It is said of Enoch that hee walked with God and was no more seene It was his speciall priviledge so to bee rapt vp else moe had followed after but they wanted his spirit his prayer and the familiarity hee had with God it was a bad world for the spirit breathed not and therefore men prayed not When all flesh had corrupted their wayes so as God looked down from heaven to see if there were any that were good and there was not one good no not one then mans wickednesse wallowed in the water of his destruction Noah prayed and hee was preserved the rest called not vpon the name of the Lord and therefore perished I might tell of Abraham Isaacke Iacob Moses Samuel and Ioshua how plentifull the spirit was in them and how powerfully they prayed in their dayes yet from a sparing spirit which breathed but vpon few besides their owne families So might I speake of al the renowmed Kings of Israel and Iudah of inspired Prophets holy men and godly Matrones down to the dayes of Christ all of blessed memory for feruent prayer and frequent yea and from a powerfull spirit yet limited to their peculiars and as it were confined within the borders of Paleftine till Siloh came meane our Christ the Messias and Saviour of all the world who as I haue said with the effusion of his blood powred out the abundance of his spirit vpon all flesh I say with Zacharie the spirit of prayer and compassion that the godly might mourne because of him whome they had pierced The Issue is sweet and the doctrine is Orthodoxall taken from the practises of the godly in all ages neuer was it yet seen or heard that euer man prayed preached or pray sed aright but as the spirit gaue him vtterance The holy Ghost is the holie guide of all our holy actions it is the seasoner of the soule and the moulder of all our sanctity it is the mother of piety and it openeth the doore to all true deuotion where it breathes there is the perfume of Prayer where it breathes not there is sinne in silence without cry or calling vpon the name of the Lord that they might be saued The creatures as it is in Paul may grone wee may grieue and sigh in our selues waiting for the adoption euen the redemption of our bodies in the salvation of our so ules but yet it is the spirite that helpeth our frailety and so whereas wee know not how to pray as wee ought the spirit it selfe maketh request for vs with signes that cannot bee vttered for hee that searcheth the hearts knoweth what is the meaning of the spirit and he maketh requests for the Saints according to the will of God If the Apostles could haue tolde how to haue prayed of themselues they would neuer haue gon to Christ to haue taken out the lesson nor said Maister teach vs how to pray but they knew that the holy Ghost and he were all one and therefore would fetch that sweet perfume from his blessed breath they knew that grace was powdered in his lipps because God had blessed him for euer Well then I say no more but this to presse out this sweete perfume of prayer to be practised of all with vnwearied diligence 1. That there is an house of prayer and the Lord hath purged it 2. There is a day of prayer and the Lord hath sanctified it 3. There is an heart for prayer and the Lord hath possessed it 4. There is a mouth for prayer and the Lord hath opened it 5. There is a president for prayer and the Lord hath enioyned it 6. There is a premiuÌ„ or reward for prayer and the Lord hath giuen it euen saluation to out soules for so saith the text It shall be that whosoeuer shall call vpon the name of the Lord shall be saued Nay if none of these were yet because we are fallen into the last and worst daies of the world wherein sinne was neuer so sinfull deferued iudgements neuer more doubtfull nor Sathan so busie to bestir himself for that he hath but a short time It might moue vs to be no lesse feruent then frequent in prayer and the rather for that wonders signes prodigies harbingers of Gods wrath are vpon vs yea Hanibal ad Portas iudgemeÌ„t is at our doores Oh pray pray pray neuer more need to pray But it may be ye know not how to pray and therefore ye aske and haue not because ye aske amisse ye seeke and find not because ye seeke amisse For euery man seekes his owne either of pleasure or profit but fewe the things that are of Iesus Christ and therefore spare me while I tender to your religious eares and harts a modell of prayer where after if you fashion your deuotion ye may be sure both to haue audience and answere from the Lord. Wherein first consider the manner how to pray which is your preparation Secondly remoue the impediments that hinder prayer which is your pollution Thirdly respect the incouragement ve haue to pray because of the premium and rich reward which is saluation for it shall be that whosoeuer shall call vpon the name of the Lord shall be saued And first for the manner how must I call that I may be heard how must I be prepared that I may make the Lord propitious and readie to helpe in time of need how may I make him to returne my prayers into my bosome while I double my plaints within my brest I must first call in faith for without faith it is not possible to please God faith is the salt of the sacrifice that makes it sauâ—rie it is the Star guiding it is the piller of fire conducting it is the hand reaching it is the spirit breathing a passion from vs more sweete then Incense in the nostrills of the Lord of Host In my faith I haue full assurance that I shall be heard answered obtaine my desires for Christ so promised when he cursed the barren tree and blessed the batsome heart thus Whatsoeuer ye desire when ye pray beleeue that ye shall haue it and it shall be done vnto you And Iames the Sonne of thunder before the call of praier sent out the fire of faith like lightning before y e clap when he said If any man lacke wisdome let him aske of God which giueth to all men liberally and reprocheth no man and it shall be giuen him but let him aske in faith and wauer not c. Yea Dauid was of this consort when he sung to y e solace of his soule The Lord is neare vnto all that call vpon him yea to all that call vpon him faithfully What should I say more our faith is the victorie by which we ouercome the world it is danted with no difficulties it passeth for no impossibilities it extent reacheth far euen from the nethermost hell to the highest heauens Secondly as I must call in faith if I will be
heard so must I pray in humilitie if I will haue answere for he hath regarded the lowe degree of his handmaid it was her virginall voyce and in the humblenes of her heart she was exalted with her God O it s an excellent vertue when honor is humbled and humilitie is honored with the title of blessednes as it was with Mary Iudeths humilitie pulled downe the Assirian pride when powring out her prayer to God for the deliuerance of her people she said Thy power standeth not in the multitude nor thy might in strong men but thou O Lord art the helpe of the humble and little ones Aron and Hur must hold vp Moses hands lest he might seeme to be exalted in his owne streÌ„gth And when Hester the Queen was to deale with her God by prayer she put off her princely robes but when she went to the Kings Pallace she put them on to teach vs that we may not deale with God as with men for hee will be better pleased with our pouertie then with our pride with our sackecloth and ashes then with our silke and sables I and the child will goe alone so said Abraham of his beloued Isaacke I and my miserie will goe alone so saith the humbled soule vnto his mercifull Sauiour No plea with God like the pore mans plea and to goe informa pauperis is the best plea in heauen though it be the worst on earth Thirdly as the Lord must be called vpon in faith and humilitie so must he be applied with good zeale and affection no perfume of prayer but from a passionate heart a broken and contrite heart God will neuer despise his eye and his answere is towards all such according to that of the prophet To him will I looke euen to him that is poore and of a lowly troubled spirit and trembleth at my words Moses said nothing and yet he cryed vnto the Lord it was a passionate prayer not from Laodecean lippes but from a fyrie spirit as with Anna when she powred out her soule before the Lord in the day of her barrennes Dauids affection in his prayer was much kindled with the oole of zeale when he cryed vnto the Lord it was more inflamed when he watered his couch with his teares for the sinnes of his soule but most of all battered when he rored within for aflictions without Iacob wept prayed fouâ—d God at Bethel So did good Ezekias when he turned him to the wall and wept saying Attenuati sunt occuli mei suspicientes in coelum mine eyes are wearie with watching vpon my God and I had fainted in my miserie had he not turned to me in mercy said I haue heard thy prayers and seene thy teares What should I say more Mardoche in the midst of the citie cryed to God with a great crie and a bitter and he was heard in that he desired so was Christ vpon the tree when greeued in soule he washed away our staines in blood teares It was Augustines sorrow when thinking vpon his vaine passions he said flebam Didonem morientem ob amorem Aeneae I wept for Dido dying for the loue of Aeneas but alas and woe is me therfore I seldome wept for my Sauiour dying for my sinne nor yet for my selfe liuing in my sinne Surely teares and prayers are church weapons and I may conclude as Ambrose did with Monacha Augustines Mother when she wept after his conuersion vade a me ita viuas fieri non potest vt filius istarum lachrimarum pereat Goe from me thou mournfull mother and doe as thou doest it can neuer be that a son of all these teares should euer perish So dare I say of the Saints of God sorrowing weeping either for their owne sinnes or others it can not be that children of al these teares should euer perish I passe to the fourth which is from our feruencie in prayer to our frequent and often praying thereby to importune y e Lord to be propitious euer wrastling as Iacob did and neuer leauing him without a blessing Nor as it is in the Prophet giuing him no rest till he repaire our ruines for the kingdome of heauen suffereth violence and the violent catch it yea and the Lord is ours by much intreatie as we are his by many allurements O that our prayer were with more assiduitie much and continual as euer needing therefore alwaies begging Eliah when he prayed for raine sent his seruant seauen times to see if y e Lord would answere his sighs with a shewer from the top of Carmell he crowched vnto the earth and put his face betweene his knees I say seueÌ„ times he prayed with passion and the Lord was propitius he fainted not but continued crying til the clouds dropped downe fatnes he prayed with passion while the king was at his repast Ahab in his chamber eating but Eliah vpon Carmel praying Iob must fast pray all the while his children did feast and play his prayers his teares and his sacrifice still went out as the daies of their banqueting went about for so saith the text thus did Iob euery day Darius sealed y e decree and Daniel dread it not but continued his prayer and was instant with God three times a day vpoÌ„ his knees with his face towards Ierusalem and his windowe open that way both to stir vp himselfe with the remembrance of Gods promise to al such as should pray towards that house As also that all might see he dread no danger of the Lions denne but had rather die ten thonsand deathes then yeeld to their Idolatrie And surely Dauid was much in prayer when hee said Euening and morning and at noone day will I pray make a noise and he will heaere me So Paul when hee said in prayer often it was his dayly exercise and what hee practised himselfe he preached to others when hee said pray continually Fifthly as our prayers must bee often in respect of times so must they not bee limitted in regard of places whether in the great congregation and in publike or abroad in the field lesse publike or in private at home when thou art shut in thy closet and art still there is a christian liberty and freedome in all so thy deuction bee done without schisme and separation for thou art not onely tyed vnto the Temple but thy chamber field and garden the mouÌ„taines dales and wildernesse dennes caues and hollowes of the earth are sacred for thy devotions When Iacob prayed against Esau his brother in that his dangerous peregrination to Bethel hee diuided himselfe from his family that hee might the nearer bee ioyned to God in his praier hee sent his two wiues and his eleuen children ouer the â—iuer Iabbocke with all hee had and when himselfe was left alone there wrastled with him a man to the dawning of the day he alone a Saint and in secret wept and prayed and found God at
wine-presse alone Lastly and the least in reputation of iudgement are the Iews who euen at this day vnderstand it to bee meant of the warres of the Israelites with Gog and Magog Ezechiel 38. 39. But that I seeme not more opinatiue then orthodoxall I may safely say with the precedent words of my Text that these shall bee accomplished in the latter dayes which are alwayes taken for the dayes of Christ when with the effusion of his bloud hee will power out the abundance of his spirite vpon all flesh and withall shew his wonders from time to time to a senselesse world senselesse of it Sauiour so as from the first day of his comming in grace to the last day of his appearance in glory wonders shall appeare more or lesse to the comfort of the godly and confusion of the wicked And surely it is respectiue to see how sparing the Lord is of his judgements and how plentifull in his mercies his bloud and spirit are powred out in al abundance his signs prodigies are but sparingly shewed and pointed at as harbingers of his wrath to moue vs to repētance bloud shed spirit powred out O bottomlesse depth of mercy signes but shewed and prodigies but pointed at limitting both feare and fire that it fall not vpon vs before we repent there was never mercy either met it on earth or matched it in heaven and therefore I know not whether I shal more willingly admire his loue in spending his mercies vpon vs or his vndeserued fauors in prouoking our repentance David in the person of the faithfull and in a case nothing different mourneth over Sion with this wofull complaint Wee see not our signes and there is no Prophet left but Lord how long Where it is to be observed that they doe not complaine because they haue no Captaine to lead them in the field but that they haue no Prophet to instruct them in the faith accounting it a greater calamity to lacke the heauenly food then the earthly fight nay more and to come neerer the proper Subiect I haue in hand these Saints in Sion sorrow not for that they haue no Ensignes to follow on earth but because they haue no signes shewed them from heauen to assure them of the Lords presence to fight their battels and be propitious deeming it more disasterous to faile of signes about then of Ensignes below where prophesie is not there the people perish and where neither wonders from heaven wound vs to repentance nor tokens below provoke vs to prayer we are in danger and die in our security Are not all things as they were in the beginning so saide a secure world in the dayes of Peter musicke mirth and minstrelsie were in their feastes velvet silke and sables were on their backes their coffers were full of siluer gold and pearle their dishes were filled with dainties their garners with graine their stawles with fatlings and their Orchards with all manner of fruit their gardens and fields diaperde with all variety of fruites they felt neither sinne within nor sorrow without no wonders in heaven aboue or tokens in the earth beneath bloud and fire and the vapour of smoake were vnneath seene and therefore no marvell if they put farre away the evill day and suncke in their security When Israel was full then shee kicked against the Lord and her sin increased as the signes decreased til tokens from the Lord had taught her another discipline the vapour of smoake blasted her garland when it was at the greenest famine sword fiery Serpents brake her heart to better obedience and the Lord was mercifull vpon their repentance VVe thinke it goeth well with vs when our waters keepe the course of their wonted Channels without inundations when the North is clear and light without fiery inflammaons when neither Sunne nor Moon laboureth of an Eclipse we deeme the day blessed when the ayre is pure and the windes are still when the seas are calme and no thunder breaketh the cloudes yet better it were if thunder-clappes from aboue did breake our hearts and prodigies below plowed them vp for a softer mould against the day of haruest when the Lord shall come in the cloudes with his fanne in the one hand to winnow all fire in the other hand to purge all the corn for heaven and the chaffe for hell Moabs rest was Moabs ruine and surely I could never yet see but the world that flattereth vs is more dangerous then the world that persecuteth vs according to that periculosior mundus blandus quam molestus It was said of David by one who saide well factus est securus devictis hostibus praessura caruit tumor excrevit When he had no fight hee fell from his God and the proud tumor of his lust the lesse it was handled the more it rankled The doctrine is good for the generall and so I will descend to a more particular vse of signs it may be to shew that he can be mercifull without means the Lord will sometimes be silent shew no wonders but passe vs like the sweet running waters of Shiloh that goe softly by Sion but when it pleaseth him for our loude crying sins to come in judgement then wil hee swell like the turbulent waters of Iorden that run roughly thē wil his signs wonders bee harbingers of his wrath warning vs of his neare approch ready to destroy if we repent not But to worke a certainety out of such wonders as the Lord hath wrought either by himselfe in th◠old Testament or by his Christ in the new It is to be observed that ever vpon his comming to a worke of judgement or a worke of mercy there hath gone before him a commotion of Creatutes to present his presence for as I haue already saide If when Kings of the earth stirre the people are moued shall the God of heaven rise from his rest and the creatures sit still I say sit still before his presence in whose voice there is feare and in whose face there is fire for even our God is a consuming fire When the Law should bee divulged from the holy Mount the Lord came from Sinai and rose vppe from Seir vnto them and appeared clearely from Mount Paran and he came with ten thousand of Saints and at his right hand a fiery Law the ayre thundered the hils trembled burning blacknes and darkenes were his pauilion and so terrible was the sight which appeared that Moses said I feare and quake It was a great day fearefull and fiery because of a fiery Law what maruell then if vpon the approch of so great a majesty the earth shooke the heauens dropped at the presence of this God even the God of Israel What should I say more of Israels God sith at the brightnes of his presence the red sea was diuided Iorden was driven backe Quailes fell from heaven and the Rocke gushed out water springs the sunne stood still in Gibion
to the Altar softer then the heart of Ieroboam The heard harted Iewes then and we now stand by the crosse of Christ as Ieroboam did by the Altar at Bethel we are sadned in our sinnes and senseles of the sorrowes of our Sauiour the earth stones graues are more passionate then we they tremble breake and open at the death of Christ our flintie harts are shut from all compassion and we are a people of no bowels and because we relent not euen now the teares of the clowdes are in their eyes and they drop downe shewres of raigne in greater abundance then vsuall hath beene seene as more passionate then we either for the sins of our soules or death of our Sauiour When I am lifted vp an high saith Christ then will I drawe all men after me and not men onely but earth Stones and graues shall open vnto me woe is my heart we are heauier then earth harder then Rockes more silēt then the graues we speake not we pray not we praise not we stirre not at the death of our Redeemer he is lifted vp higher then euer he was euen from the crosse of shame to the crowne of glorie and we are pulled downe to all shame and Ignonimy with the weight of our sinnes heauier then a tallent of leade If any man say shewe vs his sufferings and we will greeue with him and for him I answere Dominus in monte verbum in alto Christ is vpon the mountaine of his holines his word is exalted here and elsewhere in the land for what doe we preach other then Christ Iesus and him crucified And doth it drawe all men after it The vaile of this Temple these stones in the pillars this holie ground and dead graues shall stand vp in iudgement one day against this people that they haue beene more prest to heare passionate to feele of the preaching piercing and sufferings of Iesus Christ then the men of this generation for we haue piped vnto you out of the Gospell and ye haue not danced we haue mourned vnto you out of the Law and ye haue not lamented But when wisdome is iustified of her children then shall ye finde it no wisedome but extreme madnes and folly to haue haunted the Tauernes followed your pleasures prophaned the Sabaoths sold Christ at a lower rate then euer Iudas did not for thirtie pence but for a penny shot a goodly price whereat he is valued and euen then alas when Christ is in preaching and agonizing ouer the cuppe of bitter affliction Nay the Queene of the South shall stand vp in that great day so shall the men of Niniuie and the one shall condemne vs in that they repented more speedily and the other that she came more readily to heare the wisdome of Salomon then euer yet we did to heare the wisdome of Christ The vse is good of all I haue said to strike a Selah with our soules in caution of our former future sinning procuring prodigies signes and wonders at Christ his death and our redemption for if one sin of Achan endangered all the campe and if one sinne of Dauid plagued all Israel what maruell then if when all the sinnes of all the world lay so heauily vpon our Christ and pressed him downe to death there was a commotion of all the creatures of God to see and behold so dolorous a spectacle as when the sonne of God gaue his sacred soule a sacrifice for our sinnes who had no shelter but in the graue for that opened to giue him passage when the vaile of the Temple rent and denied him sanctuarie And now spare we a while to passe from these prodigies at Christ his birth and death to the wonders were wrought sithence euen downe to our disasterous daies whereby we may gather the neare approach of Christ his second comming to iudgment The thought wherof so frighted Iob in his frailtie that he wished the graue might be his couer till the griefe thereof was past I might tell of that great day and it was the Lords day when hee mightily declared himselfe to be the sonne of God by the resurrection from the dead and what maruell then if vpon the approach of so glorious a presence Sheal was shaken graues were opened and dead bodies did rise with him and appeared vnto many in the holy citie to the great wonder of all the world And I might tell of that great day and it was the Lords day when at that high feast of penticost the holy Ghost appeared in a visible signe and was powred downe from God and fell vpon his Apostles in so great abundance what maruell I say if vpon the approach of so powerfull a spirit and presence sounds from heauen filled their eares like the rushing of a mightie wind fiery clouen tungs filled their eyes and mouths to speake magnalia dei to all nations vnder heauen I say what meruell if feare with an astonishmēt filled their eyes eares and hearts when the Lord was about a worke of so great wonder I leaue these holy wonders to the leaues of holy writ wherein you are daily exercised and by your holy patience I will follow the streame of some such signes as sithence haue fallē out shewing a presence in God prepared to punish without passion in man to preuent the danger by speedie repentance Memorable is the destruction of Ierusalem by Tytus and Vespatian 40. yeares after Christ his painefull passion who prophecied of their ruine because they repented not nor did or would know the day of their visitation she would acknowledge no presence of the Lord in mercy and therefore must feele the presence of her God in iudgement yet not without prodigies signes and wonders as harbingers of his wrath whereof Iosephus writeth much and more then I can now stand to relate being preuented with time but reade his booke de bello Iudaico and there ye shall find how first a blasing Starre was seene in the ayre like vnto a sword hanging ouer the Citie for more then a whole yeare together threatning nothing lesse then fire and desolation for their bloodie sinnes the blood of the Prophets and of that Iust one crying vengeance to God in heauen against that bloodie Citie 2. Againe at the feast of vnleavened bread in a great assemblie of people and at nine of the clocke in the night a bright light was seene in the Temple shining and so continued for the space of halfe an houre In token that because they had quenched the holie lamps and put out the light of the world therefore the glorie of that house should be of no continuance 3. Thirdly at the same feast and in the day time when the High Priest was offering an Heyfer for the Sacrifice she brought foorth a Lambe in the midst of the Temple In signe that though they thought they had killed that Lambe of God that taketh away the sinnes of the world and that Moses should still haue
c. wee haue seene his Star in the East and are come to worship him him not it lest any man might bake cakes to the Queene of heauen adore the creature for the Creator Yet follow it till it come to the place where the babe is then leaue it and offer of thy Gold Myrrhe Frankencence that is when these signes in heauen prodigies on earth haue brought thee to the sense of thy sinne and sight of thy Sauiour offer vp the sweet perfume of thy praier praise an euening and morning sacrifice vnto thy Christ Lastly are there rumors of warres abroad in the world or warres at home woes and wonders euen at thy doores Hannibal ad portas Is the enemie at thy gates Are the Barbarians abroad and is the Turke in armes Vibrans hastam in Christianos breathing after Christian blood desine peccare ciuitas non peribit cease to sinne and the citie shall not be sacked Quid fugis patriam si vis saluus esse tua potius peccata subter fuge si tu peccare deseris victus est inimicus Why leauest thou thy country nay rather if thou wouldest be safe flee from thy sinnes if thou leaue off sinning the enemie is conquered And how is he conquered Non Gladio Golias sed lapide prosternitur Goliah was not slaine with a sword but with a stone out of a sling that is to say by powerfull praier For so saith Dauid thou commest to me with a sword and with a speare and with a shield but I come to thee in the name of the Lord of Hosts whom thou hast rayled vpon And thus you see how the Drum of deuotion in the hand of Gods creatures though senseles of themselues yet sensible of our sinnes hath stroken an allarum to praier Now let vs smell to that sweet perfume and presse both the power and priuiledge thereof to saue out of these words It shall be that whosoeuer shall call on the name of the Lord shall be saued But because I haue wearied you ouermuch in this I will spare both my selfe and you till a further opportunitie And so let vs pray O eternall God and most mercifull father c. The end of the first Sermon THE SECOND Sermon THE PERFVME OF PRAYER THE ARROWE OF OVR deliuerance in the daies of danger when signes from heauen and Prodigies on earth are on vs to moue our repentance Acts. 2. 21. And it shall be that whosoeuer shall call vpon the name of the Lord shall be saued SIgnes in heauen and prodigies on earth as I haue told you are nothing else but drums of deuotion prouoking our prayer in the sweet perfume whereof whiles we walke the Lord will either deliuer vs from deserued iudgements or giue vs patience to abide the fyrie triall And therfore pardon me yet further to ceaze vpon your religious eares and hearts on Gods behalfe and in tender of your saued soules Pardon me to presse you to powerfull praier thereby to make the Lord propitious ayding assisting when workes of wonder both aboue and belowe doe threaten our destruction The wicked in that day shal wring their hands rent their garments teare their haire and cry vpon the mountaines to fall vpon them but the godly shall haue boldnes in that day they shall lift vp their heads and knowe that the day of their redemption draweth neere yea as it is in my text they shall call vpon the name of the Lord and be saued I say all such as feare God shall feare no fire but call vpon the name of the Lord and be saued Yet so as the holy Ghost euer giues the gust power and spirit of prayer without which it is no perfume but a stinch in the nosthrills of the Lord of Host And therefore as you may here see the blessed Apostle clearing the imputation of Drunkennes both in himselfe and the rest his associats euen in the height of that high feast of Penticost doth in ebriat the soules of Gods Saints with a pregnant prophesie of the abundance of the spirit which should glad the hearts of the godly in the latter daies So then I may safely say that as the fire is knowne by it heate the Sunne by it light and the tree by it fruit so may you by prayer know whether the spirit of God be in you or no As also whether ye shall be saued when prodigies are abroad wonders in heauen aboue and tokens on earth beneath blood and fire and the vapour of smoake Much prayer and much passion is euer from a powerfull spirit and it argueth a Royall presence of the holy Ghost for euen as in water face answereth face so in plea of saluation spirit answereth spirit Gods spirit answereth our spirit that we are his children yea and the insence of our prayer answereth the perfume of his spirit in which sweet ayre we are carried and breath vnto saluation VVhy then it may seeme where there is much prayer there is much spirit where there is little praier there is little spirit and where there is no prayer there is no spirit and if who soeuer shall call vppon the name of the Lord hath much spirit and shall bee saved it will follow that whosoeuer shall not call vpon the name of the Lord hath no spirit and shall not be saved And I cannot but wonder that sith the vision is for an appointed time and now is the time euen in the latter daies which are the dayes of Christ wherein God hath promised to power out his spirit vpon all flesh euen the spirit of grace and compassion so as euery one should weepe apart because of him whom they haue pierced And yet our praier should be so scanted and our spirits so dull as wee seeme to bee dead in our deuotion Surely wee dire the Deity with our sinnes wee quench the spirit wee grieue it wee despite it and therefore wee pray not because the spirit breathes not Some few droppes of this heauenly fountaine distilled vpon the Patriarkes and Prophets of old but the cundits of grace were neuer so fully opened as in these latter dayes of Christ when with the effusion of his blood hee vented out the abundance of his spirit and powred it vpon all flesh and is it not strange thē that men should so liue as if they stood in doubt whether there bee an holy Ghost or no and in these last dayes of mans redemption they should breath more weakly and pray more faintly then in the first dayes of the worlds creation when Abel was slaine by Caine it is of speciall observation that vntill the dayes of Enoch men were silent in their deuotion and cared not for their God for then as it is in the Text men beganne to call vpon the name of the Lord Caines sinne had so corrupted Seths seed sanctity that till Enoch repaired the ruines by his holy profession there was little prayer little spirit litle pietie in that world
is this proud Philistim that he should reuile the Host of the liuing God Thou commest to me with a sword and with a speare and with a shield but I come to thee in the name of the Lord of Hostes the God of the host of Israel whom thou hast railed vpon It would be too long to tell of all but this is the summe by the power of prayer diuels are dispossessed the dead are raised maladies are cured eyes are opened tongues are vntied and sinowes are losed prayer fatched done fire from heauen and it staied the sunne in Gibion it openeth heauen it shutteth hell and shaketh all the powers of darkenes it conque reth God it quieteth the conscience it sacketh sinne and to conclude as it is in my text it saueth soules for it shall be that whosoeuer shall call vpon the name of the Lord shall be saued These words are three times mentioned in the scriptures of God to make vs the more attentiue they are riuited with a stiddy hand a treble stroke to make vs y e more apprehensiue of y e Lords mercies they are driuen in like holie nailes of the holy Sanctuarie wheron t◠hang our saluation on the daies of triall when there shall be signes in the heauens aboue tokens in the earth beneath blood and fire and the vapour of smoke then whosoeuer shall call vpon the name of the Lord shall be saued And such priuiledge haue all his Saints but the diuels damned shall either be silent dum in the day of danger or if they speake they shall call to the mountaines to fall vpon them The Lord God of spirits prepare vs euer to pray and by that way and meanes giue vs passage into the presence of our good God there to haue both audience and answere for his sonnes sake who hath saued vs from our sinnes by shedding of his most pretious blood thereby to redeeme the world of his Elect. To that God and Christ with the power of the holy Ghost proceeding from both be all honour and glorie this day and euer Amen Amen FINIS Habacuk 2. 2 Psal 7 46. Heb. 12. 19. Deut. 33. 2. Heb. 12. 21 Psal 68. 8. Ioel. 3. 16. Suidas in Thulis Suidas in vita Angusti Niceph. l. ◠Hyri c. 17. Ezech. 12. 1. King 13. 2. Iob. 14. 13. Lib. 7. Cap. 12. 2. Thess 2. 8. Gen. 7. 20. Gen. 7. 22 Buried at Standish Church in Lancastshire Aprill 17. 1613. Isay 3. 24. Amos. 3. 6. Iob. 14. 1. 1. Peter 1. 23. Gen. 5. 24. Ps 45. 2. Mark 11. 24. Math. 21. 22. Iam. 1. 5. Ps 145. 18. 2. Iud. 9. 11. 3. Isay 66. 2. Oseah 12. Isay 39. 14. 2 King 20 5. 4. Isay 62. 7. 1. King 18. 43. 44 Iob. 1. 5. Dan. 6. 10. Ps 55. 17 1. Thes 5. 17 Act. 10. 9 10. Iud. 8. 5. 2. Part first impediment Pro. 1. 14. Pro. 28. 9. A second impedimēt Isaih 1. 15 c. Isaiah 59. 1. 2. Lam. 3. 4. 1. Sam. 28. 15. 3. Impediment Prou. 21. 13. 4. Impediment Mark 11 25. Eccl. 17. 23. 5. Impediment Ieremiah 7. 16. Ezech. 14. 14. Numb 11 10. 30. 1. Sam. 8. 6. 7. Deut. 17. 14. 2. Cor. 12. 7. Isay 62. 6. 1. Tim. 4. 4. 5. Ioh. 17. 1. Cant. 5. 5. Exod. 3. 32. Leui. 4. 31. Heb. 7. 24. 25. Gen. 20. 3. 7. Numb 16. 41. c. Iob. 5. 1. The Papists abuse this place to make good their prayer to Saints which is spoken not of the dead but of the liuing Saints Rom. 15. 30. 31. c. Act. 12. 5. 6. c. Gen. 25. 1. Sam. 1. 2. King 4. Luk. 113. Exod. 17. 1. Sam. 7. 2. Chron. 20. 6. 1. Sam. 17. 45. Ioel. 2. 23. Rom. 10. 13.
and the Moone in the vally of Aielan Surely surely at the presence of this great God the heauens and the earth shall shake but the Lord will be the hope of his people But leaue we them elder dayes come we to the later times mentioned in my Text Nay leaue we that God of Majesty and come we to the God of mercy euen to the dayes of Christ who when hee bowed the heauens and came downe into our flesh though hee fell vpon vs like a shower of rain vpon a fleece of wooll in sofnes and in silence yet the heavens were shaken at the brightnes of his presence whē at his birth Angels sung his lullaby and at his death all the creatures of God mourned his funerals To tel of the prodigies that fell out at his birth and of the wonders that were then seene I will bee the more sparing to speake because out of holy Writ little can be said thereof yet if approued hystories may speake Chronacles of elder times may bee admitted for Records of truth that blessed Babe euen in his birth by signes and wonders was approved to be the vndoubted son of God the Messias and Saviour of all the world It cannot be denied which holy Writ averreth Fulget in terris lux nova de coelo And another star appeared at his birth and Angels were heard to publish his prayses with glory in heauen peace on earth and good will among men yea and to attend the presence of that blessed Babe Kings came from farre to offer their gifts Kings of Arabia and Seha they offered of their purest gold and sweetest perfume that which the shepheards heard from heauen keeping their flockes vpon the downes of Bethlehē they preached to mē vpon this earth and all these are holy wonders of holy Record shewing fignes from heaven vpon the approch of that blessed birth whose breath as some write blew open the doores of that great Pantheon at Rome I mean the Temple of all the Gentile gods who vpon the birth of Christ fell down brake their necks as Dagon did before the Arke I might tell how Divels were daunted at his comming especially when the time of his appearance drew neere and I will here onely mention two Oracles of Apollo concerning this matter one to a Priest and the other to a Prince A Priest of Apollo demanding him of true Religion of God answere was made out of the hollow vault O vnhappy Priest why doest thou aske me of God that is the father of all things and of this most renowmed Kings deare and onely sonne and of the spirit that containeth all Alas that spirit will enforce me shortly to leaue this habitation and place of Oracle The other Oracle was to Augustus Caesar euen about the very time of Christs birth who desirous to know who should raigne after him would needs goe to Delphos and withall learne what should become of things when he was dead to which Apollo for a great space would make no answere till Caesar had importuned him from sacrifice to sacrifice till he came to the great Hecatomb whē as it were enforced Apollo vttered these strange words vnto him An Hebrew Child that ruleth ouer the blessed Gods commandeth me to leaue this habitation and out of hand to get mee to Hell but yet do you depart in silence from our Alters Whereuppon the Emperour standing agast and musing with him selfe what this answere might bee returned to Rome and built there an Alter in the Capitol with this inscription Ara Primogeniti Dei by both which you may see how Diuels were enforced to leaue their habitations on earth vpon Christ his dwelling in our flesh his Incarnation was their execution and they were enforced to howle vtter out their own miserie When it pleased him to swaddle vs in his mercy and so with this merciful myracle of our Sauiours birth went the miraculous mercies of our deliverance from sinne death and diuels his blessed birth being attended vpon as haue said to the wonder of al the world with these signs from aboue and tokens below harbengers of his most glorious and royal presence From the wonders of his birth it followeth wee came to the wonders shewed at the death of Christ when vpon the effusion of his bloud there was a cōmotion of all creatures high and low in heauen and on earth all grieued and groned to see and behold so dolourous a spectacle The Sunne was darkened and the Moone became bloudy stars fell from heauen and the earth quaked rockes burst asunder and Sheal was shaken nay more it was a day of darkenesse covering all the land as with a curtaine when heaven was shut from it shine and the graue was shaken when that Kingdom of death and darkenes was conquered by Christ whereby his death killed death and by his life gained vs life with immortality nay more was it not a wonder to see how the vayle of the Temple rent when mens hearts would not relent In a word the foundations of the earth were out of course and what had that righteous one done Surely surely though the prodigies be past with the passion tract of time hath vayled it from our flesh that wee see it not yet can it never from a passionate faith that it feele it not for to this end hath God giuē vs the spirit of prayer and compassion as saith another Prophet that we should weepe because of him whom wee haue pierced but woe is me to tell who is sorrie for the afflictions of Ioseph the yron of sorrow entered into the soule of our Sauiour we are senselesse of his sufferings if man will not be moued thou earth ye rockes graues Sunne Moone and Starres pleade the cause of the Innocēt and say what hath the righteous done Innocēt hands whom haue ye spoyled and yet are ye perced Innocent heart against whom hast thou Imagined euill yet art thou gored Innocent mouth of whom hast thou spoken euill and yet art thou spunged gracious face coūtenance vpon whom hast thou lowred and yet art thou spit vpon head full of deawe and lockes with the drops of the night so wooing vs in grace now wedding vs in glory how wer thy temples crowned with sharpe thornes to the effusiō of thy blood and yet are we senselesse of thy suffering we haue sinned and he hath smarted the Iust for the vniust and if we will be silent still and say nothing to cleare the innocent Sunne Moone and Starres earth Rockes and Graues will pleade the Lords quarrell and say what hath the righteous done When the man of God came out of Iudah vnto Bethell and Ieroboam stood by the Altar to offer Incense in reprehension of the kings Idolatrie he cryed against the Altar by the commandement of the Lord and said Altar Altar thus saith the Lord Vbi alloquitur aram molliorem carde Ieroboam where and when he spake
liued when Christ was dead yet should they see with their eyes that the truth should rise out of that type and when the Heyfer was slaine yet the Lambe should liue yea and that very Temple stones and all should turne to Greet Ne populus redirit ad Iudaizmum Lest the people might goe backe to Iudaizme 4. Fourthly nay yet more the great Brason doore as the Author saith being at the East end of the Temple which twentie men could hardly either open or shut at the sixt hower of the night flew open of it owne accord shewing a new way and passage of Christ to a better place and being euen vnto a Tabernacle not made with hands but pitched in the high heauens opening of it selfe without helpe of any 5. Together with these as Iosephus writeth in the 21. of May a gastly spirit of an vnspeakable height and bignes was seene in the citie a pregnaÌ„t prodigie of their imineÌ„t desolation when Zim Ohim Skritchowles Fairies Satyres did haunt their houses and fairest habitations 6. Chariotes in the ayre armed meÌ„ fighting by troups amoÌ„g the clouds appeared throughout al the Land of Iudea marched towards the Citie with fearce Encounters all presages of their future fall by the furie of warre which was at their doores and yet they repented not 7. Nay more in a solemn feast when the Priests were assembled by night as their manner was to sacrifice they heard this voice Migremus hinc migremus hinc let vs get hence let vs get hence the wonder they heard sell from heaven enioyning them silence and a cessation from all legall ceremonies and sacrifices now ended both Priest place and offering vpon the sole sacrifice of Christ whom they had cruelly murthered and therfore had need to be gone before the fire of his fierce wrath was kindled against that place people and kingdome Lastly and of all other prodigies to provoke their repentance vpon the Lords presence neere approch now ready to strike it was not the least which fell out in one Iesus the sonne of Ananias of the vulgar sort who foureteene yeeres before the siedge when al was in quiet peace and plentie this sonne of Ananias comming to the feast of Tabernacles when the manner was that the Princes of the people should doe their devotions to God in the Temple sodenly he cried out to the wonder of them all A voyce from the East a voyce from the West a voyce from the foure windes a voyce vpon Ierusalem a voyce vpon the Temple a voyce vpon the Bride and vpon the Bridegroome a voyce vpon all the people Thus night day he ran through euery street crying without thought of food or regard of any insomuch as when he was beaten by the mighty impatient of the prodigie I say beaten to the bare bones he neither shedde a teare or shewed himselfe suppliant but at euery stroke stil cried out Wo woe to the inhabitants of Ierusalem and thus continuing during all the time of the siege and especially at their solemne feasts At last when the siege was at the hotest running round about the walles of the City without feare hee vttered the same voyce and said Woe to Ierusalem was to the people and woe to my selfe At which last woe Sagitta ictus occumbebat wounded with an arrow hee fell downe dead The vse is good and for vs in the height of this our security all these wonders and signes euery man interpreted as the story saith Pro sua libidine euen as best pleased himselfe some they neglected some they corrected some they contemned donec patriae exidin suaque pernieie eorum iniquitas confutata est till their error with their wickednesse was corrected with the destruction both of their country and of themselues they killed their Prophets they beleeved not Christ whom when they had slaine and silenced then was it time for prodigies to speake and say O bloudy City I dare giue remission vpon thy repentance but I dare giue no rest vpon thy rebellions Before the destruction of Troy as Virgil reporteth Fatis aperit Cassandra futuris era Dei Iussunec vnquam credita Tencris Cassandra foretold it ruine but could neuer be beleeved she spake from the holy Oracle but was not heard It s a fearefull thing when the Prophets are despised it s more fearefull when their Prophesies are set at nought but its fearefull aboue all feares when fire is a falling downe froÌ„ heauen that is when we with our Prophets and prophesying prodigies speake and wonders worke and yet wee repent not so it was with Israel I pray God it bee not so with England To speake of the signes wonders and prodigies that shall be seene vpon the worlds ending I dare not I cannot that feare and fire oppresseth my spirits in the thoughts thereof Et horret animus meminisse my very mind and soule melteth at the heat thereof And therefore hauing in some weake measure mentioned that dreadfull day heretofore in two other Sermons I leaue it vnder a vayle as Apelles did the imperfect portraiture of Agamemnon father of Iphigenia and come a little neerer home euen downe to our dayes Haue we no signes in heauen or prodigies in earth to moue our repentance Haue not the heavens of late yeeres strucke an alarum to provoke our prayers by vncoth signes never seene before It is some 40. yeeres agoe since that starre in the North appeared in Cassiâ—peia whereat the Astronomers stood agast Surely it was some star of Bethlehem conducting vs to that Babe of Bethlehem Non in cunis sed in Cathedra not lying swathled in the cratch but advanced into his chaire of high estate by a second birth of holy doctrine theÌ„ divulged through out all the world when the Gospell should beget faith in more abundance from the East to the West by North and by South I durst not thus presage of the effect of this star were I not well warranted by the judgements of two worthy Divines lights of this age Du Plessis and Beza who by that wonder in heauen are bold to say that the Lord hath prognosticated a second birth of Christ vpon the earth by the preaching of the Gospell vnto all nations vnder heaven neuer to bee backed by that wicked man whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth and shal abolsh with the brightnesse of his comming whereof these wonders in heauen are warnings on earth for all Gods children to bee prepared with our oyle and our Lampes light to meet him in the cloudes and so to bee caught vp to raign with him for â—ver And so to the next Not many yeeres after and right â—pposite to that in the North there appeared an other wonder in heauen a blazing starre both great and fearefull threatning some dangerous event to the Southerne parts of the world which the Affiricans in some measure felt when the Kings of Barbary and Portugall were slaine The cinders of that