will endeavour to discharge his duty by good report and evil report 2. You may observe that goodness it self is hated and truth it self slandered and traduced for in his mouth was found no guile but as Saint John saith he is the way the truth and the life and yet all that malice can invent is thought little enough to be laid on him he must bear in his bosom the reproach of a mighty people and he must endure the contradictions of a wicked generation And therefore what wonder is it if the best King and Governour in the world were he as mild as Moses as religious as King David as upright as Samuel and as bountiful to Gods servants as Nehemiah or if as worthy Preachers as ever trod pulpit were they as faithful as Saint Peter as loving as Saint John and as zealous as Saint Paul should be maligned traduced and slandered for you may assure your selves it is no new thing though a very true thing for the wicked to deal thus with the good and godly at all times But among all the subtil arguments doubtful questions and malicious disputations that the Scribes Christs good deeds inraged the wicked Pharisees and Heredians had with our Saviour Christ which were very many and all only for to intrap him in his speech that they might bring him to his death and not to beget faith in their own hearts that they might attain-to eternal life this conflict in this chapter seemeth to be none of the least for after he had so miraculously healed the poor man that was born blind their malice was so inraged and their rage so furious against him that they excommunicated the poor fellow and thrust him out of their Synagogue for speaking well of him that had done so much good for him or because he would not be so wicked and so malicious as themselves and then gathering themselves together round about Christ they began to question him about his office and very strictly to examine him whether he was the Christ the Messias or not And Our Saviour Christ Christ answereth for the good of the godly that knew their thoughts better then themselves intendeth not to satisfie their desire which was to receive such an answer whereby they might accuse him yet for their instruction that would believe in him he setteth down an institution or an infallible induction whereby both their subtil question was fully answered and his own true servants perfectly expressed and distinguished from them that serve him not in these words My sheep hear my voice and I know them and they follow me Wherein The means ways to save us our Saviour setteth down the means whereby the true Christians are eternally saved in being called justified and sanctified which are the three main steps or degrees whereby we pass from our natural state of corruption unto the blessed state of grace that brings us to eternal glory 1. Called in these words My sheep hear my voice 2. Justified in these words I know them 3. Sanctified in these words They follow me 1. Then the Christians are called to come to Christ in that he saith My sheep hear my voice for as Adam after his transgression never sought for God until God sought for him and said Adam Where art thou So all the children of Adam would never come to Christ if Christ did not call them to come unto him but as wisdom crieth without and uttereth her voice in the streets Prov. 1.20 so doth this wisdome of God Jesus Christ cry Come unto me all ye that are weary and heavy laden and I will ease you and if he did not cry and utter forth his voice his sheep could not hear his voice but God sendeth forth his voice yea and that a mighty voice and as the Prophet David saith The Lord thundered out of heaven Psal 68 33. and the most high uttered his voice And that not onely as he did once unto the Israelites God uttereth his voice two wayes when he delivered his laws on mount Sinai but also to all others whom he calleth and uttereth his voice unto them two special ways 1. To the ears of his people by the mouths of his Prophets 1 To our ears Apostles and Preachers of his holy Word that do continually call and cry unto them to come to hear his voice and to obey his Precepts 2. To the hearts of his servants by the inspiration of his blessed Spirit 2 To our hearts which teacheth them to cry abba Father and perswadeth them to yield obedience to all his heavenly motions And our Saviour saith that his sheep or servants will hear his voice that is both uttered by his servants and inspired by his Spirit and they will neither neglect to hear the preaching of his written Word nor suffocate or choak the inspired Word that is the internal motions of his holy Spirit but they will most readily and willingly hear both these voices My sheep hear my voice howsoever uttered Three things observable For the further and the better understanding of which words you may observe these three things 1. The denomination Sheep 2. Their appropriation my sheep 3. Their qualification hear my voice 1. By Sheep here is understood not those four-footed silly creatures The children of God called sheep in a double respect that by their wooll and lamb and milk and their own flesh are so profitable unto us and by their simplicity are so easie to be kept and are the most innocent among all the beasts of the field but those children of God and true Christians that are called and compared unto sheep in a double respect 1. In respect of Christ that is their Pastour or Shepherd 2. In respect of themselves that are his flock 1. Christ is often called in the Scriptures our Shepherd 1 Grand Shepherd of the sheep Christ the good Shepherd in two respects 1. A lawful entrance into his Office Heb. 5.4 1. By the testimony of his own conscience 2. By an outward approbation and he is set forth unto us in this 10. c. by a double manifestation 1. Of a lawful entrance into his Office 2. Of an absolute performance of his Duties 1. The Apostle saith No man taketh this honour unto himself that is to be the Shepherd over Gods flock and a Priest to teach Gods people but he that is called of God as was Aaron And how was Aaron called 1. By God inwardly by the testimony of his own conscience that tells him the Spirit of God calleth him to such an Office 2. Because a man is not to believe his own private spirit that many times deceiveth us therefore God would have Aaron to take his commission and his ordination from Moses as you may see Exod. 28.1 and as the Lord had formerly said unto Moses that he should be instead of God unto Aaron to call him unto the Priests office And as no man taketh or should
Roman Deputy testifieth Jesus of Nazareth King of the Jewes 3. 3 They were the murderers of their own lawful King This their King was not like Jeroboam the son of Nebat starting aside and stepping in over the right Kings head nor like Queen Athalia that usurped the Regal throne by suppressing the lawful King but he was their own lawfull King lineally descended from King David both in respect of his Putative Father and his Mother Mary as both Saint Matthew and Saint Luke do testifie and sufficient reasons may be produced to prove that by heredâ—tary right which is the â—best and the most undubitable right unto the Crown he was born the King of the Jews 4. 4 They were the murtheres of a just King And this their King was not like Rehoboam the son of Solomon that is a foolish or at least an undiscreet son of a most sage and a wise Father but he was the wisdom of God as saith the Evangelist that his wise answers to all the subile questions of his adversaries Luke 11.49 and the malicious objections and remonstrances of his persecurors satisfied all wise and indifferent men and stopped the mouthes of many of his greatest adversaries when they admired his worth though they persecuted his person John 7.46 and hated him the more yet were they driven to confesse that never man spake as he did Neither was he like Manasses an Idolatrous and a bloody King nor yet like Ahab an unjust tyrannical intruder of himself into his subjects possessions but he was a most pious and a religious King going in his own person unto the Temple and scourging all prophaners out of Gods house and he was so pitiful so merciful and so mild that as Cicero saith of Pompey and the Historians say of Titus the son of Vespasian that for his courtesies was termed deliciae generis humani never man departed unsatisfied and discontented from them Mat. 10.13.8 so did this good King never deny the just request of any Petitioner that ever came or sought unto him but be went about doing good healing all that had infirmities and releasing all that were possessed of the devill And for his own integrity and the uprightnesse of his life he could not only say with Samuel Whose Oxe have I taken or whose Asse have I taken 1 Sam. 2.3 or whom have I defrauded and I will restore it but he could justly demand of his greatest adversaries and the most malicious priers into his actions Which if you can rebuke me or reprove me of sin for they that thirsted most after his blood must needs confesse that he was of an incomparable life in whose mouth was found no guile and in whose heart was no deceit So spâ—tlesse he was in all his actions that the holy Martyr might justly call this King that Just One. And yet they say with Martial Non amo te Princeps nec possum dicere quare Hoc tantnm possum dicere Non amo te We love the note O King but why we cannot tell thee But this we can assure thee that we do not love thee And therefore notwithstauding all that I have said that he was 1. A King 2. Their own King 3. Their lawful king And 4. A just and pious King that desired onely their good And thus they murdered King Charles that was 1 a King T. Their own King 3. Their own lawful King 4 Their just wise and most religious King the preservation of their Lawes and the maintenance of the true service of God amongst them for the salvation of their souls yet their love is so little and their hatred is so great that they must take away his life and kill him and that in the most barbarous manner and the most odious kind of killing they must murder him And he that murders a Christian King commits a fourfold murder saith our Chronicler Speed 1. Homicide 2. Parricide 3. Christicide 4. Dei-cide because the King is Gods annointed and his Vice-gorent here on earth therefore David killed the Amalekite because he had killed a King though that King was most wicked and none of his own King 2 Sam. 1.16.16 And you may conceive what a devellish and hellish fact this is beyond all heathenish abomination for subjects to murder their own King For Pilat that was but a heathen and a very corrupt Judge hearing them so fiercely crying out to have him crucified and being amazed at such an execrable voice sayth Shall I crucifie your King As if he had said Is it possible John 19.15 that you should desire me to crucifie your King for Reason and Nature and the Lawes of God and of all Nations will condemn you for this fact and detest you for base Traytors and the bloody murderers of your King But the old Murtherer that hath been a murderer from the beginning John 8. hath surnished his Schollars with two strong but deceitful arguments to justifie the killing of their King 1. From the Law of Nature 2. From the word of God 1. Nature teacheth us to defend our selves and to kill any one 1 From the Law of Nature rather then to suffer our selves to be killed by him because every thing in nature is sâ—i conservativum and therefore to study for a self-preservation is an inbred Law of Nature Quam non didicimus sed exhausimus ex natura which we need not learn when as Nature teacheth the same saith Cicero And therefore these Jews do conclude It is expedient that this King should be killed lest the Nation if they let him alone should be Destroyed i.e. rather then they should Justly perish he must be Vnjustly murdered this is the reasoning of Flesh and Blood But to this the Apostle answereth in generall that the Wisedom or the reason of Worldly men is foolishness with God 1 Cor. 1.20 and chap. 2.14 and the Naturall man receaveth not the things of the Spirit of God for they are foolishness unto him And more particularly we say that the Holy Scripture is the best interpreter of the Law of Nature and then I desire you as our Saviour advised the Jews to search the Scriptures and go through the whole Book of God and tell me if you find not Subjection to our Kings every where injoyned and Resistance even against the Worst Kings every where prohibited And then shew me where you find the least Print of any Precept or Counsell given to any Subject to put their King to death Or where any Subjects mentioned in all Gods Book did ever alleage any Text of Scripture or produced any good Example from the Scripture to warrant or to excuse such a fact I am sure Saul was a Tyrant and a Bloody murderer a Demoniak and Prophaner of Gods service Varighteous and Irreligious and sought the life of David every way and in every place and though he was but the First elected King of the Jews 1 Sam. 10. and
Master so that the Spirit of God disdains not to record her speech to all posterities among the rest of the sacred Scripture And so to shew her wit when her husband Ahab knew not how to compasse Naboths vineyard she was so apprehensive that she presently found out a way though a most wicked way to make him possessor of all his inheritance 1 Kings 21.6 Former times bred the daughters in learning whereby I do collect that she was both naturally witty and also probably well educated in learning by her Parents as it was the custome of former times and now likewise in many places for Princes and Noble-men to bring up their daughters as well as their sons in all good literature And so we find not only this woman but very many other women that have been famous both for wit and learning and many other excellent parts not much inferiour to the worthiest men as in the holy Scripture you may find how subtle Rebecca was to get the blessing of Isaac to her son Jacob how wittily Rachel could deceive both her father and her Husband how Debora was a Prophetess a Poet and a Judge that judged Israel and how Abigal was so discreet both in her words and actions that she could appease the raging wrath of a man of war that was set on fire Judg. 4. and not without great cause against her Husband and how Judith was so valiant as to cut off the head of Holofernes as Jahell had been the death of Sisera and how Solomon that had most reason to know it best sets down the wisdom and the many other excellent parts of a vertuous woman And if the time your patience would give me leave to trace the Histories of the Heathens Greek and Latin I could tell you how great a Prophet was Cassandra how discreetly honest was Penelope and how wisely she deluded all her woers what a rare Poet was Sappho of whom Ovid saith And she saith Jam canitur toto nomen in orbe meum Saph. epist Phaoni Camerar l. 3. cap. 10. Nec plus Alcaeus consors patriaeque lyraeque Laudis habet quamvis grandius ille sonet And amongst the letters of Phalaris there is one written to Peristthenes wherein it appeareth that some women have not much yielded for greatnesse of courage and brave resolutions to the most valiant men that have been as Pentesilaea Queen of the Amazons whereof Virgil saith Ducit Amazonidum lunatis agmina peltis Pentesilea furens mediisque in millibus ardet And Thomiris Queen of Scythia that overthrew Cyrus King of Persia and cutting off his head threw it into a tub of blood saying Satia te sanguine quem sitisti cujus insatiabilis sâ—mper fuisti And Vaodicea the wife of Prasutagus Queen of the Icenians that overthrew Petilius Cerealis the Roman Lievtenant forced Catus Decianus to flye into Gallia and slew 70. thousand of the Roman souldiers and being vanquished by Paulinus Suetonius would rather end her life with Cleopatra Queen of Egypt then be suffered to be carried for a spectacle in the Roman triumph And Martial saith of Claudia the wife of Rufus Claudia coeruleis quum sit Rufina Britannis Edita Lib. 2. Epig. 54. cur Latiae pectora plebis habet And that for her learning and wisdom Rome and Athens might well own her for their own when as she was most skilfull both in the Greek and Latin Tongues and compiled three several Treatises as Balaeus testifieth both in Greek and Latin And what shall I say of Arria the most loving wife of Cecinna Petus of Artemisia Queen of Caria that buried the ashes of her husband Mausolus in her own bowels But especially of the great wisdom of the mother of King Lemuel and of Tecla that wrote over all the Greek Testament with her own hand and that Copy is now lately translated by Mr. Patrick Young and of Trasilla Gorgonia and the rest of those famous women that Saint Hierom and Greg. Nazian do so highly commend both for wisdome and piety But omitting the wise Sybils and all others worthy of perpetual memory I will adde but one that of this Nation ought never to be forgotten our late famous Queen Elizabeth that for above 40. yeares could so wisely rule so unruly a people as we are And therefore I approve not of the French-mens Salâ—ick Law that excludes all women from the Crown of France for though women be the weaker vessels yet as the strongest liquor may be preserved and carried in glasse vials so may we find great experience and much wisdom with no small courage and learning in many women and therefore as Job saith that he despised not the Counsel of his Maid-servant when he found it worthie to be followed so ought not men to disesteem the advice and reject the Counsels of their wives True it is that where the wife adviseth ill her speech is to be rejected as Job did put off his wife's Counsel when she perswaded him to curse God and die with the just term of a foolish woman and as Origen addeth said Tu facta es deterior Eva in insipientia sed ego non sum effectus Adam in stultitia Thou art become worse then Eve in foolishnesse but thou shalt not make me like Adam in sottishnesse But when the wive's counsel is wholesom it is fit the man should regard it for so the Lord saith unto Abraham Gen. 21.12 2 Rings 4.50 In all that Sarah shall say unto thee hear her voice and the Shunamites husband followed his wife's advice in making provision to entertain the Prophet and many men would have preserved their credit their estate and health if they would have followed the friendly advice of their wives therefore we ought not to debar the right and lawful government of wise and discreet women Prov. 31.1 whom God hath made heirs and indowed with good parts both of wit and learning as well as men and in that regard as I approve not the French Salique Law so I never liked the entailing of inheritances upon the heirs male when as God if he had liked it might as well have given thee sons as daughters and the Scripture tells us how Job gave inheritances to his three daughters among their brethren Job 42.15 and so did Caleb to his daughter Achsah Josh 15.19 But the Lawyers by this wittie trick would shew themselves wiser then God and prevent by this humane Law what God intended by his divine grace And I know they like not this discourse because the taking off of this entailing of estates would take off a great deal of their revenues 3. You may observe in this Jezabel that as the was Nobly-born 3 Jezabel was a very wicked woman well bred and very witty so she was also very wicked for she caused the Elders of Jezâ—eel to become the wicked murderers of innocent Naboth she cut off the Prophets of the Lord and fed 400. 1
Saints and Angels where there is no provocation to evil or to serve God aright where there is neither Sectary nor Heretick But the praise of Gods servants is to live among the wicked and yet not to follow their evil examples and to be in the midst of Hereticks and all kind of Sectaries and yet not suffer our selves to embrace their false opinions or to approve their wrongserving of God and yet still to honour them to love them and to be at peace with them And 2. 2 The great desire we should have to peace That we should not fail in this duty the Apostle saith 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 follow after peace As the Grey-hound followeth after the Hare that he may catch her So do you follow after peace that you may have it and that is not only to accept of peace when it is offered but also to purchase peace at any reasonable rate and upon any reasonable terms And we have an excellent example of this great desire of peace that should be in us The most excellent example of Abraham Rom. 4.13 in Abraham who though he was told by God Himself that he should be the Heir of the World which was a Title and interest good enough when God gave it him yet rather than he would strive with his inferiour his Nephew Lot he was contented cedere de jure to wave his right and to let him take his oboice of all the land what he would and where he pleased Gen. 13.8 9. And the like desire of peace we find in Pharaoh Necho King of Egypt when he sent Embassadours to Josias saying What have I to do with thee thou King of Judah I come not against thee this day but against the house wherewith I have war 2 Chron 35.21 for God hath commanded me to make haste forbear thee from medling with God who is with me that he destroy thee not and so he was destroyed for refusing to live in peace And the reason The reason of this great desire of peace is twofold 1. Because war is the greatest of all the plagues of God why we should love and honour and thus labour to live in peace with all men is because wrongs and injuries breed hatred suits and wars and war will be the death of many men and God made not death neither can he endure that any one man should malicioâ—sly destroy another God making not men to kill one another And therefore we find that the Sentence of Cain's punishment for killing his brother Abel is far heavier than Adam's punishment for eating of the forbidden fruit when God said unto Adam Cursed is the ground for thy sake and so forth But to Cain he said Cursed art thou from the earth which is a far greater curse than the former as is the rest of his censure in very many particulars whereupon Cain perceiving the heaviness of his Sentence so far exceeding his fathers curse Gen. 4.13 said My punishment is greater than I can bear And after the Flood the first Precept and the strictest charge that God gave to man was to prevent and hinder the shedding of mans blood which being shed he would require at the hand of man and at the hand of every beast which should be put to death if they were the death of any man And the Propheâ— saith That God will make inquisition for all the blood that shall be spilt that is search and find out them Murder shall never escape undiscovered that have been the death of any man yea though they should do it never so cunningly and secretly yet rather than they should escape undiscovered and so passe unpunished the Birds of the air as they did the death of Ibicus should betray their wickedness or the very blood that they have spiâ—t if there be none other witnesse shall with Abels blood cry out of the earth for vengeance against them because bloody men that delight to kill their brethren are an abomination to the Lord who as the Prophet saith abborreth both the blood thirsty and the deceitful man for Psal 5.6 Quem videris sangâ—ine gaâ—d â—teâ— lupus est saith S. Chrysostome hom 19. opef imperfect And therefore War which is a Feast celebrated to the honour of Death and is Mâ—ter omnium malorum The mother of all miseries the greatest shedder of blood upon the earth and the unjustest instrument of death that can be found when contrary to all Law and beyond all Justice nothing else is to be seen in war but fire robberies treasons tortures War the worst of all the plagues of God and slaughters inflicted as well upon the innocent as the nocent is deemed the worst of all the plagues of God the most direful and most destructive unto mankind For when the Lord with rebukes doth chasten man for sin and is sore displeased with any Kingdom he whippeth it with one of these threefold scourges Plague Famine and War And the first two Plague and Famine do but take away the men and take them so that most commonly they have time to repent and to humble themselves under the Mighty hand of God but the war casteth down houses burneth Cities subverteth Castles The many mischiefs that war bringeth destroyeth the creatures and shaketh the very foundation of all earthly happiness and not only suddenly cutteth off the lives of many thousands and sometimes Infants and Innocents from the earth but also introduceth Famines and Plagues after it at the heels And therefore David when he was necessitated to undergo one of these three scourges and had the favour to take his choice of them 2 Sam. 24.14 he would not choose war by any means And truly it were a happy thing that there were neither Souldier nor War nor cause of any war in all the World but that the people should beat their swords into Plowâ—shares and their Spears into Pruning-hooks and that Nation should not lift up a sword against Nation neither learn war any more as the Prophet speaketh Because Esay 2.4 as one saith God made Souldiers the worst of men as he made the Devils the worst of spirits to plague the World and to be the Executioners of his anger and just judgements against his children when they do offend him That is for the generality of them otherwise many of them are very just and religious as the Scripture testifieth And the very Heathen man could say of the Souldiers Nulla fides pietasque viris qui castra sequuntur Lucan Phars 2. As War is such a dismal Apollyon 2 Because peace is the greatest of all earthly blessings and so furious a destroyer of all mankind the poison of Religion and the hated enemy of all creatures So on the other side the love of neighbours and peace among men is the greatest the best and the most excellent of all earthly blessings And as Ignatius saith 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 There is nothing in
take this office upon him but he that is as well outwardly approved by such as are lawfully authorized to approve him Exod. 4.16 as inwardly called by the restifying spirit of his own conscience so also Christ saith the Apostle glorified not himself to be made an high Priest and to become the great Shepherd of Gods flock Heb. 5.5 c. 17.21 but he that said unto him Thou art my son this day have I begotten thee and hath sworn Thou art a priest for ever after the order of Melchisedech And therefore if no man no not Christ himself taketh this holy office upon him but he that is lawfully called by such as have lawful authority to call him I wonder how any man dares to intrude himself into the Ministry without any mission from Christ or commission from such as are lawfully authorized by Christ to admit them You know what our Saviour saith As my father sent me so send I you and they that were his Apostles never went until he sent them for there must be an Ite go ye Mat. 28.19 Mar. 16.15 John 10.1 before Praedicate preach ye and you see what our Saviour saith here Verily verily I say unto you he that entreth not by the door into the sheepfold but climbeth up some other way the same is a thief and a robber that is he that is not lawfully called and comes not the right way into the Ministry to be the shepherd of Gods flock the same is none of Gods Ministers Jer. 23.21 14.14 but is a thief and a robber stealing to himself what of right belongs to another And yet I fear we have now too many of whom the Lord may say as he doth by the Prophet Jeremy I have not sent these Prophets yet they ran I have not spoken unto them yet they prophesied for we are not onely to consider whether they be called and approved to be the Ministers of Christ but we must likewise consider by whom they are called and approved for as idem est non esse non apparere so it is all one to be not called and not approved as to be called and approved by such as have no right nor authority to call and approve them as when a company of thieves and robbers gives power and authority to a man to be Justice of the Peace or a Judge of Assize we say his power and authority is null and of no validity so they that give orders and approve of Priests and have no right no power nor authority to give orders and to allow them do just nothing in the just way and their orders is worth nothing But you will say this may be true of the Lay-preachers but those that are ordained by the Presbyterians and approved by an assembly of Presbyters cannot be denied to be lawfully called and to enter in by the door into the sheepfold I answer that I will not at this time discuss who gave them this power and authority to ordain Priests but I say that I dare not I cannot approve and justifie their authority let them answer for it that presume to do it I have shewed you their error in my discovery of the great Antichrist So you see how this grand Shepherd did lawfully enter into his office and how all his under-Shepherds should imitate him in their lawfull entrance and not intrude themselves nor be unlawfully admitted into the Ministry 2. 2 A perfect performance of all the duties of a good Shepherd Philo Jud. in l. de opificio mundi The other point here spoken of this great Shepherd is a perfect and most absolute performance of all the duties of a good Shepherd Where first of all you must observe that Theocritus Virgil and others writing of this office of Shepherds do make three kindes of Pastors or Shepherds and so doth Philo Judaeus where he saith 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Shepherd Goatesman and Herdsman drive the flocks of sheep goats and bullocks and it is observed 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 dici de pastore omnium animalium 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 cum relatione tantum ad oves that the Greeks do call him onely that keepeth sheep 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a shepherd and our Saviour saith not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I am the good goatsman or the good herdsman John 10.14 but he saith 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I am the good Shepherd that taketh care for his sheep but not for goats because the Lord careth for the righteous but as the Prophet saith he scattereth abroad all the ungodly And seeing that he is a Shepherd you know what the Poet saith Pastorem Tytere pingues Pascere oportet oves Vagil Eglog 6. The Shepherd ought to feed his sheep for as the old proverb goeth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Spartam nactus es hanc orna every one should look to his own office as the learned Divine to preach the Word of God the Cobler to mend his shoes the Countrey-man to plough his ground curabit prelia Conon and the King or whosoever is the chief Magistrate to provide for war and to conclude peace which is the onely way to keep all things in the right way because that mittere falcem in alienam messem for the Coachman with his whip to lash the pulpit the Taylor with his shears to divide the Word of God the shepherd with his hook to rule the people and the unruly people to reign as Kings is that which as the Poet saith Turbabit fadera mundi Lucan phars l. 1. and is the readiest way to pull all things asunder to tear in pieces the whole course of nature and to subvert all the order of Gods creatures and indeed to reduce the total frame of the creation to a speedy dissolution whereas that man is worthy of all praise as Aelian saith which meddleth with nothing 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that pertaineth nothing unto him but looketh onely and carefully to his own duty and he is worthy to be reproved as our Saviour checkt Saint Peter for his curiosity to know what John must do that is a stranger in his own affairs and busieth himself onely with what onely belongs unto others And therefore not to do my self what I blame in others or to extend my discourse beyond my line to treat of the art of war with Phormio before Hannibal or to tell you the office of a King or a Judge when my text tels me I am to treat of a Shepherd but to keep my self contrary to the common practise ad idem to my own proper task I shall desire you to remember that the duty of a good Shepherd consisteth chiefly in these two points 1. Negatively what he should not do to his sheep 2. Affirmatively what he should do for them 1. The heathen man could tell us that boni pastoris est pecus tondere non deglubere it is the part of a good Shepherd to fleece
for his flock For the affirmative or positive duties of a good Shepherd what he should do for his sheep never any came neer the goodnesse of this good Shepherd For 1. He provideth for his flock not onely the outward food of their bodies which he doth for all other living creatures when as the Prophet saith He openeth his hands and filleth all things living with plenteousness and as the same Prophet saith He feedeth the young ravens that call upon him and the best of us hath not a crum of bread but what he hath from him but he hath provided also the spiritual food of their souls which is the Word of God and the blessed Sacrament of the Lords Supper for as our Saviour alledged against Satan Mat. 4.4 Man liveth not by bread alone but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God and the blessed Sacraments are Verba visibilia Evangelii the visible and palpable words of the Gospel and are as the celestiall manna the heavenly food that perisheth not but feedeth us to eternall life The errour of the Messalian Hereticks if we strive to receive the same worthily as we ought to do though now we have too too many that are poysoned with the conceit of the Messalian Hereticks that said Baptism and the Lords Supper did neither profit us nor hurt us but that they which were inspired by Gods Spirit were guided by the revelation of that Spirit how to behave themselves in all their wayes which is the readiest way to lead them to the infernal spirits because we are not to be led by the inspiration of any spirit but by those holy directions which the Spirit of God hath left us in the holy Scriptures What is meant to be inspired with Gods spirit and when we pray to be inspired with Gods Spirit we mean no otherwise then that the Spirit of God would guide us to lead our lives and to do all things as we are commanded by the same spirit to do in the word of God that is left unto us by the Prophets and Apostles of Jesus Christ to be the onely Rule of all our actions 2. As he provideth thus both our temporal and our spiritual food 2 Christ ordereth how the food of his should be disposed so he ordereth and disposeth this food unto his sheep not according to their sensual appetite but for the natural good of their bodies and the spiritual health of their souls that it may be unto them the savour of life unto life and not the savour of death unto death As 1. For their natural food 1 Their natural food he would have us with the son of Jakeh to desire neither poverty nor riches neither too much nor too little but to be fed with food convenient lest if we be too full we forget the Lord grow too proud as the great rich men commonly be or if we be too poor we be driven to steal and to lie Prov. 30.8 9. and to take the name of God in vain And What should be convenient for every man because most men are loath to understand what is the mean betwixt too much and too little and what measure is that that is convenient S. Paul tells us That having food and rayment we should therewith be contented for the greatest Monarch in the world can have no more and our Saviour that best knew what is convenient for every man bids us prey to God that he would give us this day our daily bread that is so much as will serve us for our present necessity Luke 12.19 and not with that fool in the Gospel to lay up much goods for many years when he knew not that his soul in that night should be taken from him and then he could not tell who should enjoy those things or how those things should be spent that he had provided And 2. For our spiritual food 2 Their spiritual food this good Shepherd hath commanded us that are his under-Shepherds to give unto his sheep their owne portion in due season 1. Their own portion and that both in quality and quantity 1 Their own portion 1. In quality 1. In Quality what is most proper for every one as all meats serve not for every stomack and every potion serves not for all diseases so it is with our spiritual food and the divine physick of our soules and therefore we are advised to give milk unto the babes and stronger meat to them that are stronger men in Christ that is plain and easie doctrines to the plain and more ignorant people and deeper and more polite discourses to the judicious and those of deeper knowledge because as S. Paul saith we are debtors both to the Greeks and to the Barbaâ—ians to the wise and to the unwise and therefore as Christ biddeth his Apostles so must we sometimes launch forth into the deep both of Divinity and Humanity and as well of Arts as of Languages And so we are to give praises to the good reproofes to the bad but flatteries unto none when we ought no more to flatter the sweet and clement then to fear the cruel tyrant and in like manner we are commanded to apply comfors and consolations to the dejected spirits to pronounce pardon to the penitent sinners and to thunder out the terrors of Gods judgements to none but such as are impenitent and obstinate transgressors 2. In Quantity we are to give our sheep neither too much of this spiritual food 2 In quantity nor yet too little for where prophesie faileth the people perish and the worst famine is the famine not of corn wine and oyl but of the famine of Gods Word and therofere the Apostle saith Wo is me if I preach not the Gospel and wo is them that hinder us to preach it as they have done these many years And yet as we are not to give our sheep too little of this spiritual pasture lest they should want so they should not have too much lest they should loath it for a man may eat too much of the Honey-comb saith Solomon Prov. 25.16 Num. 11.20 and the children of Israel had so much Manna that they loathed it and Quails so plentifully that the flesh came out at their nostrils and so men may have the Word of God so fully that they will despise it or at least neglect it because as Solomon saith Prov. 27.7 the full soul loatheth or treadeth under foot the honey-comb but to the hungry soul every bitter thing is sweet so is the Word of God precious when it is not so plentiful and despised when we are full of it And truly I do believe Knowledge how more plentiful now then ever it was the Gospel of Christ and the rest of the holy Scriptures were never since Christ his time so fully and so generally and so truly published as of late they were in the reigne of our late King
because this our City is built upon a Rock and the gate of hell shall never be able to prevail against it not only because that being upon a Rock it can never be undermined but especially because as S. Cyprian saith Cyprianus Non plus valet ad dejiciendum terrena paena quam ad erigendum divina tutela And this good Shepherd which is the Lamb that standeth upon Mount Sion to defend it is more powerful to save it then the Roaring Lyon which is the Prince of darkness to destroy it 2. The same Prophet David saith The Lord is my Shepherd 2 From wants Psal 23.2 therefore I shall want nothing he shall feed me in a green pasture and lead mo forth besides the waters of comfort And in the Propher Ezekiel this good Shepherd saith Ezek. 34.14 The best food for Gods sheep what it is I will feed my sheep in a good pasture and upon the high Mountains of Israel shall their Fold be there shall they lye in a good Fold and in a fat Pasture shall they feed upon the Mountains of Israel where you must observe that this Fold is the Church of Christ and the fat Pastures are the Lilies Violets and the sweetest of all pleasant flowers especially the three leaved grass that as Aristotle saith is most delight some unto the sheep for this is the food of the Shepherd even as he professeth in the Canticles Cantic 2. that he feedeth among the Lilies and that is as Psellus doth interpret it where he seeth the graces of Gods holy Spirit and the virtuous examples of the Saints these are as meat and drink unto him and so they are unto his sheep For as S. Ambrose saith the Pastures of Gods sheep are the blessed Sacraments the holy Scriptures heavenly Sermons pious books and holy meditations of heavenly things and especially the three leaved grass which is the understanding of that great mystery of godliness that our God which is but one God in Essence is distinguished into three Persons the Father the Son and the Holy Ghost And the waters of comfort The waters of comfort what they are are those plentiful streams of milk and honey of Divine Consolation wherewith the Spirit of God doth as it were inebriate the souls of his servants for the Church of Christ is the Land of Promise which floweth with milk and honey it is the Wilderness where the Lord raineth Manna the bread of heaven to fatisfie the fouls of his children it is the Spouse of Christ whose loves are better then Wine and it is the House of God Cantic 2. whereof the Psalmist speaketh that the sheep of Christ shall be satisfied with the plenteousness of his house and he shall give them drink of his pleasure as out of a River that is alwayes running Psal 36.8 and yet never dried up And Christ being our Shepherd his sheep shall not only have the spiritual food of their souls and be satisfied with these heavenly juncates but they shall have also whatsoever is necessary for the sustentation of their temporal life For as S. Paul saith Godliness is profitable unto all things having the promise of the life that now is 1 Tim. 4.8 and of that which is to come And our Saviour saith that if we first seek the Kingdome of God and his righteousness and so to become the sheep of this good Shepherd Matth. 6. then 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 all the other things that you seek as food and rayment shall be given unto you for your heavenly Father knoweth that you have need of these things therefore he that feedeth the young Ravens that call upon him will much rather feed you that are the sheep of Christ if you relye upon him And they shall not only have sufficient for themselves but also to help and to relieve many others as the poor and their children and their childrens children for the blessing of the Lord saith Solomon maketh rich and a good man leaveth an inheritance to his childrens children Prov. 10.22 Prov. 13 22. Psal 112. v. 2 3. Iob 22.23 for riches and plenteousness are in his house and his Seed is blessed And Eliphas the Temanite saith If thou return to the Almighty and put away iniquity far from thy Tabernacles then shalt thou lay up gold as dust and the gold of Ophir as the stones of the brooks Yea the Almighty shall be thy Defence and thou shalt have plenty of silver even as the Lord blessed Abraham that he became very rich in cattel Gen. 13.2 c. 12.16 in silver and in gold and had sheep and oxen and he-asses and men-servants and maid-servants and she-asses and Camels Or were it so that God did not thus bless us with outward wealth but suffer the world to frown upon us and to bring us to some want and poverty as he did to Job Lazarus and others either for the tryal of their faith patience and constancy in his service or for some other causes best known unto himself yet if we be the sheep of Christ what need we care or fear any such want so long as we want not the Wedding Garment and the spiritual food of our souls Quia major est suavitas mentis quam ventris because the garment of righteousness is of more worth then any Imperial Robe and the satisfying of our Souls is a great deal better then the filling of our bodies whose food be the same never so dainty is compared with the other nothing but ackorns and husks and other like vanities that are as soon done and gone as they are begun whereas a good conscience is a continual feast and the food of our souls Iohn 6.50 54. which our good Shepherd giveth us never perisheth but feedeth us to everlasting life as our Saviour sheweth O then beloved Brethren What a blessed and a happy thing it is to be the sheep of Christ to be thus innobled with such a Master thus protected from all evil and thus satisfied with all good though therefore the Proverb tells us and it is very true if thou make thy self a sheep the Wolfe will eat thee yet it is far more excellent and to be chosen rather to be a sheep of Christ then a wolfe of the world and to be a Lamb of God rather then a Lyon of the devil when at the last we shall find it far better to be devoured then to devoure and to be spoiled then to spoil our Neighbours 3 The duties and properties of Christ his sheep Two special points Iohn 10. v. 5. But then 3. If you would be the sheep of Christ you must be qualified with these two special properties 1. To hear the Voice of Christ 2. To refuse the hearing of a strangers voice For So our Saviour saith My sheep hear my voice but a stranger will they not follow but will fly from him because they know not the voice of strangers So
〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 more and above all other his creatures whatsoever And here you must observe also that amongst men as the glory of all Starres or the beauty of all Flowers is not the same when as every Star is not a Phoebus and every Flower is not a Lilly so the love of God doth not appear alike to all men for I love them that love me and I will shew mercy on them that love me and keep my commandements saith the Lord but the ungodly and him that delighteth in wickedness doth his soul abhor And thus not onely the Elect are beloved better then the Reprobates and the Saints better then Sinners but among the very chosen Saints God loveth some better then others for every like loveth his like and therefore God embraceth them with a greater love whom he vouchsafeth to make and findeth them willing and most yielding to be the more like unto himself and so he loveth those that are the better more then those that are less good as the more we excell in Vertue and Goodnesse the more dearly doth God love us so he loved Abraham among the Patriarchs Moses among the Prophets David among the Kings and this beloved Disciple among the Apostles more as it seemeth then any other and so the blessed Virgin whom all generations shall call blessed was highly beloved and loved more then any of all the daughters of men And of this gradation of Gods love S. Aug. saith Omnia diligit Deus quae fecit God loveth all that he made and among them he loveth rather the reasonable creatures and of these he loveth them more which are the members of his Son and most of all his onely begotten Son And this greater love of God to some men more then to others besides those internal graces of Faith Hope Love Patience and the like which he giveth to the Elect Mark 4.11 and not to the Reprobates Quia vobis datum est because it is given to you to know the mysteries of the Kingdome of heaven but to others not because they will not accept of them when they are offered God manifesteth the same to all men by two outward infallible demonstrations 1. The donation of his graces 2. The preservation of their persons For 1. There is no man but might consider how God hath bestowed more excellent gifts and graces on himself 1 God giveth his Gifts and Graces severally and differently then he hath done to many others as either Health or Wealth or Honour or some other gift that the meanest man hath which many others have not or if not yet seeing God out of his greater love to some men more then to others bestoweth on some five Talents when he bestoweth on others but two or but one and maketh some men Princes and others Peasants or indueth some men with Learning and Knowledge when he leaveth others ignorant and foolish and so maketh some men rich when as many others are very poor Why should our eyes be evil because he is good For Cum huic fit misericordia tibi non fit injuria when as herein he doth but shew mercy unto one and injury unto none Why should we not rather consider that he may love whom he will and shew mercy on whom he will have mercy and so do what he will with his own especially seeing we know not why he doth what he doth 2. God doth guide some men with his counsel that they run not with the wicked Ps 37.24 Rom. 1. into the same excess of riot as they do for seeing by nature we are all equally indifferent and equally inclined to all sins Repleti omni injustitia saith the Apostle How comes it to pass that some men abstain from odious Rebellions and other impious abominations and abominable impieties that many wicked men do perpetrate Is it from out selves and from the goodness of our Natures or the sweetness of our dispositions No no it is from God that giveth his grace and holy Spirit unto some that are willing and ready to receive it when God offereth it unto them rather then to others that refuse to answer when he calleth and to accept his gifts and graces when he offereth the same unto them so God preserved Noah from partaking with the wickedness of the old world Lot from following after the abominations of the Sodomites Joseph from consenting to the lewd inticements of his Mistress and the like and so he doth preserve them that he loves from imitating the wicked in their odious sins because these men love God again are ready and willing to be preserved by God for did not the blessed God work this happy change in our souls and the Father of Lights illuminate our minds with a more distinct knowledge of his grace we might have groped and flumbled in a thicker mist of stupidity then now befools our unnurtured brethren and whatsoever is either odious or ridiculons in them might have beene farre more prodigious in us And so S. Aug. doth most excellently confess it saying tentator defuit Satan was away and time and place was wanting to do the deed but this was thy doing to preserve me the Tempter came in time and place convenient Aug. Soliloqu L. 16. but then thou withheldest me from consenting So when I had a will I wanted ability and when I had ability I wanted opportunity and all this was from thy blessed Spirit that preserved me And this preservation of us from evil Prov. 1. is offered by the goodness of God unto the wicked but that they refuse it as the wise man sheweth and the Scripture testifieth in many places And as God preserveth those that he loveth from the sins so he delivereth them also from the punishments of sin for though misfortune shall slay the ungodly yet as the Prophet saith God preserveth the righteous And though the plagues of God shall range and rage so far against the wicked that thousands of them shall fall besides the godly and ten thousands on his right hand yet it shall not come nigh him because God giveth his Angels charge over those that he loveth and they do preserve them in all their wayes that they dash not their foot against a stone And here in 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the persons on whom God shewed so many testimonies of his abundant love to some more then to others I may and must put our selves before many thousands of others that perhaps deserved the same far better then we do For whereas all other places that had the truth of the Protestant Religion amongst them have now their Candlesticks removed and the true publick service of God metamorphosed and corrupted with lyes heresies and blasphemies we alone of all our Kings Dominion have the true light and the publick service of God shining in the right Candlestick and with Authority maintained And I humbly beseech Almighty God that our sins unthankfulness and unworthiness do not ere long deprive us
and other places round about and that only for Religion and not for worldly Dominion which is the suffering of the Christians under the Turk that permitteth any profession so they yield themselves to his subjection He must ingenuously confess this truth of Isidorus that the greatest of all Persecutions is that which is prosecuted by the Ministry of Antichrist that now raigneth in the world But if you would desire to know who is this Antichrist that now reigneth and thus rageth in the world I answer VVho is the Great Antichrist divers opinions That although many good Arguments are produced to prove the Great Turk to be that Great Antichrist and Constantinople to be that Babylon which is the Throne of that bloudy beast and as many good Arguments are alleadged by Powel Whitaker Downham Thompson and others of our Protestant Writers to prove that series paparum from Boniface in Phocas time to this present Pope is that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 spoken of by St. Paul 2 Thes 3. and that Rome is his proper seat and so called Babylm by St. Peter Yet divers others of no small Learning do avouch That as Ecclesia credentium corpus cum capite the whole Catholick Church of Christ head and members is said to be and is so termed unus Christus one Christ as in Joh. 3.13 And Christ saith unto Saul Why persecutest thou me when he persecuted his Church So Ecclesia malignantium the Congregation of the wicked or especially Senatus consultus the great Sanedrim of the people the supream Counsel A pack of wicked men is termed the Antichrist and the highest Court of any Nation which is the representative mystical body of that dispersed and nefarious Synagogue is oftentimes for their unanimous consent in all wickedness spoken of quasi unus homo as if they were but one man because they all have but one head one will and one end to destroy the truth and the true Church of Christ And this supream stool of wickedness that establisheth mischief by a Law 2 Thes 3.8 doth now appear to many men to be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 That man of sin and the child of perdition whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming because they say First There is neither Note Argument Saying nor Testimony of holy Scripture that doth competere antichristo and is sutable unto Antichrist but it is most properly found to agree with that Cumulus Senatorum the representative Council of all wickedness As 1. They have seated themselves in a mystical Babylon the Amsterdam of all confusion where you may easily find almost all Heresies maintained that have been invented and any Religion used but the true Religion that dares not be professed 2. They do sit in the Temple of God as God that is they do possess the truest Church of God that we know to be on earth and as God they establish Worship and Religion and ordain Laws for the Government of that Church and root out that Worship and Government which God himself hath ordained 3. They exalt themselves above all that is called God i.e. Above Kings This point of the Great Antichrist is fully and at large handled in my Book of The Great Antichrist revealed of whom the Scripture most properly saith Dixi Dii estis I said you are Gods because they are in Gods stead and do exercise Gods Power here on Earth and yet this grand Council of the Great Synagogue would not only be worshipped themselves as Kings but will suppress Kings deny any service to be done to them and suffer none to do them Worship which is properly to exalt themselves above Kings when they keep Kings so low 4. When by their false assembled Prophets they deny the Notions whereby we understand the Father and the Son to be the true God as they plainly do by the cashiering of the words Essence Person Trinity and the like words which the Church of God penes quam norma loquendi hath ever used to bring her Children thereby to some sure knowledge of that great mystery of godliness and to inable them to confute those wicked Hereticks that denied the same they do manifest themselves to be that Antichrist who as St. John saith denieth the Father and the Son 1 Joh. 2.22 which neither Turk nor Pope as yet ever did 5. The unfolding of that great mystery of the Beast Aug de Civitat Dei l. 20. c. 9. 14. which Beast St. Augustine understandeth of the Society of wicked Christians and the City of Satan that is signified by that Beast and the mystery which the Holy Ghost setteth down to be observed as the most proper Note of the Beast is that it containeth 666. touching which if you omit one thousand which is a full and perfect number and which is not an unusual thing in the Scripture to do to make the other the more mystery and consider that in 646. this great Sanedrim or superlative Council demanded the Militia or soveraign rule over the King for twenty years which being added to 646 do make up the just number of 666. This they say is a strong Argument to prove the grand Council to be that Great Beast 6. And lastly The unspeakable unparalelled persecution of this Antichrist above all the persecutions that preceded it either of Pope Turke or heathen Tyrants do plainly prove them to the judgment of some men to be the greatest Antichrist that as yet is revealed unto the world though some think that a greater may yet come before Christ does come to judgment which I do not believe But though I say as St. Augustine doth in the like case Alii atque alii aliud atque aliud opinati sunt Divers men have divers opinions about the time place and person of Antichrist which neither my Text nor my time will give me leave either to discuss or to disprove any of the same now Yet thus much I dare boldly say that letting pass the persecutions of the Preachers not to be paralelled in any History if you consider first the number of them all the Reverend Bishops all the Deans all Prebends and all the best Divines in the whole Kingdom And 2. the misery that is imposed upon them worse than death Quia dulce mori miseris To be spoyled of all their means banished from all their friends wife children and Parents and exposed to all wants and contempts so that neither Nero Domitian Dioclesian nor Julian brought such a storm upon the Church of Christ as is now brought upon the body of the whole Clergy within these five years and omitting the many thousands of good Christians No Historian can shew me any king that hath suffered more indignities at any â—nchristian hand than King Charls hath suffered from the Long Parliament that for their Religion and good conscience have lost their lives livings and liberties I say letting