the righteousnes of Christ Iesus such are all the faithful in whose mortal bodies the plague of sinne doth not remaine their infirmities being healed by Dauids Physitian Psal 103. If yee desire a certificate thereof you haue the Gospel subscribed and sealed by God the Father the Sonne and the holy Ghost If yee desire a witnesse ye haue a threefold witnesse The spirit the water and the blood 1. Ioh. 58. Lastly wee make choyse of such places where if neede be we may haue good Physitians for wee esteeme it a great miserie to bee destitute of a good Physitian and of meanes to helpe vs in our neede The place of refuge wherevnto Dauid fled and wee also ought to flie following his direction hath the best Physitian which is both in heauen or earth God the Father King Dauids Physitian who hath both health and sicknesse life and death in his power to dispose of them for our good and saluation knocke therefore boldly with the hand of prayer and repentance at the gate of his mercie and thrust in his hands both thy life and health And thus much for the qualities and properties of the place Further wee haue to obserue that Dauid went not to this place of refuge alone but with his whole family for he prayed with the Elders of the people for the people and for the deliuerance of his whole kingdome Herein imitate King Dauid remember in thy prayer thy whole family and the state of the whole kingdome the Tribe of Iudah and the Tribe of Leui. There are foure sorts for which we must pray First for those which are Supra nos aboue vs Secondly for those which are equall vnto vs Thirdly for those which are Sub nobis vnder vs Fourthly for those which are Comra nos against vs. In the going to the name of the Lord wee must not imitate the negligence of many who depart into the Countrey and care onely for themselues as for their families or at least their seruants they are not once mindfull of them but wee must as well carrie with vs in our prayers the seruants which are vnder vs as shee that lieth in our bosome And the Oliue plants which are round about our tables Psal 108. 3. The Athenians would offer sacrifice but onely for their owne Citie and their neighbours of Chios but wee Christians must pray not onely for the mother Citie but for all the daughters Christ teaching vs to say Our father c. as if we all came from one wombe It is a principle both of nature and policie Vis vnita fortior Srength vnited receiueth more strength It holdeth likewise in Diuinitie If the prayer of one righteous person auaileth much the prayer of many righteous shall auile more If the Syrophenician obtained for her daughter the sute shee made much more the whole Church of England shal obtaine for all her daughters Where two or three be gathered together in his name he is in the midst of them Much rather in the midst of a people in the midst of thousands in whom there is Anima vna cor vnum One soule one heart one tongue as if they were all but one man Lord heale the sores of our land for behold both the mother and the daughters the head and the members doo prostrate our selues before his Maiestie Yee of the sect of Rome diuide not at this time of the plague in your prayers the soule the voice and language of the Countrey into two places Elias and his companie praying in one place and with one stile O Lord God of Abraham and yee in another O Baal heale vs Some praying for the life of Dauid and some for the life of Iabin As for vs we will pray for the Lords annoynted that God may hide him vnder the shadow of his wings from the noysome pestilence knowing that this is one of the parts of our obedience towards him that we as Constantine the great taught his souldiers to shew their allegiance in nothing more then this should pray for him his children and posteritie I end this point with the saying of an ancient Father That there is no better garde or Halbards to safegard a Prince then the prayers of the righteous Before I come to the third branch of this discourse giue leaue Christan Readers to the spirituall Physitians to lay downe three rules which are to be obserued in this our spiritual departure to the name of the Lord. The bodily Phisitians touching departure prescribe three rules Longè cuò tardè Goe farre off depart speedily returne slowly The same rules are to be obserued by the righteous First we must flie farre not with the prodigall and forlorne sonne in a farre Countrey farre from the feare of God and thought of death or with Ionas from the presence of the Lord who rideth vpon the Cherubims and can ouertake vs for whither shall I goe saith Dauid from thy spirit Or whither shall I flee from thy presence But farre from this world and the earth vnto the holy temple and mountaine vnto heauen which is high aboue the earth as Dauid speaketh Psal 103. 11 vnto that place which is called the land of the liuing Secondly flie farre from the plague of sinne and the infected ayre of this world and being come vnto that farre Countrey the Lord of the soyle will receiue you The second rule is flie speedily and deferre not your departure which rule is not in any maner to be omitted it is the counsell of the wise man Iesus Syrach Eccle. 38 9 My sonne faile not in thy sicknesse but prays vnto the Lord and he will make thee whole T is the commandement of the Lord to call vpon him in the time of neede Psal 50. Which must be performed with speede according to the example of Dauid Psal 119. I will runne the wayes of thy Commandements If we make haste to flie into the Countrey and forget to goe speedily vnto this Sanctuarie it is as Augustine speaketh of another matter Cursus celerrimus praeter viam A swift race besides the way Haste in this matter is prayse worthie and a man can neuer run too fast that runneth to this place The delay that Elizeus made let mee goe kisse my Father and those shifts in the Gospel Let me first goe burie my mother or take leaue of my friends are not admitted in this businesse commune not therefore with flesh and blood If in the time of plague we make such haste to depart before we haue ordained our businesse aright or bad our friends farewell How much more ought wee to hasten our spirituall voyage While the fal-bridge is let downe let vs make speede to enter Many because they went not farre not made speed to depart haue endangered their bodies but many more because they fled not from the contagion of sinne with speede haue endangered their soules and therefore as the Apostle speaketh 1. Cor. 9. of another matter so I may
necessarie that we know the name of the place whereunto we go secondly that we haue feet to beare carie vs thither thirdly that we haue a directioÌ„ that we might not erre fourthly that wee haue some right interest there or some acquaintance that we may be receiued So likewise these foure things are necessarie to be knowne of vs in our spirituall departure Touching the name of the place whereunto Dauid fled in the time of plague as it hath diuers names so in this place it is called the name of Iehouah Heere I pertermit the fiue seueral significations of the name of the Lord vsed in the book of God taking it in this place first for the Lord himself secondly for his attributes by which hee doth manifest himselfe Of which Moses Num 14. bringeth in a perfect catalogue the Lord hath deliuered this his name by proclamation Exo. 34. 5. 6. The Lord the Lord strong merciful gratious slow to anger aboundant in goodnes and truth c. God then the almightie eternall immortall inuisible Lord the iudge of the world Psal 94. 2. God merciful gratious the supreme phisition of our soules who healeth all our iniquities Psal 103. God to whom power belongeth and whose is saluation alone Psal 62. is the place it selfe whereunto Dauid and wee ought to flie from the contagion The name of a place if it be known famous and renowned hath often much force to perswade vs rather to goe vnto such a place then vnto such or such surely there was neuer name of place more worthy to goe vnto then the name of Iehouah O ye righteous soules that thirst by reason of the heate of the plague vpon your beddes flie vnto this place to the waters of comfort here are wels enough to be drawne at this is the name which God hath proclaimed to the world and whereby he would be knowne to men that if euer they come to him they may speake their mindes in the confidence and trust of this amiable name Esteeme it not strange beloued that the name of a place is attributed to the Lord for that he is a place of refuge three things are able to prooue First the witnes of God himselfe second the confession of the righteous third the word running here vsed by king Salomon As for the Lord he doth attribute vnto himselfe this name by the pen of the holy Ghost calling himselfe a secret place psal 91. 1. a throne of grace Hebr. 4. 16. a refuge psal 9. 9. a fortresse psal 18. 2. a strong towre and such lyke more Secondly this is the confession of the righteous Of Dauid the father in diuers places psal 18. 2. The Lord is my fortresse and my refuge and in the 32. 7. Thou art my secret place compasâ—est me about with ioyfull deliuerance and so Psal 94. 22. This is also the confession of the sonne in this place and of all the Saints of God vnto whose confessions I referre you as they are set downe by the holy Ghost in the booke of God Thirdly the word runneth implieth as much which giueth me entrance to the second point opening vnto vs the feete which we neede to goe vnto this place the which if ye are desirous to know they are two in number Faith and Praier Faith the first for if by faith we stand 2. Cor. 1. 24. by faith we may also goe to the lord who is faithful Now how could we go vnto him by the feete of prayer if we did not beleeue in him Rom 10. 14. The second is prayer a spirituall legge to beare vs thither noted by Salomon making mention of running by Ionas speaking of comming Iohn 2. ver 7. And my prayer come vnto thee in thine holy temple By the Apostle wheÌ„ he speaketh of going let vs therfore goe vnto the throne of grace Heb. 4. 16. Lastly by the holy Ghost vsing this word Climbing Apoc. 8. 4. Both the name of the place which is appointed for vs to goe vnto and the spirituall legs which the Lord hath giuen vs to carrie vs thither doe preach vnto the sonnes of men the admirable goodnes and mercie of the Lord toward them In this world wee are as pilgrims Psal 119. hauing here no continuing Citie Heb 13. 14 and while we are at home in the body we are absent from the Lord 2. Cor. 5. 6. In which pilgrimage Many are the troubles of the righteous Psal 34. O the great goodnesse of the Lord then that hee hath giuen vs feete to come vnto him and made himselfe a place of refuge for vs in all our troubles which goodnesse is comfortable vnto the faithfull for as it is a comfort vnto the pilgrim shepheard or souldier to haue in the heate of the day a place of refuge to refresh their wearied members So likewise what a comfort is it for you O afflicted soules in the heate of your afflictions to haue the name of Iehouah for a sacred Sanctuarie the Lord is not like vnto the princes of the earth who desire not to be molested with the requests of their distressed subiects It is a ioy to the wearied student that he may sometime come home to his fathers house and recreate himselfe Into this world the Lord hath sent vs as in an Vniuersitie which although it is farre off from our fathers house yet the Lord hath giuen vs spirituall feete by which in a moment we can ascend vnto our fathers house and recreate there our wearied spirits This world is a waste desart if wee neede any thing here are the legges by which speedily wee may runne to this place and prouide our selues If the Lord hath cast vs downe vpon our beds and that wee can not vse the feete of our bodies behold hee hath giuen vs other feete to vse in steade of these King Ezekias visited with the plague could not vse the feete of the flesh but with the feete of the spirit went vnto this place knowen vnto him by the name of Iehouah Ionas is locked vp in a prison in the belly of the Whale the Lords prison and can not stirre himselfe and yet by the vertue of these feete out of the depth he ascendeth to the holy temple of Iehouah Now that these feete may be able to beare vs thither and that they may not faile vs in our voyage they must put on the hose of faith and as the Apostle speaketh our feete must be shod with the preparation of the Gospell of peace And as the feete to that Image of Daniel were part of yron part of clay which the Prophet expoundeth partly strong partly weake or broken So the feete of our prayers are according to the hosen wherewith they are couered if they put on feare and distrustfulnesse they will bee shiuering and sinking downeward of clay weake and impotent if they put on faith and confidence in the mercies of God they will be feete of yron strong stable and
wrath and anger To auoide this threefold danger runne to the Arke and to this blessed Zoar. The fourth motiue is the desire of life and health we neede at this time a double health the health of the soule and body let vs therefore goe boldly vnto the throne of grace that wee may receiue mercie and finde grace to helpe in time of neede Heb. 4. 16. Why went that woman which was diseased with an issue of blood twelue yeares vnto Christ but that shee might receiue her health Vers 12. The sicknesse of the plague is an issue of blood which being once opened will euer runne and keepe a course if it bee not stanched by the power and mercie of God which mercie is onely obtained by going vnto his sacred name to obtaine this double health Dauid went vnto this place 1. Chron. 21. that the plague of his soule might be healed and the bodily plague bee remooued If we are as it were dead for sorrow prayer will reuiue vs for it is Vita animae the life of the soule and as Chrysostome termeth it Est anima ipsius animae It is the soule of the soule If we goe into the Countrey which cannot saue vs how much more ought we to flie to this name which hath the power to doe it this his power being acompanied with mercie and kindnesse for thou O Lord art good and gracious and of great compassion Psal 86. Fiftly experience of good successe is the last motiue they which haue fled to this place haue not beene stopped by the way but haue had good speede Goe vnto King Eezekias Iob Dauid and the rest and they will preach vnto you by experience the experience of this successe This successe is grounded vpon three things as vpon three firme pillars the power the will and promise the goodnesse and mercie of God His power I haue heard it that power belongeth vnto God Psal 62 11. There was neuer affliction or sore so great but the hand of that Physitian hath beene able to master it the least finger of his right hand being of more puissance then the whole arme of flesh His will and promise Psal 91. 1. Ioel 2. 32. Iam. 5. 15. Eccle. 31. 9. Matth. 77. Ioh. 14. 13. The King of heauen is not like vnto the Princes of the earth or vnto that Philip of Macedon who answered vnto the widow comming in his Court to him to be heard I am not at leisure vnto which also shee answered iustly then bee not a King any longer for seeing that he hath promised it he is also willing his promise being signed with the finger of the holy Ghost and sealed with the blood of his beloued and annoynted Neither is he like vnto him Matth. 7. who answered trouble mee not my doores are shut the gate of heauen is alwayes open for vs. God reuoketh not his promise as King Salomon 1. Reg. 2. 20. 21. 23. Aske my mother for I will not say thee nay and yet behold how this time is changed Adoniah hath spoken this word against his owne life of the Lords promise wee neede not doubt but with Dauid boldly we may speake Psal 86. 7. In the day of my trouble I will call vpon thee for thou wilt heare me Thirdly His goodnesse mercie and liberalitie which is so great that he giueth meate to the yong rauens which call vpon him Psal 147. 9. Doubt not then but that hee will heare the supplications of men whom he hath made a little lower then the Angels to crowne them with glorie aboue other creatures Psal 8. 5 6. Let therefore saith Augustine thy prayer ascend and Gods mercie will descend shall wee distrust his goodnesse who is rich to all that call vpon him Rom. 10. 12. Or shall we suspect his bountifulnesse which powreth out plentifully his blessings vpon all flesh Rom. 8. 32. And although wee haue offended him yet our offences will not stop his mercies Men when they haue done any good turne to any if they bee neuer so little offended they cast men in the teeth with the benefits they haue done them and vpbraide them with the good turnes they haue shewed wherefore men are loath to make request to such for any thing If wee goe vnto the Lord we shal not meete with one that is of such a disposition and nature he as the Apostle speaketh reproacheth no man nor keepeth his anger for euer Psal 103 9. The willingnesse mercie and goodnesse of the Prince to haue vs maketh vs also willing to goe to him who more willing then he that is our Father our Sauiour then he that hath suffered for vs scoffings spittings bands stripes and death it selfe Neuer lap of the mother hath beene so open to her babes as the bowels of Gods compassions are open to the righteous Harken to this yee faint spirits be strengthened yee weake hands and feeble knees receiue this comfort that he hath deliuered he doth deliuer hee yet will and can deliuer I ende this point with the 13. 14 and 15. verses of the 10. Chapter of the Epistle to the Romanes wherein behold a singular and compendious gradation As they that would come to King Salomon sitting vpon his throne were faine to runne vp sixe staires for his throne was mounted vnto by sixe staires so the perfection and consummation of man going to the throne of the true Salomon Iesus Christ ascendeth and ariseth by sixe degrees the highest and the happiest staires being inuocating and sauing prayer and deliuerance These are then the fiue reasons by which wise Christians ought to bee guided I imitate King Dauid onely resorting to the wings of the Lords fauour And herein we should be wise if we leuell our hearts and affections at the very right center and marke of prayer which is the name of Iehouah alone and the period or scope in whom our requests must end But alas there are fiue sortes of men which make choice of other places reiecting the wisedome of Dauid the counsell of the spirituall Physitions and the practise of the Saints of God going a crooked a circular and endlesse way not towards the marke nor with a right foote as the Apostle speaketh Gal. 2. The first kind flie first to the helpe of mortall man and with Asa make speede to the bodily Physitian to the confections of Arte or to the purer ayre not once mindfull of this place but when all helpes faile them and that the Lord sendeth his Sergiant and heauenly Pursiphant to arrest them then they returne to runne to this place What name shall wee giue you O yee of little faith but the name of weake Christians Put not your trust in the sonne of man for there is no helpe in him Psal 146. There is a second sort which runne onely to the ordinarie creatures deriding the name of Iehouah yea denying that there euer hath beene or is yet at this present such a place to be found wherevnto the righteous is preserued