee the noble armie of Martyrs praise thee the holy Church throughout all the world doth acknowledge thee Of all those infinite treasures and riches which that immensitie of the Godhead aboundeth with what is there to vs wormes of the earth which lye low at his footstoole that wee dare approch and claspe in the armes of our soules and loue as our eyes but mercy alone His Maiestie astonisheth vs his glory beateth vs downe his greatnes striketh vs dead we adore his omnipotency admire his wisdome stand in awe of his iustice flie from his vengeance in mercy mercy alone we taste how gracious and amiable the Lord is Out of that strong is this sweet out of that lyon this hony-combe out of that greatnes this goodnes that is so much sought and pursued by vs. I could liue and dye in the contemplation of mercy Blessed be hir wombe that bare vs and hir paps that gaue vs sucke we liue and moue and haue our being by her Shee grew vp with vs from our youth and forsaketh vs not when we are gray-headed shee giueth vs our daily bread and hourely breath continueth vs in life comforteth vs in death and crowneth vs with life in the world to come Two things there are which without betraying my text I may not let passe the one the nature and valour of a true generous Christian faith bearing hirselfe so stoutly and resoluedly vpon the immutable eternity of God in the verse before my text Thou Lord abidest for euer whereupon my text ensueth and the yea and amen of his faithfull promises that in a case of greatest extremity as this was shee standeth not vpon termes of vncertainty si fortè it may bee God will haue mercy at this time maketh not so much as entreaty Tu miserere Doe thou haue mercy but out of a strong 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 confident abundant perswasion that God can no more deny to bee mercifull to hir then denie himselfe shee layeth hand fast vpon God and by anticipation before hand maketh a promise and saith to herselfe Tu miserebere Thou shalt as the Sunamite to the Prophet catching hold on his feet though Gehezi thrust her away Viuit Dominus as the Lord liueth and as thy soule liueth I will not let thee goe And as Iacob to the Angell when hee had wrestled the whole night with him Non dimittam I will not let thee loose till I haue a blessing from thee The other the modesty and humility of Faith bold as a Lyon but meeke as a Lambe Sion had as much to glory in as any hill in the world Why hop you so you high hills this is the Lords hill If any other may seeme to be confident in the flesh that is in earthly prerogatiues may Sion say as the Apostle 3. Philip. much more I. I shall say no more at the present but as the Psalme saith Goe about Sion number her turrets mark well her bulwarkes Goe about the Scripture number the praises marke well the
eucourageth him and they brought in so fast men and women that the workemen came from their worke and told Moyses there was too much and a proclamation was made in the Campe to bring no more Exod. 36. And when stuffe was to be prouided for building the Temple Dauid left it at large Who so is willing to fill his hand 1. Chron. 29. and both King Princes and people offred aboundantly and willingly in so much that Dauid for himselfe and them giueth thanks to the Lord in this forme Who am I and what is my people that we should offer thus willingly and when Iosias repaired the Temple 2. Reg. 22. the money is deliuered into the hands of the workemen and no accompt must be taken of them why because they did the worke faithfully And when Iulian that broken bow gracelesse Apostata to elude and falsifie the word of our Sauiour Non relinquetur lapis c. gaue them money from his owne coffers to build their Temple againe they were so zealous to the worke that they made them mattocks and spades of siluer and the women bestowed their jewels towards the charge and bare out the rubbell and earth in their bosomes There is not a soule that feareth God but the zeale of Gods house will euen eat it vp Many a true-hearted Areunah will offer his land to build the Altar vpon and his oxen for sacrifice and his plough-timber for fire The rich of his superfluitie will giue the more the poore will giue a mite euen out of his penurie The liuing will send their goodnes into heauen before them the dying will be carefull to take it along with them and I perswade my selfe there will not be a Will made but God shall haue a legacie Christ a childes part in it Euen Iudas himselfe that hath well thriuen by the worst meanes will out of remorse of conscience 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 cast downe his siluer in the Temple for the Priests to dispose of For this great and glorious worke doth your great and gracious Master come to speake I haue drawne with my cole before him the colours of life and grace are in his lips where sceptrum plectrum authoritie and eloquence will kisse each other and the tongue of a King like the harpe of Amphion draw stones to the building It hath euer beene the care of religious Princes to build and beautifie Churches Great Constantine the Noah and father of the new Christian world after that floud of bloudy persecution in founding the Lateran then the Constantinian Church bare 12 baskets of earth vpon his owne shoulders I spare the rest stories are fraught with them I receiued it in a message amongst other enlargements and perswasions of his Royall spirit from our religious Constantine that he would be contented to doe a penance and to fast with bread and water so this Church might be built The request is not harsh cannot be grieuous to any but as the seruants to Naaman their master If the Prophet had commanded thee a great thing shouldst thou not haue done it how much more when he saith wash and be cleane so when the King shall request no more but build repaire the Church and your honour togither I say when the King shall request it You remember what Paul wrote to Philemon though I haue great authoritie to command thee that that is meet yet out of loue I rather entreat 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 being such as I am I Paul the aged c. Hee that hath the ball in his hand and commandeth farre and wide yet layeth downe as it were his Crowne and stoopeth to entreaty Caetera imperaui vobis hoc vnum debiturus as Alexander to his souldiours commanding in other matters beholding in this And 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 being such as he is One that hath kept the fire vpon your Altar yet burning I trust euer shall I meane that hath nourished the Gospell of peace and gouernment of peace and liberty plenty prosperity the daughter of peace amongst you to this day One that hath filled you with such hope at home Quantus in ore pater radiat What a Father what a Sonne and such honour abroad I wish I were worthy to blason it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 such a King entreateth that as these seuenteene yeeres of his raigne haue been honored priuiledged with more exemplary and spectable workes in your City and Suburbs I named not the Charter-house in Countrey and Vniuersities where Libraries Schooles and Lectures prouoke all Christendome to emulation and some Colledges haue beene newly founded euery Colledge almost hath cast his old skin with the Serpent and gotten a new coat then in so many yeares twice told picke them where you will of any his Predecessours So the re-building of Pauls may be the Coronis and Vp-shot the Glory Garland and Master-peece to all the rest I am full as the Moone and must speak to take breath from the abundance of the heart my mouth speaketh A great dore and effectuall is opened vnto mee I neuer spake in such an Auditory neuer shall againe But if euer I were in the Spirit I trust Gods Spirit is in mee and affecteth me thus to speake I meane transported beyond my selfe now it is to haue so many thousands of soules within mine eye so faithfull and firme I perswade my selfe to God his Anoynted the Church the State as with their meanes and assistance alliance and friends are able and ready to build a Church shall I say yea and to maintaine and fight for the Church to defeat all aduersaries it hath and debell proud Antichrist himselfe Deum in voco testem in animam meam I speake as I thinke I see a cluster and bunch of the grapes of Canaan the very first best of the fruits throughout the whole Kingdome Now you on the other side Behold your King Ecce Rex vester Hosanna Hosanna saue Lord blesse Lord blessed is he that is come vnto you in the name of the Lord and blessed blessed againe that comes in the name of the Lord and with the Lords errand Set it as a seale vpon your hearts that your King is so come vnto you Such commings are not often but like Ludi Saeculares in Rome once in an age once in a Princes raigne Queene Elizabeth once and now your Soueraigne once I hope I shall not sinne in wishing that such commings were more often Ex visu fit amor Such a people in view of their King and such a King in view of his people banding their eyes to and fro the one from the other would be as the flowing and falling of waters a reciprocall and enterchangeable motion of loue betwixt them I know not what others thinke but to mee it seemeth worthy to adde a Rubricke more to your Almanacke and make a new Holy-day amongst you The Pope maketh Iubilees at his pleasure why not this a Iubilee a yeere of extraordinary joy to your City I doubt not but our Chronicles will make report of this to future ages Some will bee so happy to take the pencill in hand none but Apelles should doe it and describe the honour of this day But will it almost be beleeued that a King should come from his Court to this Crosse where Princes seldome or neuer come and that comming to bee in state with a kinde of sacred pompe and procession accompanied with all the faire Flowers of his Field and the fairest Rose of his owne Garden an holy Congregation to bee called his desires sanctified before hand with prayer and preaching and in the hearing of a world of people to make a request to his Subiects not for his priuate but for the publike not for himselfe but for God not out of reason of state and policy but of religion and piety no lesse fruit of honour and fauour with God and man accruing thereby to his people then to his sacred Majesty You that see it at the present and can value and prize it with all due circumstance and merit haue cause to admire it I cannot conclude in a better time nor can I make a better conclusion then a little beneath my Text from the 18. verse Scribentur haec there is your reward these things if you doe them shall bee written for the generations to come and the children vnborne shall praise the Lord. Now the God of peace make you perfit in euery good worke through Iesus Christ our Lord. FINIS Act. 3. Tu Exurgens Misereb Sion Tempus c. Serui tui diligunt lap miserentur pulueris 1. Part. Tu. 1. Exurgens 2. 1 Reg. 18. Misereb Psal. 68. Psal. 48. 2 Cor. 12. Gen. 11. Psal. 136. Sion Es 31. Cypr. quia tempus Tempus tempus statutum venit Iudg 8. 2 Part. Thy Seruants Esa. 49. Psal. 74. Are pleased Esdr. 3. Euseb. Pitty Saluianus in Epist. Application Iudg. 5. 2 Reg. 4. 2 Sam. 2. Gen. 37. 1 Sam. 4. 1 Tim. 6. Matth. 19. 1. Cor. 16. 2. Cor. 9. Gen. 27. 1. Tim. 5. Exod. 35. Math. 27. 2. Reg. 5. Q. Curt. Hebr. 13.