the rockes of a stonie heart and maketh an heart of flesh And as out of rags being brused is brought forth fine paper so is a troubled heart brused with sorrow for sin turned into a gratious subiect whereinto God may worke and write his law And as the poole of Bethsaida being troubled Ioh. 5.4 brought health to mens bodies so doth the conscience afflicted by God bring certaine health and saluation to soule and body Saint Ambrose sayeth that repentance is so difficult and hard a matter that he hath oftner found mo who liued innocently then who did truely repent It is written of Augustine that he caused the psalmes of repentance to be put on the wall ouer against him before he died and reaped aboundantly reading them ten daies at which time none came to him but either the phisitians or his refreshment Seeing therefore God liketh this sacrifice of a contrite heart without which none other thing will please him let vs take the bests of our affections seperate them from their olde pleasures to God bind them by the coards of the word lay them downe at his feete and slay them and that sacrifice shall please him offer thy selfe a liuing sacrifice and be assured God will accept of thee and neuer reiect thee not thine offering other sacrifices die being offered Nota. but we by offering our selues to God yet liue Verse 18. Be fauourable vnto Zion for thy good pleasure build the walles of Ierusalem HE hath prayed for mercie to himselfe now he praieth for the Church which he hath offended by his sinne and vpon which he had brought such euills that it would please God to be mercifull to her build vp her walles and repaire her ruines No man can truely pray for himselfe vnles he pray for the church No man can truely pray for himselfe vnlesse he pray for the Church also as Dauid doth in many Psalmes If a man be a sensible member of the body it is not possible but the euills which befall to any one member let be all touch not him to the heart as it were done to himselfe In this verse are three things contained first for whom he prayeth for Sion and Ierusalem secondly what he suiteth Gods fauour thirdly out of what ground for thy good pleasure But before we enter to any of these particulars we haue some generalls necessarely to be marked The chiefe care of princes should be for the Church First that the chiefe care of Princes should be the weale of the Church The Church is as the heart in the body which being troubled of necessitie the body must be in danger if ye loue your head keepe your hear The Church is as the heart The Church nurisheth the heart bloud of Christ in her bosome the resâ— of the members haue also their owne of fices but she hath the chiefest office being the most noble part and who should maintaine her more then the head whâ— hath all the sences infixed therein anâ— from which all the members sinewes anâ— veines take their life And what greater honour can they haue then to be nursinâ— fathers of the Church If a king concrediâ—â— his child and his first borne to be nourisheâ— by any of his subiects may not that subieâ—â— thinke he hath gotten great honour Simil. anâ— may expect for his trauell great commodâ—tie and when a king hath receiued Gods first borne for Israel is his first borne in his custodie may he not thinke he hath gotten great glorie and if he neglect his first borne shall he not receiue great infamie Those who are greatest officers in a kingdome as Chancelour Chamberlane President Secretarie and men of estate are in greatest estimation and credite and shall not great men thinke they are greatlie obliged to God who hath made them administrators of his kingdome whose standing is the weale of the Church the principall estate of their Common-weale if it stand then they stand if it fall they fall for their subiects obey them more for conscience then for any terrour or feare of their lawes Then it is best for them to be religious and to propagate holie religion for their owne standing The Romans wrought more by religion then the sword The auncient Romans Lacedemonians Athenians were most carefull of religion because they affirmed that they wrought more by deuotion then they were able to doe by the sword This was their good poâ—icie as Plutarch amplie reciteth in his Historie Then when Princes innade religion and draw the people to atheisme see if they be not gratest enemies to themselues to their estate and posteritie The Turke and other polititions may giue Christian princes sufficient proofes of this my assertion as also if examples of Dauid Solomon Iosias Ezechia Constantine Let princes follow Dauids example Theodosius may moue them whose posteritie hath brought eternall renowne vnto them and if not let Iulian affray them and wicked princes like vnto him The care of religion a princes chiefest safeguard The care of religion and to be a religious prince is the greatest safeguard to a prince For religion hath Gods maintainnance and God hath shewen his mightie hand for Ezechia against Senacherib and for Dauid against all his enemies for Queen Elizabeth who died in peace notwithstanding all the maginations of her enemies and for our dread Soueraigne Lord King Iames against all the horrible and monstrous designes of his enemies Princes religious bring wealth to their subiects 1. King 10.21 Princes maintaining religion bring great wealth to themselues and to their subiects as Solomon did when gold was as dust and siluer as the stones Next the Church being vnder continual danger should be helped by princes The Church being troubled should be helped by princes Since the Church is the princes depositum which God gaue to their custodie they ought to haue a chiefe regard of her The fatherlesse widow and orphans are concredited to them much more they should defend the Church because the deuill and his instruments and her fight against her and who should maintaine her but princes who are set in authoritie onely for her cause to debate and take her part against all the world Her enemies are more then notorious she was neuer at rest her enemies are assaulting her continually hell hath broken loose against her in these latter daies princes haue put their diadems on the hornes of the beast people are rageing And seeing that eternall spouse of God is so hated of the world should not princes with Dauid procure her welfare euen to their vttermost Princes must by prayer and power support the Church Princes who would fight well must pray well Exo. 17.11 Gen. 31.28 Prayer hath more power then armour Therefore princes who would fight well must pray well Moses did more with his hands lifted vp to God then Iosua did with his sword Israel wrestled with God gat his name by prayer for otherwaies he could not
we haue sinned in asking vs a King beside all other sinnes But a sincere heart seekes no starting holes or subterfuges but deales truely betwixt God and it selfe yea grace is at warre with all sinne especially with that which is nearest and dearest to man and will not spare to disgrace it by all meanes so that discovering the loath somnes thereof it maketh man willing to confesse it Ezra 9.6 Ezra sayth I am confounded and ashamed to lift vp mine eyes Thou shalt remember thy wayes Eze. 16.61 Act. 2.37 and be ashamed c. They were pricked in their hearts when they heard it God will haue his children like himselfe that as he esteemeth of sinne and as it is most oditious to him so we may account it odious and abominable and we can never hate and abhorre it overmuch Yea further when he maketh vs to aggravate our sinne he maketh vs so much the more to haue an earnest desire of mercy that when we haue seene sinne in an vgly visage we may see Gods grace more gladly laughing vpon vs with a merry countenance whereby we may the more glorifie him and accept of his mercie yea the more we confesse our debts to God and in humilitie craue forgiuenesse thereof the more he pitieth vs and the more we confesse our basenesse the more we magnifie the goodnesse of God pardoning the same The Lord will haue vs to confesse our sins that these being hewed from vs we may be more fit stones for his building Simil. And as the Carpenter taketh away chippes from the tree to make vp a goodly workemanship so will God haue our superfluous excrements cut off to make vs glorious ornaments to himselfe Against merits and superogation Gods superogation Mat. 18.27 Against Atheists This humble and penitent Confession of sinnes not onely damneth that divellish doctrine of merits and superogation or supererrogance when as the Master is sayd to forgiue all the debt But also convinceth such Atheists of our age who can well in grosse and generall termes say God forgiue vs we are all sinners and others who make a sport of sinne and others who will defend and patronize their sinne excusing the same and saying I am not alone I loue not to be singular it is the fashion of the world to whore and sweare and be drunke I hope God is not so strait laced as you are Yea many haue answered to my selfe You will not answere for our sinnes although I should haue beene partaker of them if I had not reprooved them They say to the Ministers as the Sodomites said to Lot Gen. 19.9 Shalt thou iudge and rule or as Corah and his confederates sayd to Moses and Aaron Num. 16.3 Yee take too much vpon you or as those in the second Psalme Psal 2.3 Let vs breake their bonds asunder And thou forgauest the punishment of my sinne Doctr. Repentance and remission meet together In the former part Repentance and remission meet together in few words Davids true Repentance is liuely expressed Now in this part is set downe the remission of his sinnes and both are closed in one verse to let vs see that the one is not so soone done as the other meeteth David sayth 2 Sam. 12.13 I haue sinned and Nathan subioynes presently and thy sinnes are forgiven thee So this may encourage penitent sinners that God will not suspend or drift time with them but will presently what time soever a sinner repent him of his sinne put away his sinnes out of his remembrance Forgiuenesse meets repentance in the face as the father of the forlorne Sonne met him and kissed him Luk. 15.22 But how can Confession be sound Ob before sinne be pardoned it seemeth rather that Confession should follow the remission of sinne It is answered Ans that all Gods gifts are given at once for in the first act of grace there is a change of the whole soule for faith repentance loue to God men are given at once but in respect of vs and our apprehension or application one grace goeth before another Simil. for as the cracke of Thunder and the Lightning are both at one time but we see the one before we heare the other because our sight is more apprehensiue then our hearing So these graces are all wrought together by God yet in regard of vs and our sense pardon commeth after Confession albeit God in the beginning of our conversion giues vs the grace whereof we haue not the present feeling Simil. as a childe in the mothers wombe liues and moues yet knoweth not of his life and motion So Gods children scarse can acknowledge that which is within them The Lord forgaue not onely his sinne but the iniquitie of his sinne Dan. 12.2 as we say terra pulveris or caenum luti the dust of the earth or dirt of clay Note By this he would teach vs that albeit we be altogether sinfull yet God is altogether mercifull great is our sinne I grant but his mercy is farre greater Ps 10.11 as farre as the heaven is aboue the earth Next yee see that God onely pardoneth penitent sinners It is an idle doctrine to cause men to beleeue that Christs bloud is sufficient for all sorts of sinners whatsoever they doe for if it were so what needeth repentance faith the loue and feare of God c. Wee cannot haue these without their conditions for as the auncient sayth fides iustificat correlativè How faith iustifieth August We must merit God by faith and repentance for as Augustine sayth he that made thee without them doth not saue thee without them But Christ died for all all therefore must be saved for whom Christ died It is answered Christs death had beene able as Leo sayth to saue infinite worlds but we speake of the effectuall shedding of his bloud which was shed for many not for all for the remission of sinnes VERSE 6. Therefore shall euery one that is godly make his prayer vnto thee in a time when thou maiest be found surely in the flood of great waters they shall not come neere him Doctr. The godly shall reape the benefit of remission of sinne THis is the second part of the Psalme for hauing taught that the happinesse of man consisteth in the remission of his sinnes now he sheweth who shall reape the benefit of the same So this gift of God is not restricted onely to David but to all the godly as a cleare light shining abroad for the vtilitie of the whole Church We receiue gifts from God to impart them to others 1 Tim. 1.16 Hereby we may learne for what end God doth bestow his gifts vpon vs to wit that we may reach forth the fruit thereof to others So the Apostle sayth he found mercie that he might be an example to others As also we should looke to the examples going before vs. Aske the former ages sayth Iob Iob. 8.9
lips which are not employed in the seruice of God that made them to proclaime his praises and double woe to them who employ them to his dishonour for they shall say would God they had bin rather dumbe Nota. and could haue spoken nothing then to haue spoken to the dishonour of that Maiestie which made them Verse 16. For thou defirest no sacrifice though I would giue it thou delightst not in burnt offering NOw toward the end of the Psalme he is bursting forth in thankfulnesse setting downe the sacrifice which the Lord would not haue to wit externall sacrifices and declaring that which he would haue a contrite heart Sacrifices of olde comprehended all Gods worship For the burnt offerings and sinne offerings represented Christs blood The thanksgiuing offerings The vse of the legall sacrifices peace offerings the incense the thankfulnes of the Saints for his benefits and what of all these he was wearied with them when they were not mixed with faith and repentence Nazianzen saith Vna Dei est purùm gratissima victima pectus Then if God delight not in sacrifices which were commanded by himselfe Nota. what careth he for trifles inuented by men of which he can haue no pleasure His delight is not in outward sacrifices at any time if they be alone I will haue mercie saith he not sacrifice Hos 6.6 much lesse doth he respect the sacrifice of the Masse hauing no warrant in his word neither yet of our prayers and praises when we do but pretend religion not serue God vnfainedly Away with all our offerings if we offer not to him that which he craueth chiefly to wit a penitent heart Lorinus obserueth well Sacrificia non operari per se peccatorum remissionem posse sed tantum represent are praefiugare sacrificium illud vnicum redemptoris that is that the sacrifices of old could not worke by themselues remission of sinnes but onely did represent and prefigure the onely sacrifice of our Redeemer Then as he saith truly their sacrifices ex opere operato by the external working of them cannot giue remission of sins What reason then hath he to affirme that the Sacrament of the new Testament conferreth grace by the very externall giuing thereof Lorinus against him selfe seeing that same thing was prefigurated by their sacrifices which is represented by our Sacraments that is Christs blood both in Baptisme and in the Lords Supper Verse 17. The sacrifices of the Lord are a contrite spirit a contrite and broken heart O God thou wilt not despise WHen he hath remoued that which God misliked and refused now he placeth that which God liketh and receiueth that is the sacrifice of a contrite spirit In the plurall number called sacrifices that is this one for all A broken heart is such a heart which is humbled through a sight and sense of sin What a broken heart is For it is needfull that as we haue worne our heart by sinne so our heart should be worne againe by repentance and sorrow for sinne and that we should take paines to subdue our hearts and all the thoughts thereof and bring them captiue to Gods obedience That is that poore spirit of which Matthew speaketh Mat. 5.3 Esa 66.2 Isaias speaketh of the spirit that trembleth at Gods word Why sacrifices in the plurall number This caused Dauid to put the word sacrifices in the plurall number that he might expresse the better that one contrite heart which is the sacrifice of repentance alone suffiseth for all legall sacrifices If he had said that a contrite heart is a sweet smelling sacrifice they might haue excepted the so are many others as the papists do mixe their works with the grace of God But Dauid excludeth purpossie all sacrifices and sheweth that what euer sacrifices God respecteth are comprehended vnder a penitent heart beleeuing in Christs bloud and seeking mercie for the same This sort of people are called mourners in Sion who mourne to God for their owne sinnes and the sinnes of the people who powre out their heart with their teares to God who doe lament for the affliction of Ioseph Oh what cause haue we to lament this day for our sinnes and to breake our hearts for the persecution of the Church in euery place Let our feasting be turned into fasting our laughter in teares Mourne with Ieremiah for the desolation of Sion Nota. A contrite and broken heart thou wilt not despise Here he encourageth the penitent sinner who may be affraied to appeare before the Tribunall of God in regard of the conscience of his sinne and be feared that God will not accept him howsoeuer he be humbled Him here he encourageth God will not despise a troubled heart yea rather he will like it and manifest his skill in healing and comforting it God liketh a troubled heart To which agree all those places in Isaias which comfort the Church those sweet inuitations of Christ to the laden and wearie to come vnto him and to those that were athirst and he that calleth vpon vs will not reiect and cast vs away The Lord is nigh to them that be of a contrite spirit Psal 144.8 Who speake to him in the bitternesse of their soule Iob. 10.1 Crying like the Dragon or Ostrich Mich. 1.8 Who cry wonderfull being ouercomed by the Elephants As Saint Ierome saieth who slay their affections and offer them as a sacrifice to God as the Magdalen Peter other Saints who forsake their former lusts and say with a certaine young man who being temped by an harlot and seeming to be ignorant who she was she said ego sum it is I he answered ego non sum it is not I for he was conuerted by repentance If thou would preuaile with God Pro. 23.26 giue him thine whole heart if thou doe any thing for God doe it with thine heart 2. Chro. 31 21 seeke him with thine whole heart loue him feare him pray to him turne to him Deut. 4.29 obey him with thine whole heart Deut. 10.12 Rom. 6.17 Ier. 32.40 Ioel. 2.12 Psal 119.145 Their heart is deuided saith the Lord of hoste now shall they perish Hos 10.2 God is one and vndeuided and craueth an heart one and whole in affection and rent onely by deiection nothing can breake God but a bâ—oken heart The string can bow the bowe the fire can temper and molifie the steele the goates bloud the adamant and the heart contrite can moue God saith Mantuan in these verses Virga recens Zephyris neruo curuabitur arcuâ— Igne chalybs adamas sangnine corde Deus Finallie obserue that albeit repentance doth make a contrite heart and as I said before we should take such paine on our contrition that we should not let any thought of our heart escape vnrepented mourned for yet the onely hammer which must burst our soules is the word of God The word of God bruseth the heart Simil. which bruseth
by sharpe meanes to be wakened Ionah 1.6.17 that God is forced to vse sharpe remedies to awaken vs. Ionas lay sleeping in the shippe when the tempest of Gods wrath was persâ—eing him God therefore threw him into the bellie of the whale and bottome of the deepe that from these deepe places he might cry to his God When therefore we are troubled either by heauie sicknesse Vse or pouertie or oppressed by the tirannie of men let vs make profit and vse thereof considering that God hath casten his best children in such dangers for their profite and that it is better to be in deepe dangers praying then on the high mountaines of vanity playing Nota. By the deepe places may be vnderstood also an heart deepely wounded with the consideration of sinne and Gods iustice for God will not accept such superficiall and scrufe praiers which come onely from the lippes and not from a contrite and broken heart 1. Sa. 1.16 Anna the mother of Samuel out of the bitternesse of her heart powred out her soule before the Lord. Exo. 14.15 Moses albeit he spoke not at all yet the Lord said vnto him Why criest thou for out of the deepe places of his heart he called on God Will not God cast backe the dung of those foolish prayers in their faces who thinke to be heard by their much babling and idle repetition of an vncouth language which they vnderstand not or numbering their beedes as though God could be pleased with such foolish and childish toies which come not from faith because they lacke knowledge nor yet from repentance or a sorrow for sinne Let not men thinke to find mines of gold or siluer in the streets Simil. no they must digge into the bowells of the earth for them So let vs not deceiue our selues thinking Gods fauour may be gotten euerie where for in the deepe places it is to be found I called vpon the Lord. The person vpon whom he calleth was the Lord Iehouah one who onely both might as omnipotent and would as most loujug heare him Psal 73.25 Whom haue I in heauen but thee and in earth none beside thee God is all sufficient therefore pray to him If Christ were not onely sufficient to whom and by whom we should pray we might seeke for others but seeing he is sufficient and none other what follie is it to pray to any but to him God differeth from kings kings are not able to doe all the duties of their office to their subiects Exo. 18.18 as Moses although indued with extraordinarie graces for his ease had seuentie ioyned to him to be iudges of the people and therefore we must addresse our selues to the kings officers to end our businesse But our God is infinite and willeth all men to come to him Mat. 11.28 Come to me all ye that are wearie and laden To adde to a thing perfect is to diminish it as to light a candle to the Sunne Simil. or poure a drop of water in the Ocean addition to things imperfect makes them the greater as the more waters the greater riuer the more men the greater armie more gold the greater treasure Then to adde to an infinite God To adde to a thing perfect is to make it imperfect a perfect Christ is nothing else but to dishonour him Search all the Scriptures if they yeeld one example or commanding of either Patriarkes Prophet or Apostle doing or commanding any to be prayed vnto but God onely Their apocrypha and vnwritten verities and their Legenda aurea must be all their warrand Let vs therefore with Dauid in all our prayers call vpon God 1. Kin. 18 29.37 and with Elias when Baal could not heare his priests pray to our God and with our Sauiour Christ say Our Father which art in heauen Mat. 6.9 I called He setteth downe the forme of his praier vnder the name of calling which sheweth his feruent intention not onely in calling vpon God but crying And this maner of feruent prayer is most necessarie albeit God doth as well heare vs when with Ezechias we mourne as a doue Pray vnto the Lord feruentlie Esa 38.14 and chatter as a swallow both to stirre vp our selues and others to call on God For we are more moued when we call and cry then when we speake with a lower voice Verse 2. Lord heare my voice and let thine cares be bowed to the voice of my prayer IN this verse he craueth attention that God would lay his care to his suite before he propouÌ„d it Simil. For as a subiect wheÌ„ he finds the kings eare prepared to heare him he thinketh that then he will be the more ready and willing to grant his suite So Dauid heere out of the aboundance of his heart vseth this repetition heare me not that he doubted but God heard for himselfe faith Psal 94.9 He that planted the eare dâ—â—h not he heare But by hearing he desireth the grant of his suite As the king is then said to haue heard a supplication when he hath granted it Let vs with Dauid cry from a penitent heart and in faith Vse 1 and then we may be assured the care of the Lord is ready to hearken all requests Those are to be blamed who thinke that the Lord doth not heare them if immediatly he doth not grant their desire Vse 2 for his delay is for our best and it is our duty patiently to attend his pleasure and time This petition is often repeated in the Psalmes as Psal 16.2 5.4.17.7 c. Prepare your hearts to pray and his eare is euer open to heare you Read 2. Chron. 6. concerning Solomons dedi ation of the Temple there he prayeth that God would bow downe his eare so often as they called for grace Verse 3. If thou O Lord straightly markest iniquity O Lord who shall stand Verse 4. But mercy is with thee that thou maiest be feared These two verses are the summe of all the Scriptures THese two verses containe the summe of all the Scriptures In the third is the forme of repentance and in the fourth the mercies of the Lord. These are the two mountaines Gorazin and Ebal mentioned in Deut. 27.12.13 These are the two pillars in Salomons Temple 1. King 7.21 called Iachin and Boaz we must with Paul perswade our selues that we are come from mount Sinai to mount Sion where mercie is although some sowre grapes must be eaten by the way Ier. 24.1.2 Ieremie tasted in his vision first a bitter figge out of one basket then a sweet figge out of the other In the daies of Moses Exo 15.25 the waters were first bitter then sweetned by the sweet woode And Elizeus cast in salt in the pottage of the sonnes of the Prophets 2. Kin. 4.41 then they became wholsome If thou O Lord. Marke here that in this third verse he two times nameth God by the Lord as in all the other 8 verses he
aboue Reu. 22.25 which all Christians should earnestly attend and feruently pray with the spouse Come Lord Iesus The watchman looketh about to see the Sun spread out his beames he knoweth that light doth not come from below We should turne our eies from the world because here is no comfort Nots and looke vnto Christ Iesus sitting at the right hand of the Father with Saint Steuen from whom onely we may expect a comfortable deliuery out of all our miseries Act. 7.56 4. The light commeth in the morning Before breake of day is greatest darkenesse and then the Sunne ariseth and by his beames expelleth the same the light commeth not till the euening The Apostles rowed all night Mat. 14.24 till they were become weary and out of all hope and then Christ came in the fourth watch and relieued them being then in a most desperat case God will come So the Lord although he tarieth to let vs feele our owne weakenesse yet no doubt he will come he dealt this way with Iacob he wrestled all night with him till the breake of day Ge. 32.28 and then blessed him Dauid after he was long pursued and persecuted by Saul 2. Sam. 1. yet at last gat rest and ease Iudg 2.16 The Iewes were neerely destroied by their enemies but God raised vp Sauiours to defend them Dispare not then and disquiet not your selues be not discouraged howsoeuer yee see the Church which is as the Disciples boate tossed to and fro by the waues of persecuting tyrants Mat. 14.23 looke to heauen for the day of her deliuerie is at hand yea that euerlasting deliuerie when the Sunne of righteousnesse shall arise and shine on her for euer she may haue a night for a time but her morning will be most gratious she may be in paines as a woman in trauell for a time but her deliuery will be most comfortable God albeit he seemeth to come serò late yet he commeth seriò in earnest as he did in preseruing the Church in Queene Esters daies Ester 8. By the contrary the wicked may haue a short morning in this world but they cannot escape an euerlasting night in that bottomlesse pit of darknesse Nota. out of which is no deliuerie Verse 7. Let Israel waite on the Lord for with the Lord is mercy and with him is great redemptions After the Prophet hath spoken of himselfe that he awaited vpon the Lord he now exhorteth all the Church to do the same He euer desireth the Church to be a partner with him in any benefite which he obtained from the Lord as in the 51 psalme after he hath prayed for mercy to himselfe he in the 18 verse prayeth vnto the Lord for the Church that he would be fauorable to Sion The like did Moses Daniel Ieremie they all prayed for her weale All should pray for the peace of the Church Dâ—uid exhorteth others to pray Pray for the peace of Ierusalem Such sort of preachers are to be highly respected who night and day powre out their prayers for the peace and welfare of Sion who depend on God and stirre vp others to put their trust and hope in God This did Iosua and Caleb after they had viewed the land Numb 13.31.33.34 giue heart and courage to the people of Israel to goe forward to Canaan whereas the other ten spies discouraged them saying their walls reached to heauen and the people were as the sonnes of Anak When Dauid desireth the whole Church to put her hope in God he recalleth her from alâ— other vaine hopes or putting her trust in any other This should make those who professe themselues to be Christians to blush and be ashamed to put their trust in any other but God I looked saith Dauid vnto the mountaines from whence mine helpe shall come Psal 12â— â— 2 mine helpe commeth from the Lord who made the heauen and the earth When Israel looked to haue helpe fortification and refuge of man then she was disapointed and left comfortlesse in her greatest extremeties Ier. 17.5 Cursed be he who maketh the armo of flesh and blood his confidence For with the Lord is mercie That which he so patiently attended vpon was mercie and that which he desireth the Church to waite for is mercie He repeeteth to the Church the goodnesse of that which he had tasted himselfe that which was needfull to him was needefull to the whole body of the Churchâ— and therefore as he wished mercie to himselfe he wished mercie to the whole Church militant Euery Christian should loue the Church more then himselfe which teacheth euery Christian to loue the Church as well as himselfe yea more and as he would haue health and welfare to himselfe so to procure the same for the Church And with him is great redemption He pointeth out this mercie First By the wonderfull effect thereof redemption Secondly By the qualitie thereof great redemption Redemption is the freeing of that which is in thraldome by giuing of a price What redemption is as the redemption of land presupposeth that it was ingaged for summes of money giuen to the owner and thus folde vpon reuersion or warriours that are taken in battell and ransoned at a price Oh that we would consider the thraldome we are in and how we stand in Gods debt the freedome which we get and the meanes whereby we obtaine the same God gaue vs his golden law and we haue nothing whereby to pay him but the drosse of our merits wherewith we will neuer be able to pay him that summe wherein we are oblished and thus we lie in thraldome Man may be redeemed But heerein is our comfort that we are not solde out at the ground but God hath alwaies reserued to vs a reuersion that we may be redeemed But what is the meanes whereby we are redeemed either it must be by strong hand as Abraham freed Lot or by the gratious fauour of those Ge. 14.16 whose captiues we are as a Master through loue which he beareth to his seruant may set him free or by paying of a ransome The parties were God and the Deuill Gods iustice must be satisfied Sathan must be vanquished or no redemption for vs. This Christ Iesus the sonne of God seeing that blessed seed of the woman and pâ—tying vs became a redeemer for vs by his valour and strength he vanquished that old serpent the Diuil and made vs free from him and by his death he satisfied the wrath of God and paied a ransome for vs euen his pretious blood Mans redemption is by the blood of Christ This redemption then is neither by gold nor siluer but by Christs blood All the world was not able to haue redeemed his blood only was a perfect satisfaction to the Father Lands impignorated become free at the Iubilie and when we are made free from our sinne we may account that the most ioyfull Iubilie that we euer saw Great