Orbes if the Intelligences faile in their mouing office nor can I wonder at the inordinate actions of this sublunarie world when Gods Intelligencers dare not tell Israel of her sinne Isa 58.1 and Iudah of her transgressions Now if I durst aduenture I could put some into a wonderfull Strait and bring some soules before the iustice of God whom the opinion of the world hath openly quitt Should I say that Simon Magus is turned a great Patron of Benefices amongst vs and that his bosome-seruant Quid dabis were a disposer of Liuings I know not how this Age would take it Should I say that some gallants weare Vicars cloathes or spend the Clergies bookes in yellow ruffes they may perhaps haue pepper in the nose as well as Cloues in their bands Or should I condemne the generall Apostacie of the world from that good estate and plight wherein our Fathers haue knowne it some Stoicall Athenian may iustly as his wisedome thinketh aske what will this babbler say If they or any of them will needes know then this I say and yet not I but others whose shooe latchets I am not worthy to loose that for the particular sinne of Sacriledge all that is so gotten is aurum Tholossanum and that all the bread at such Patrons tables are cheat loaues And for the generall estate of the whole world as one sayd bitterly of Rome probabilius est strui nouam quam emendare antiquam more like to haue a new Rome built then the old to be amended so I say of the world that it is more probable sooner to see it changed in substance then in manners in regard that so farre as I see the world is likely sooner to cease to be then to be wicked and hence is nostri mundi calamitas that men had rather ten times commit one sinne then once heare of ten sinnes Dauid tooke all in good part that Gad spake though it were neuer so harsh and blamed none but himselfe for being brought into this Strait I would that all that heare me this day were herein not almost but altogether such as Dauid then would Herod heare the reproofe of Iohn Baptist gladly then would euery man so heare the word as to amend his life according to the word then would God be honoured his Ministers comforted and the World well amended But if the dease Adder will not heare when wee charme the world with zeale and discretion happily vnited then the Lord commands to cry aloud and spare not to lift vp our voyces like a trumpet Luk. 18.1 and to deale as that oppressed widow moue them with vncessant preaching and to be bolde as Lyons in Gods cause Let Peter tell Simon Magus plainely Act. 8.23 Acts 13.10 that he is in the gall of bitternesse and the bond of iniquitie Let Paul tell Elymas the sorcerer that he is the child of the diuell if he be full of all wickednesse We must learne of Gad not spare to speake though we spare to speed And all godly and conscionable hearers must learne of Dauid to heare with quietnes to beare with patience and to mend with willingnes As Dauid chides not with Gad so he quarrels not with God and though as our Prouerb goes losers must haue leaue to speake yet hee though I suppose his heart waxed hote within him neuer spake with his lips to iustifie himselfe Psal 39. Thus might his Pharifaicall thoughts haue suggested Ah my Lord I haue a long time gone in and out before this thy people O Lord thou knowest that I loue thee and haue with all my heart sticken to thy testimonies I haue had so great a care of my wayes as not to offend in my tongue O thou Lord good and gracious full of mercy and compassion is thy mercy cleane forgotten or shall all the former passage of my life be too little to expiate one small sinne Thou madest proffer of mercy to fiue Cities for ten righteous and wilt thou not spare one man for one sinne Thou that pardonest such a number of sinnes to thy people wilt thou not pardon such a sinne as numbring of the people Thus might Dauid seem to haue pleaded for himselfe Apud Linium Tullus an interpreter of the Law hauing pleaded for the life of Horatius who had murdered his Sister and not preuailing the Father of this Horatius demands of the Romans whether they could lead his sonne to death but his owne demerits and valiant acts would euen giue a dumbe shew to haue his life saued So might humane iudgement had it now beene Aduocate haue pleaded for Dauid but it would not haue preuailed nor haue beene a sufficient baile to haue freed Dauid from this vnsuspected Sinne and vnexpected sorrow Now he that hath an eare to heare a heart to consider and a memory to remember cannot in sense but heare in reason he must vnderstand and vnlesse he will forget himselfe remember this for his instruction Doctr. That the waight of mans merit is not sufficient by many graines to counterpoise the burden of one wilfull sinne if God be extreame to enter into iudgement with the Sonnes of men though they be such as are indeed the Sonnes of God How faire soeuer the preceedent part of their liues haue been both in their publique and priuate callings yet that great King of heauen who can espie one man amongst many without a wedding garment can in his omniscience and may and doth often in his iustice enter into iudgement for the commission of one sinne especially if wilfull as was this of Dauid as we see in the Church of Ephesus Reu. 2.2 though laudable for her workes her labour her patience and perseuerance yet there is a something that God hath against her for which he will remoue the Candlesticke out of his place except she repent Many plankes well pind and calkt make the Ship to float one and but one leake will sincke it One wound may strike Goliah dead as well as three and twenty did Caesar Sam. 17. Sueton. Iudg. 16.18 One Dalilah will doe Sampson as much spight as all the Philistims One wheele broken spoiles all the whole clocke One veines bleeding will let out the vitall spirits as well as more One flie will spoile a whole boxe of ointment 1 Reg. 49. One hearb Colloquintida spoiles all the pottage One Apple lost Adam the pleasant Paradise 1 Sam. 14.27 One licke of honey endangered the life of Ionathan One Achan was a trouble to all Israel Ios 7.25 One Ionah if faulty Ionah 17. is lading too heauy for a whole Shippe And one sinne is enough to procure Gods anger and too much for a man to commit Reason Now that God may not be challenged of any iniustice as though hee would easily picke a quarrell with men Iam. 2.10 heare what S. Iames auerreth That he that failes in one point is guilty of all A stone cast into the midst of the
cum Dauide conferatur those whose most laudable part of their liues are odious if any way paralleld with Dauid If no sighes or teares or prayers could expiate his sin or diuert Gods iustly conceiued displeasure I say to them and yet not I but the spirit of God himself that albeit they shall hide themselues in dens Reu. 6.15 and in the rocks of the mountains that neither rocks nor mountaines though they should fall vpon them shal be able to hide them from the face of him that sitteth vpon the throne and from the wrath of the Lambe If the meditation of this were seated in the hearts of vngodly and wicked men although no son-like yet euen a slauish feare would curbe and bridle the vntamed colts of the world when they shall consider how in euery sin they doe but heape vp wrath against the day of wrath Rom. 2.5 and reuelation of the righteous iudgement of God This being duly considered he that is vniust would scarse continue vniust still nor he that is filthy to be filthy still But hee that is holy would be holy still De libero arbitrio lib. 3. cap. 15 he that is righteous would be righteous still For as Augustine Qui non reddit Deo faciendo quod debet reddet ei patiendo quod debet Whoso doth not what he should shall suffer what he would not But lest while I keepe Dauid in this strait I should runne too much at large I come now in the last place to the bailing of this prisoner out of the tedious little-ease and to shew vnto you in the fourth circumstance propounded how he freed himself and with how much wisedom Qua prudentia euaserit Redimit se sapiens captum quam queat minimo When Iulian was opposed by the hand of heauen he was so obdurate in his Sinne that Vicisti Gelilaee and his bloud came out together this was horrible obstinacie 1. Sam. 31 4. When Saul was in a Strait he fell on his owne sword and dyed that was desperation 2. Chron. 28.22 When Ahaz felt the hand of God he sinned more and more this was flat rebellion Plutarch None of these courses like or please Dauid but as Theseus in the Labyrinth gate out by the helpe of Ariadnes Clew so Dauid by the guidance and direction of the Spirit of God and by spirituall Wisedome freed himselfe from this great Strait Some Hebrewes imagine 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that the last word of Gad in propounding gaue Dauid some hint and direction for his choyce because the same word Dabhar with some changing of points signifieth the Pestilence which in Gads speech signifieth indeed onely What word shall I carry him that sent me Dr Willet in locum and this by a reuerend and learned Diuine of our owne is worthily refused because Dauid was a prudent and wise man and needed not any direction for such a choyce But now Dauid being hard put to it thinkes with himselfe As I haue done foolishly in committing the sin I would faine deale wisely in the choyce of the punishment As hee that is immured within some high wall will make choyce of the lowest part to leape ouer Thus then he resolues I am indeede straited Lupum auribus â—eneo Now as ex duobus malis minus so ex tribus minimum est eligendum If I choose Warre I feare many enemies to offend me now melius est timere vnum quam multos If I choose Pestilence I feare but one If I choose Famine the poore will pay for it If Warre the weakest go to the walls Now Gad I am resolued tell the Lord that sent thee this is my answere Let vs now fall into the hands of God for his mercies are great and not into the hands of men In which choyce we cannot but obserue first Dauids Charitie secondly his Piety thirdly his Wisedome Charity Oftentimes yea and too often delirunt Reges plectuntur Achiui Dauid had now offended these poore sheepe of Israel what had they done Hee offers himselfe and his fathers house verse 17. for a peace offering but sith it is commune malum by Gods immutable decree he chooseth that euill wherein hee may be socius doloris willing indeed to beare a part in this doleful Tragedy neuer desiring like the Mariners to scape a generall danger in a cock-boat Act. 27.30 but offering himselfe to be a sharer in the present danger by chusing an euill which doth aequo pede pulsare pauperum tabernas Regumque turres We read of Cardinall Albert Ioh. Petit. hist Netherlands Iuven. Sat. 10. that at Newport battaile in Flaunders hee forsooke his armie and fled to Brussels and of Xerxes that he fledde vix vna naue cruentis fluctibus c. but Dauid more charitablie stayes the brunt and equals his weale or woe with his subiects whom his Sinne had brought to this extremitie His Pietie Warre would without resistance haue prooued but a massacre and this now French-tricke would haue made the field a shambles and turned the flourishing cities of Israel into Golgotha a place of skulls and into Aceld ama a field of bloud And the insulting enemie would haue spread their banners in defiance of the Lord this would haue cut Dauid to the heart to haue seene not onely the place of his honour made a reproach but also 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 his own honor into shame for though his enemies had beene but the rod of Gods furie they would haue ascribed their victory to the power and mercy of their gods as once the Philistims did to Dagon and so haue robbed God of the honour due vnto his Name which Dauid most deerely tendring Iud. 16.24 chose rather to haue God the auenger of his own quarrell then to haue the daughters of the vncircumcised either reuell in the ruins of Israel or take away the glory of God which he will giue to none other His Wisedome not grounding his choyce vpon Sands as a foolish builder or vpon stat pro ratione voluntas like an vntuterd moralist nor yet vpon a bare Theorie or contemplation as the naturalist but vpon a setled and grounded experience of the mercies of God Which he knowes so well that his knowledge doth apprehend them and his tongue dare boldly pronounce them that his mercies are great or as the Originall in the discrete quantity they are many Nor doth hee choose to fall into the hands of God because his iudgements are few but because his mercies are many Note But why now speakes Dauid of Gods mercies when God is now bent to punish and it seemes hath forgotten to be gracious Because that God in the very act of administring iustice and punishing his children doth shew and set forth no small measure of his goodnesse and mercy If any shall demaund as Nicodemus in another case how can these things be doe but see and you shall vnderstand doe but obserue and you will consent
temporall iudgement but eternall Now in eternall iudgement it is a most fearefull thing indeed in regard of the vnlimited power of God Luk. 12.5 Mat. 10.28 who is able after he hath killed to destroy both body and soule in hell fire yea I say againe him feare but as for temporall iudgments it is farre better to put our selues vpon God then vpon our countrey For there is mercy with the Lord. Homo is called homini lupus but God is homini Deus But because contraria iuxta se posita clarius elucescunt see we in a word what the mercies of men are I remember their dealings dashing of Infants braines against the stones I remember and that with amazement ripping vp of women with child Ioseph I remember the lamentable siege of Ierusalem when the glory of the Land the holy Citie the glory of that Citie the Temple the glory of the Temple Sanctum Sanctorum was vtterly ruined and wasted by the hands of mercilesse Romans Franc. Petit. hist Netherlands I remember that French Captaine Bordett chose rather to be shott by a Muskettier of his owne Company then to fall into the hands of the bloudy Duke of Alua. But now hoping that all this Christian Assemblie came hither to learne I beseech you learne these two things of one whose face perhaps few of you haue seen before and it may be neuer shall see hereafter especially in so publike a place as this holy Mount where on I stand First if the worst of our condition shall betide this sinfull Nation of ours namely to suffer for our sinne let vs say to God as Zeba and Zalmanna did to Gideon Iudg. 8.21 Fall thou vpon vs for as is the man so is his strength So Lord if wee must suffer fall thou vpon vs for as is the Lord so is his mercy England is encompassed with the Sea which for the most part is beneficiall though sometimes hurtfull encompassed with Gods mercies which are alwayes helpfull neuer hurtfull encompassed with enemies alwayes hurtfull neuer helpfull If the Sea break in the worst is death and no more if our enemies breake in if they preuaile what proud insulting what cruell tormenting what shall be wanting to make vs miserable Lord wee haue sinned with our Fathers and haue deserued the vialls of thy fierce wrath But O Lord doe thou correct vs for thou wilt not doe it in thine anger nor chasten vs in thine indignation but neuer giue vs ouer into the hands of men Seeing our originall is sinfull as well as all the Sonnes of Adam and that wee haue deserued Gods heauy iudgements as well as others Oh now seeing God hath withheld his reuenging hand so long let vs learne that counsell of Daniel to Nebuchadnezzar Dan. 4.24 to break off our sinnes by righteousnesse and our iniquity by mercy and let there be an healing of our error Let vs in the name of God turne before it be too late lest wee repent when it is too late Lord open our eyes that wee may see the day of our visitation and preuent that fearefull doome of hauing these good things hidden from our eyes O fortunatos nimium bona si sua nossent Britannos we distast the enioying of that whose losse our Christian neighbours bewaile The Christians in Polonia cry out for ayde The Protestants in Bohemia groane vnder a heauie and intolerable burden The Protestants of France send many sighes to heauen for peace or bare security Happy Britaines wee sit vnder our owne Vines and our owne Fig-trees God of his mercy continue it Let vs not cut off our welfare by our wickednesse Wee haue not Famine but Plenty not Warre but Peace not Pestilence but Health and Soundnesse Now in a word as the Romans dealt with Victory clipping of her wings that she might neuer flie from them againe so let vs doe with our happinesse Happinesse it selfe Seeing it may God knowes how soone be hidden from vs stay her flight by thankfulnesse and obedience If there be amongst vs that thinke happinesse absent I wish them to prepare her way and make her paths straight that shee may come in and dwell with vs. Or if she be amongst vs as the God onely wise and immortall knoweth that