laid to which if they shall adde but one scruple it shall be to mee sufficient ioy contentment recompence From your Hal-sted Decemb. 4. Your Worships humbly deuouted IOS HALL THE FIRST CENTVRIE OF MEDITATIONS AND VOWES DIVINE and MORALL 1 IN Meditation those which begin heauenly thoughts and prosecute them not are like those which kindle a fire vnder greene wood and leaue it so soone as it but begins to flame leesing the hope of a good beginning for want of seconding it with a sutable proceeding when I set my selfe to meditate I will not giue ouer till I come to an issue It hath beene said by some that the beginning is as much as the middest yea more than all but I say the ending is more than the beginning 2 There is nothing but Man that respecteth greatnesse Not God not death not Iudgement Not God he is no accepter of persons Not nature we see the sonnes of Princes borne as naked as the poorest and the poore childe as faire well-fauoured strong witty as the heire of Nobles Not disease death iudgement they sicken alike die alike fare alike after death There is nothing besides naturall men of whom goodnesse is not respected I will honour greatnesse in others but for my selfe I will esteeme a dram of goodnesse worth a whole world of greatnesse 3 As there is a foolish wisdome so there is a wise ignorance in not prying into Gods Arke not enquiring into things not reuealed I would faine know all that I need and all that I may I leaue Gods secrets to himselfe It is happy for me that God makes me of his Court though not of his Counsell 4 As there is no vacuity in nature no more is there spiritually Euery vessell is full if not of liquor yet of aire so is the heart of man though by nature it is empty of grace yet it is full of hypocrisie and iniquitie Now as it is filled with grace so it is empty of his euill qualities as in a vessell so much water as goes in so much ayre goes out but mans heart is a narrow-mouthed vessell and receiues grace but by drops and therefore takes a long time to empty and fill Now as there be differences in degrees and one heart is neerer to fulnesse than another so the best vessell is not quite full while it is in the body because there are still remainders of corruption I will neither be content with that measure of grace I haue nor impatient of Gods delay but euery day I will endeuour to haue one drop added to the rest so my last day shall fill vp my vessell to the brim 5 Satan would seeme to bee mannerly and reasonable making as if hee would bee content with one halfe of the heart whereas God challengeth all or none as indeed hee hath most reason to claime all that made all But this is nothing but a craftie fetch of Satan for he knowes that if hee haue any part God will haue none so the whole falleth to his share alone My heart when it is both whole and at the best is but a strait and vnworthy lodging for God if it were bigger and better I would reserue it all for him Satan may looke in at my doores by a tentation but hee shall not haue so much as one chamber-roome set a part for him to soiourne in 6 I see that in naturall motions the neerer any thing comes to his end the swifter it moueth I haue seene great riuers which at their first rising out of some hills side might bee couered with a bushell which after many miles fill a very broad channell and drawing neere to the Sea doe euen make a little Sea in their owne bankes So the winde at the first rising as a little vapour from the crannies of the earth and passing forward about the earth the further it goes the more blustering and violent it waxeth A Christians motion after hee is regenerate is made naturall to God-ward and therefore the neerer he comes to heauen the more zealous he is A good man must not bee like Ezekias Sunne that went backward nor like Ioshuahs Sunne that stood still but Dauids Sunne that like a Bridegroome comes out of his chamber and as a Champion reioiceth to runne his race onely herein is the difference that when hee comes to his high noone hee declineth not How euer therefore the minde in her naturall faculties followes the temperature of the body yet in these supernaturall things she quite crosses it For with the coldest complexion of age is ioined in those that are truly religious the feruentest zeale and affection to good things which is therefore the more reuerenced and better acknowledged because it cannot bee ascribed to the hot spirits of youth The Deuill himselfe deuised that old slander of early holinesse A young Saint an old Deuill Sometimes young Deuils haue proued old Saints neuer the contrarie but true Saints in youth doe alwaies proue Angels in their age I will striue to bee euer good but if I should not finde my selfe best at last I should feare I was neuer good at all 7 Consent harteneth sinne which a little dislike would haue daunted at first As wee say There would bee no theeues if no receiuers so would there not bee so many open mouthes to detract and slander if there were not so many open eares to entertaine them If I cannot stop another mans mouth from speaking ill I will either open my mouth to reproue it or else I will stop mine cares from hearing it and let him see in my face that he hath no roome in my heart 8 I haue oft wondered how fishes can retaine their fresh taste and yet liue in salt waters since I see that euery other thing participates of the nature of the place wherein it abides So the waters passing thorow the chanels of the earth varie their sauour with the veines of soile thorow which they slide So brute creatures transported from one region to another alter their former qualitie and degenerate by little and little The like danger I haue seene in the manners of men conuersing with euill companions in corrupt places For besides that it blemisheth our reputation and makes vs thought ill though wee bee good it breeds in vs an insensible declination to ill and workes in vs if not an approbation yet a lesse dislike of those sinnes to which our eares and eies are so continually inured I may haue a bad acquaintance I will neuer haue a wicked companion 9 Expectation in a weake minde makes an euill greater and a good lesse but in a resolued minde it digests an euill before it come and makes a future good long before present I will expect the worst because it may come the best because I know it will come 10 Some promise what they cannot doe as Satan to Christ some what they could but meane not to doe as the sons of Iacob to the Sechemites some what they meant for the
his last passage a double portion of his Spirit should be vpon mee I followed him with my eyes in that fire and whirlewind now therefore O God make good thy gracious Word to thy seruant shew some token vpon mee for good make this the first proofe of the miraculous power wherewith thou shalt indue me Let Iordan giue the same way to me that it gaue to my master Immediately the streame as acknowledging the same Mantle though in another hand diuides it selfe yeelds passage to the successor of Elijah The fifty sonnes of the Prophets hauing bin a farre off witnesses of these admirable euents doe well see that Elijah though translated in body hath yet left his Spirit behinde him they meet Elisha and bow themselues to the ground before him It was not the outside of Elijah which they had wont to stoope vnto with so much veneration it was his Spirit which since they now finde in another subiect they entertaine with equall reuerence No enuy no emulation raiseth vp their stomacks against Elijahs seruant but where they see eminent graces they are willingly prostrate Those that are truely gracious doe no lesse reioyce in the riches of others gifts then humbly vnder-value their own These men were trained vp in the schooles of the Prophets Elisha at the plough and cart yet now they stand not vpon termes of their worth and his meannesse but meekely fall downe before him whom God will honour It is not to be regarded who the man is but whom God would make him The more vnlikely the meanes is the more is the glory of the workman It is the praise of an holy ingenuitie to magnifie the graces of God where euer it finds them These yong Prophets are no lesse full of zeale then reuerence zeale to Elijah reuerence to Elisha They see Elijah caried vp into the aire they knew this was not the first time of his supernaturall remouall Imagining it therefore possible that the Spirit of God had cast him vpon some remote mountaine or valley they profer the labour of their seruants to seeke him In some things euen professed Seers are blind Could they thinke God would send such a Charet and horses for a lesse voyage then heauen Elisha knowing his master beyond all the sphere of mortalitie forbids them Good will makes them vnmannerly their importunitie vrges him till he is ashamed not his approbation but their vehemence caries at last a condescent Else hee might perhaps haue seemed enuiously vnwilling to fetch backe so admired a Master and loth to forgoe that mantle Some things may be yeelded for the redeeming of our owne vexation and auoidance of others mis-construction which out of true iudgement we see no cause to affect The messengers tyred with three dayes search turne backe as wise as they went some men are best satisfied when they haue wearied themselues in their own waies nothing will teach them wit but disappointments Their painfull errour leades them to a right conceit of Elijahs happier transportation Those that would finde Elijah let them aspire to the heauenly Paradise Let them follow the high steps of his sincere faithfulnesse strong patience vndaunted courage feruent zeale shortly let them walke in the waies of his holy and constant obedience at last God shall send the fiery charet of death to fetch them vp to that heauen of heauens where they shall triumph in euerlasting ioyes ELISHA Healing the Waters Cursing the Children Releeuing the Kings IT is good making vse of a Prophet whiles wee haue him Elisha stayed some-while at Iericho The Citizens resort to him with a common suit Their structure was not more pleasant then their waters vnwholsome and their soile by those corrupt waters They sue to Elisha for the remedie Why had they not all this while made their mone to Elijah Was it that they were more awed with his greater austeritie Or was it that they met not with so fit an opportunitie of his commoration amongst them It was told them what power Elisha had exercised vpon the waters of Iordan and now they ply him for theirs Examples of beneficence easily moue vs to a request and expectation of fauours What ailed the waters of Iericho Surely originally they were not ill affected No men could be foolish as to build a city where neither earth nor water could be vsefull Meere prospect could not cary men to the neglect of health and profit Hiel the Bethelite would neuer haue reedified it with the danger of a curse so lately as in the dayes of Ahab if it had beene of old notorious for so foule an annoyance Not therefore the ancient malediction of Ioshua not the neighbourhood of that noisome lake of Sodome was guilty of this disease of the soyle and waters but the late sinnes of the inhabitants Hee turneth the riuers into a wildernesse and water springs into a dry ground a fruitfull land into barrennesse for the wickednesse of them that dwell therein How oft haue wee seene the same field both full and famishing How oft the same waters both safe and by some irruption or new tincture hurtfull Howsoeuer naturall causes may concurre heauen and earth and ayre and waters follow the temper of our soules of our liues and are therefore indisposed because we are so Iericho began now to make it selfe capable of a better state since it was now become a receptacle of Prophets Elisha is willing to gratifie his hosts it is reason that any place should fare the better for the presence of Diuines The medicine is more strange then the disease Bring mee a new Cruse and put salt therein Why a Cruse why new why Salt in that new Cruse How should Salt make water potable Or if there were any such vertue in it what could a Cruse-full doe to a whole current Or if that measure were sufficient what was the age of the Cruse to the force of the Salt Yet Elisha cals for Salt in a new Cruse God who wrought this by his Prophet is a free agent as hee will not binde his power to meanes so will he by his power binde vnlikely meanes to performe his will Naturall proprieties haue no place in miraculous works No lesse easie is it for God to worke by contrary then subordinate powers The Prophet doth not cast the Salt into the channel but into the spring of the waters If the fountaine bee redressed the streames cannot be faulty as contrarily the puritie and soundnesse of the streame auailes nothing to the redresse of the fountaine Reformation must begin at the well-head of the abuse The order of being is a good guide to the methode of amending Vertue doth not runne backward Had Elisha cast the Salt into the brookes and ditches the remedy must haue striuen against the streame to reach vp to the spring now it is but one labour to cure the fountaine Our heart is a Well of bitter and venomous water our actions are the streames In vaine shall we cleanse our hands
Angels stand in his presence it could not bee but Gods fauour would bee sweeter his chastisements more easie his benefits more effectuall I am not my owne while God is not mine and while he is mine since I doe possesse him I will enioy him 46 Nature is of her owne inclination froward importunately longing after that which is denied her and scornfull of what she may haue If it were appointed that we should liue alwaies vpon earth how extremely would we exclaime of wearinesse and wish rather that we were not Now it is appointed wee shall liue here but a while and then giue roome to our successors each one affects a kinde of eternitie vpon earth I will labour to tame this peeuish and sullen humour of nature and will like that best that must be 47 All true earthly pleasure forsooke man when he forsooke his Creator what honest and holy delight he tooke before in the dutifull seruices of the obsequious creatures in the contemplation of that admirable varietie and strangenesse of their properties in seeing their sweet accordance with each other and all with himselfe Now most of our pleasure is to set one creature together by the eares with another sporting our selues onely with that deformitie which was bred through our owne fault yea there haue beene that haue delighted to see one man spill anothers bloud vpon the sand and haue shouted for ioy at the sight of that slaughter which hath fallen out vpon no other quarrell but the pleasure of the beholders I doubt not but as wee solace our selues in the discord of the inferiour creatures so the euill spirits sport themselues in our dissentions There are better qualities of the creature which we passe ouer without pleasure In recreations I will chuse those which are of best example and best vse seeking those by which I may not onely be the merrier but the better 48 There is no want for which a man may not finde a remedie in himselfe Doe I want riches He that desires but little cannot want much Doe I want friends If I loue God enough and my selfe but enough it matters not Doe I want health If I want it but a little and recouer I shall esteeme it the more because I wanted If I be long sicke and vnrecouerably I shall be the fitter and willinger to die and my paine is so much lesse sharpe by how much more it lingreth Doe I want maintenance A little and course will content nature Let my minde be no more ambitious than my backe and belly I can hardly complaine of too little Doe I want sleepe I am going whither there is no vse of sleepe where all rest and sleepe not Doe I want children Many that haue them wish they wanted It is better to be childlesse than crossed with their miscariage Doe I want learning He hath none that saith he hath enough The next way to get more is to finde thou wantest There is remedy for all wants in our selues sauing onely for want of grace and that a man cannot so much as see and complaine that he wants but from aboue 49 Euery vertuous action like the Sunne eclipsed hath a double shadow according to the diuers aspects of the beholders one of glory the other of enuy Glory followes vpon good deserts Enuy vpon glory He that is enuied may thinke himselfe well for he that enuies him thinkes him more than well I know no vice in another whereof a man may make so good and comfortable vse to himselfe There would be no shadow if there were no light 50 In medling with the faults of friends I haue obserued many wrongfull courses what for feare or selfe-loue or indiscretion Some I haue seene like vnmercifull and couetous Chirurgians keepe the wound raw which they might haue seasonably remedied for their owne gaine Others that haue laid healing plaisters to skin it aloft when there hath beene more need of Corrosiues to eat out the dead flesh within Others that haue galled and drawne when there hath beene nothing but solid flesh that hath wanted onely filling vp Others that haue healed the sore but left an vnsightly scarre of discredit behinde them He that would doe good this way must haue Fidelitie Courage Discretion Patience Fidelitie not to beare with Courage to reproue them Discretion to reproue them well Patience to abide the leisure of amendment making much of good beginnings and putting vp many repulses bearing with many weaknesses still hoping still solliciting as knowing that those who haue beene long vsed to fetters cannot but halt a while when they are taken off 51 God hath made all the World and yet what a little part of it is his Diuide the World into foure parts but one and the least containeth all that is worthy the name of Christendome the rest ouer-whelmed with Turcisme and Paganisme and of this least part the greater halfe yet holding aright concerning God and their Sauiour in some common principles ouerthrow the truth in their conclusions and so leaue the lesser part of the least part for God Yet lower of those that hold aright concerning Christ how few are there that doe otherwise than fashionably professe him And of those that do seriously professe him how few are there that in their liues deny him not liuing vnworthy of so glorious a calling Wherein I doe not pittie God who will haue glory euen of those that are not his I pitie miserable men that doe reiect their Creator and Redeemer and themselues in him And I enuy Satan that he ruleth so large Since God hath so few I will be more thankfull that he hath vouchsafed me one of his and be the more zealous of glorifying him because we haue but a few fellowes 52 As those that haue tasted of some delicate dish finde other plaine dishes but vnpleasant so it fareth with those which haue once tasted of heauenly things they cannot but contemne the best worldly pleasures As therefore some dainty guest knowing there is so pleasant fare to come I will reserue my appetite for it and not suffer my selfe cloied with the course diet of the world 53 I finde many places where God hath vsed the hand of good Angels for the punishment of the wicked but neuer could yet finde one wherein he emploied an euill Angell in any direct good to his children Indirect I finde many if not all through the power of him that brings light out of darknesse and turnes their euill to our good In this choice God would and must be imitated From an euill spirit I dare not receiue ought if neuer so good I will receiue as little as I may from a wicked man If he were as perfectly euill as the other I durst receiue nothing I had rather hunger than wilfully dip my hand in a wicked mans dish 54 Wee are ready to condemne others for that which is as eminently faulty in our selues If one blinde man rush vpon another in the way either complaines of others
is the Head canst thou drowne when thy Head is aboue was it not for thee that hee triumpht ouer death Is there any feare in a foyled aduersarie Oh my Redeemer I haue already ouercome in thee how can I miscarrie in my selfe O my soule thou hast marched valiantly Behold the Damosels of that heauenly Ierusalem come forth with Timbrels and Harps to meet thee and to applaud thy successe And now there remaines nothing for thee but a Crowne of righteousnesse which that righteous Iudge shall giue thee at that Day Oh Death where is thy sting Oh graue where is thy victorie The Thanksgiuing Returne now vnto thy rest O my soule for the Lord hath beene beneficiall vnto thee O Lord God the strength of my saluation thou hast couered my head in the day of battell O my God and King I will extoll thee and will blesse thy name for euer and euer I will blesse thee daily and praise thy Name for euer and euer Great is the Lord and most worthy to be praised and his greatnesse is incomprehensible I will meditate of the beautie of thy glorious Maiestie and thy wonderfull workes Hosanna thou that dwellest in the highest heauens Amen FINIS HOLY OBSERVATIONS LIB I. By IOS HALL SIC ELEVABITVR FILIVS HOMINIS Io 3. ANCHORA FIDEI LONDON Printed for THOMAS PAVIER MILES FLESHER and John Haviland 1624. TO THE RIGHT HONOVRABLE EDWARD LORD DENNY BARON OF WALTHAM MY most bountifull Patron Grace and Peace RIGHT HONOVRABLE THis aduantage a Scholar hath aboue others that hee cannot be idle and that he can worke without instruments For the minde inured to contemplation will set it selfe on worke when other occasions faile and hath no more power not to studie than the eye which is open hath not to see some thing in which businesse it carries about his owne Librarie neither can complaine to want Bookes while it enioyeth it selfe J could not then neglect the commoditie of this plentifull leasure in my so easie attendance here but though besides my course and without the helpe of others writings must needs busie my selfe in such thoughts as J haue euer giuen account of to your Lordship such as J hope shall not be vnprofitable nor vnwelcome to their Patron to their Readers J send them forth from hence vnder your Honourable name to shew you that no absence no imployment can make mee forget my due respect to your Lordship to whom next vnder my gracious Master J haue deseruedly bequeathed my selfe and my endeuours Your goodnesse hath not wont to magnifie it selfe more in giuing than in receiuing such like holy presents the knowledge whereof hath intitled you to more labours of this nature if I haue numbred aright than any of your Peeres I misdoubt not either your acceptation or their vse That God who hath aboue all his other fauours giuen your Lordship euen in these carelesse times an heart truly religious giue you an happy increase of all his heauenly graces by my vnworthy seruice To his gracious care I daily commend your Lordship with my Honourable Lady wishing you both all that little ioy earth can affoord you and fulnesse of glory aboue Non-such Iuly 3. Your Lordships Most humbly deuoted for euer in all dutie and obseruance IOS HALL HOLY OBSERVATIONS 1 AS there is nothing sooner drie than a teare so there is nothing sooner out of season than worldly sorrow which if it bee fresh and still bleeding findes some to comfort and pittie it if stale and skinned ouer with time is rather entertained with smiles than commiseration But the sorrow of repentance comes neuer out of time All times are alike vnto that Eternitie whereto wee make our spirituall mones That which is past that which is future are both present with him It is neither weake nor vncomely for an old man to weepe for the sinnes of his youth Those teares can neuer be shed either too soone or too late 2 Some men liue to bee their owne executors for their good name which they fee not honestly buried before themselues die Some other of great place and ill desert part with their good name and breath at once There is scarce a vicious man whose name is not rotten before his carcasse Contrarily the good mans name is oft times heire to his life either borne after the death of the parent for that enuie would not suffer it to come forth before or perhaps so well growne vp in his life time that the hope thereof is the staffe of his age and ioy of his death A wicked mans name may be feared a while soone after it is either forgotten or cursed The good man either sleepeth with his body in peace or waketh as his soule in glory 3 Oft times those which shew much valour while there is equall possibilitie of life when they see a present necessitie of death are found most shamefully timorous Their courage was before grounded vpon hope that cut off leaues them at once desperate and cowardly whereas men of feebler spirits meet more cheerefully with death because though their courage be lesse yet their expectation was more 4 I haue seldome seene the sonne of an excellent and famous man excellent But that an ill bird hath an ill egge is not rare children possessing as the bodily diseases so the vices of their Parents Vertue is not propagated Vice is euen in them which haue it not reigning in themselues The graine is sowne pure but comes vp with chaffe and huske Hast thou a good sonne He is Gods not thine Is he euill Nothing but his sinne is thine Helpe by thy praiers and endeuours to take away that which thou hast giuen him and to obtaine from God that which thou hast and canst not giue Else thou maiest name him a possession but thou shalt finde him a losse 5 These things be comely and pleasant to see and worthy of honour from the beholder A young Saint an old Martyr a religious Souldier a conscionable Statesman a great man courteous a learned man humble a silent woman a childe vnderstanding the eie of his Parent a merry companion without vanitie a friend not changed with honour a sicke man cheerefull a soule departing with comfort and assurance 6 I haue oft obserued in merry meetings solemnly made that somewhat hath falne out crosse either in the time or immediatly vpon it to season as I thinke our immoderation in desiring or enioying our friends and againe euents suspected haue proued euer best God herein blessing our awfull submission with good successe In all these humane things indifferencie is safe Let thy doubts be euer equall to thy desires so thy disappointment shall not bee grieuous because thy expectation was not peremptorie 7 You shall rarely finde a man eminent in sundry faculties of minde or sundry manuarie trades If his memorie be excellent his fantasie is but dull if his fancie bee busie and quicke his iudgement is but shallow If his iudgement bee deepe his vtterance is
a seruice to God the Church by somuch more carefully to be regarded as it is more common For who is there that will not challenge a part in this labour and that shall not finde himselfe much more affected with holy measure rightly composed Wherefore I haue oft wondred how it could be offensiue to our aduersaries that these diuine Ditties which the Spirit of God wrote in verse should be sung in verse and that an Hebrew Poeme should be made English For if this kinde of composition had beene vnfit God would neuer haue made choice of numbers wherein to expresse himselfe Yea who knowes not that some other Scriptures which the Spirit hath indited in prose haue yet beene happily and with good allowance put into strict numbers If histories tell vs of a wanton Poet of old which lost his eies while hee went about to turne Moses into verse yet euery student knowes with what good successe and commendation Nonnus hath turned Iohns Gospell into Greeke Heroicks And Apollinarius that learned Syrian matched with Basil and Gregorie who liued in his time in the termes of this equalitie that Basils speech was 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but Apollinaries 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 wrote as Suidas reports all the Hebrew Scripture in Heroicks as Sozomen somewhat more restrainedly all the Archaiology of the Iewes till Sauls gouernment in 24. parts or as Socrates yet more particularly all Moses in Heroicks and all the other Histories in diuers metres but how-euer his other labours lie hid his Metaphrase of the Psalmes is still in our hands with the applause of all the learned besides the labours of their owne Flaminius and Arias Montanus to seeke for no more which haue worthily bestowed themselues in this subiect Neither doe I see how it can bee offensiue to our friends that wee should desire our English Metaphrase bettered I say nothing to the disgrace of that we haue I know how glad our aduersaries are of all such aduantages which they are ready enough to finde out without me euer reprochfully vpbraiding vs with these defects But since our whole Translation is now vniuersally reuised what inconuenience or show of innouation can it beare that the verse should accompanie the prose especially since it is well knowne how rude and homely our English Poesie was in those times compared with the present wherein if euer it seeth her full perfection I haue beene sollicited by some reuerend friends to vndertake this taske as that which seemed well to accord with the former exercises of my youth and my present profession The difficulties I found many the worke long and great yet not more painefull than beneficiall to Gods Church Whereto as I dare not professe any sufficiencie so I will not denie my readinesse and vtmost endeauour if I shall bee employed by Authoritie wherefore in this part I doe humbly suâ—mitâ—â—y selfe to the graue censures of them whose wisdome menageth these common affaires of the Church and am ready either to stand still or proceed as I shall see their Cloud or Fire goe before or behinde me Onely howsoeuer I shall for my true affection to the Church wish it done by better workemen Wherein as you approue so further my bold but not vnprofitable motion and commend it vnto greater cares as I doe you to the Greatest Non-such Iuly 3. Your louing kinsman IOS HALL ⧠Some few of DAVIDS Psalmes Metaphrased PSALME 1. In the tune of the 148. Psalme Giue laud vnto the Lord. WHo hath not walkt astray In wicked mens aduice Nor stood in sinners way Nor in their companies That scorners are As their fit mate In scoffing chaire Hath euer sate verse 2 But in thy lawes diuine O Lord sets his delight And in those lawes of thine Studies all day and night Oh how that man Thrice blessed is And sure shall gaine Eternall blisse verse 3 He shall be like the tree Set by the water-springs Which when his seasons be Most pleasant fruit forth brings Whose boughs so greene Shall neuer fade But couered beene With comely shade So to this happy wight All his designes shall thriue verse 4 Whereas the man vnright As chaffe which winds doe driue With euery blast Is tost on hie Nor can at last In safetie lie verse 5 Wherefore in that sad doome They dare not rise from dust Nor shall no sinner come To glory of the iust For God will grace The iust mans way While sinners race Runs to decay PSALME 2. In the tune of the 125. Psalme Those that doe put their confidence WHy doe the Gentiles tumults make And nations all conspire in vaine verse 2 And earthly Princes counsell take Against their God against the Raigne Of his deare Christ let vs they saine verse 3 Breake all their bonds and from vs shake Their thraldome yoke and seruile chaine verse 4 Whiles thus alas they fondly spake Hee that aloft rides on the skies Laughes all their lewd deuice to scorne verse 5 And when his wrathfull rage shall rise With plagues shall make them all forlorne And in his furie thus replies verse 6 But I my King with sacred horne Anointing shall in princely guise His head with royall Crowne adorne Vpon my Sions holy mount His Empires glorious seat shall be And I thus rais'd shall farre recount The tenour of his true degree verse 7 My Sonne thou art said God I thee Begat this day by due account Thy Scepter doe but aske of me All earthly kingdomes shall surmount verse 8 All nations to thy rightfull sway I will subiect from furthest end verse 9 Of all the world and thou shalt bray Those stubborne foes that will not bend With iron Mace like Poâ—ters clay verse 10 In pieces small yee Kings attend And yee whom others wâ—nt obey Learne wisdome and at last amend verse 11 See yee serue God with greater dread Than others you and in your feare Reioice the while and lowly spread verse 12 Doe homage to his Sonne so deare Lest he be wroth and doe you dead verse 13 Amids your way If kindled His wrath shall be O blessed those That doe on him their trust repose PSALME 3. As the 113. Psalme Ye children which c. AH Lord how many be my foes How many are against me â—ose verse 2 That to my grieued soule haue sed Tush God shall him no succour yeeld verse 3 Whiles thou Lord art my praise my shield And dost aduance my carefull head verse 4 Loud with my voice to God I cry'd His Grace vnto my sute reply'd From out his holy hill verse 5 I laid me downe slept rose againe For thou O Lord dost me sustaine And sau'st my soule from feared ill verse 6 Not if ten thousand armed foes My naked side should round enclose Would I be thereof ought a-dred Vp Lord and shield me from disgrace verse 7 For thou hast broke my foe-mens face And all the wickeds teeth hast shed verse 8 From thee O God is safe defence Doe thou thy free
with thee 9. Thy cheekes are comely with rowes of stones and thy necke with chaines Those parts of thee which both are the seats of beautie and most conspicuous to the eye are gloriously adorned with the graces of my sanctification which are for their worth as so many precious borders of the goodliest stones or chaines of pearle 10. We will make thee borders of gold with studs of siluer And though thou be already thus set forth yet I and my Father haue purposed a further ornament vnto thee in the more plentifull effusion of our Spirit vpon thee which shall bee to thy former deckings in stead of pure gold curiously wrought with specks of siluer The Church 11. While the King was at his repast my spikenard gaue the smell thereof BEhold O ye daughters euen now whiles my Lord and King seemes farre distant from mee and sits in the Throne of heauen amongst the companies of Angels who attend around vpon him yet now doe I finde him present with mee in spirit euen now the sweet influence of his graces like to some precious ointment spreads it selfe ouer my soule and returnes a pleasant sauour into his owne nosthrils 12. My welbeloued is as a bundle of myrrh vnto me lying betweene my brests And though I be thus delightfull to my Sauiour yet nothing so much as hee is vnto mee for loe as some fragrant pomander of myrrh laid betweene the brests sends vp a most comfortable sent so his loue laid close vnto my heart doth still giue mee continuall and vnspeakable refreshings 13. My welbeloued is as a cluster of Cypers vnto me among the vines of Engeddy Or if any thing can be of more excellent vertue such smell as the clusters of Cypers berries within the fruitfulst pleasantst and richest vineyards and gardens of Iudaea yeeld vnto the passengers such and more delectable doe I finde the sauour of his grace to mee CHRIST 14. My Loue behold thou art faire thine eies are like the Doues NEither doest thou on my part lose any of thy loue O my deare Church for behold in mine eies thus clothed as thou art with my righteousnesse oh how faire and glorious thou art how aboue all comparison glorious and faire Thine eies which are thy seers Prophets Apostles Ministers and those inward eies whereby thou seest him that is inuisible are full of grace chastitie simplicitie The Church 15. My welbeloued behold thou art faire and pleasant also our bed is greene NAy then O my sweet Sauiour and Spouse thou alone art that faire pleasant one indeed from whose fulnesse I confesse to haue receiued all this little measure of my spirituall beautie and behold from this our mutuall delight and heauenly coniunction there ariseth a plentifull and flourishing increase of thy faithfull ones in all places and through all times 16. The beames of our house are Cedars our galleries are of Firre And behold the congregations of Saints the places where we doe sweetly conuerse and walke together are both firme and during like Cedars amongst the trees not subiect through thy protecting grace to vtter corruption and through thy fauourable acceptation and word like to galleries of sweet wood full of pleasure and contentment CHAP. II. CHRIST 1. I am the Rose of the field and the Lillie of the valleyes THou hast not without iust cause magnified me O my Church for as the fairest and sweetest of all flowers which the earth yeeldeth the Rose and Lillie of the valleyes excell for beautie for pleasure for vse the most base and odious weeds that grow so doth my grace to all them that haue felt the sweetnesse thereof surpasse all worldly contentments 2. Like a Lillie among the thornes so is my loue among the daughters Neither is this my dignitie alone but thou O my Spouse that thou maiest bee a fit match for me art thus excellent aboue the world that no Lillie can be more in goodly shew beyond the naked thorne than thou in thy glorie thou receiuest from mee ouerlookest all the assemblies of aliens and vnregenerates The Church 3. Like the Apple-tree among the trees of the forest so is my welbeloued among the sonnes of men vnder his shadow had I delight and sate downe and his fruit was sweet vnto my mouth ANd to returne thine owne praises as some fruitfull and well-growne Apple-tree in comparison of all the barren trees of the wilde forest so art thou O my beloued Sauiour to me in comparison of all men and Angels vnder thy comfortable shadow alone haue I euer wont to finde safe shelter against all mine afflictions all my tentations and infirmities against all the curses of the Law and dangers of iudgement and to coole my selfe after all the scorching beames of thy Fathers displeasure and besides to feed and satisfie my soule with the soueraigne fruit of thy holy Word vnto eternall life 4. He brought me into the wine-cellar and loue was his banner ouer me He hath graciously led me by his Spirit into the midst of the mysteries of godlinesse and hath plentifully broached vnto mee the sweet wines of his Scriptures and Sacraments And looke how souldiers are drawne by their colours from place to place and cleaue fast to their ensigne so his loue which he spred forth in my heart was my onely banner whereby I was both drawne to him directed by him and fastned vpon him 5. Stay me with flagons and comfort me with apples for I am sicke of loue And now O yee faithfull Euangelists Apostles Teachers apply vnto mee with all care and diligence all the cordiall promises of the Gospell these are the full Flagons of that spirituall wine which onely can cheere vp my soule these are the Apples of that tree of life in the middest of the Garden which can feed me to immortalitie Oh come and apply these vnto my heart for I am euen ouercome with a longing expectation and desire of my delayed glory 6. His left hand be vnder my head and let his right hand embrace me And whiles I am thus spiritually languishing in this agonie of desire let my Sauiour imploy both his hands to releeue mine infirmitie let him comfort my head and my heart my iudgement and affections which both complaine of weaknesse with the liuely heat of his gracious embracements and so let vs sweetly rest together 7. I charge you O daughters of Ierusalem by the Roes and by the Hindes of the field that yee stirre not vp nor waken my Loue vntill he please In the meane time I charge you O all yee that professe any friendship or affinitie with mee I charge you by whatsoeuer is comely deare and pleasant vnto you as you will auoid my vttermost censures take heed how you vex and disquiet my mercifull Sauiour and grieue his Spirit and wrong his name with your vaine and lewd conuersation and doe not dare by the least prouocation of your sinne to interrupt his peace 8. It is the voice of my welbeloued
I am glad of your sorrow and should weepe for you if you did not thus mourne Your sorrow is that you cannot enough grieue for your sinnes Let me tell you that the Angels themselues sing at this lamentation neither doth the earth afford any so sweet musicke in the cares of God This heauinesse is the way to ioy Worldly sorrow is worthy of pity because it leadeth to death but this deserues nothing but enuy and gratulation If those teares were common hell would not so enlarge it selfe Neuer sinne repented of was punished and neuer any thus mourned and repented not Loe you haue done that which you grieue you haue not done That good God whose act is his will accounts of our will as our deed If he required sorrow proportionable to the hainousnesse of our sins there were no end of mourning Now his mercy regards not so much the measure as the truth of it and accounts vs to haue that which wee complaine to want I neuer knew any truly penitēt which in the depth of his remorse was afraid of sorrowing too much nor any vnrepentant which wisht to sorrow more Yea let me tell you that this sorrow is better and more then that deepe heauinesse for sinne which you desire Many haue been vexed with an extreame remorse for some sinne from the gripes of a galled conscience which yet neuer came where true repentance grew in whom the conscience playes at once the accuser witnesse Iudge tormentor but an earnest griefe for the want of griefe was neuer found in any but a gracious heart You are happy and complaine Tell me I beseech you This sorrow which you mourne to want is it a grace of the spirit of God or not If not why doe you sorrow to want it If it be oh how happy is it to grieue for want of grace The God of all truth and blessednesse hath said Blessed are those that hunger and thirst after righteousnesse and with the same breath Blessed are they that mourne for they shall be comforted You say you mourne Christ saith you are blessed you say you mourne Christ saith you shall be comforted Either now distrust your Sauiour or else confesse your happinesse with patience expect his promised consolation What doe you feare You see others stand like strong Oakes vnshaken vnremoued you are but a reed a feeble plant tossed and bowed with euery wind and with much agitation bruised Loe you are in tender and fauourable hands that neuer brake any whom their sinnes bruised neuer bruised any whom temptations haue bowed You are but flax and your best is not a flame but an obscure smoake of grace Loe here his spirit is as a soft wind not as cold water he will kindle will neuer quench you The sorrow you want is his gift Take heed lest while you vex your selfe with dislike of the measure you grudge at the giuer Beggers may not chuse This portion he hath vouchsafed to giue you if you haue any it is more then he was bound to bestow yet you say What no more as if you tooke it vnkindly that hee is no more liberall Euen these holy discontentments are dangerous Desire more so much as you can but repine not when you doe not attaine Desire but so as you be free from impatience free from vnthankfulnesse Those that haue tryed can say how difficult it is to complaine with due reseruation of thankes Neither know I whether is worse To long for good things impatiently or not at all to desire them The fault of your sorrow is rather in your conceit then in it selfe And if indeed you mourne not enough stay but Gods leisure and your eyes shall runne ouer with teares How many doe you see sport with their sinnes yea brag of them How many that should die for want of pastime if they might not sin freely and more freely talke of it What a Saint are you to these that can droop vnder the memory of the frailty of youth and neuer thinke you haue spent enow teares Yet so I encourage you in what you haue as one that perswades you not to desist from suing for more It is good to be couetous of grace and to haue our desires herein enlarged with our receits Weepe still and still desire to weepe but let your teares be as the raine in a sunne-shine comfortable and hopefull and let not your longing sauour of murmur or distrust These teares are reserued this hunger shall be satisfied this sorrow shall bee comforted There is nothing betwixt God and you but time Prescribe not to his wisedome hasten not his mercy His grace is enough for you his glory shall be more then enough To M. HVGH CHOLMLEY EP. V. Concerning the Metaphrase of the Psalmes FEare not my immoderate studies I haue a body that controls me enough in these courses my friends need not There is nothing whereof I could sooner surfet if I durst neglect my body to satisfie my mind But whiles I affect knowledge my weaknesse checkes me and sayes Better a little learning then no health I yeeld and patiently abide my selfe debarred of my chosen felicity The little I can get I am no niggard of neither am I more desirous to gather then willing to impart The full handed are commonly most sparing We vessels that haue any empty roome answer the least knock with a hollow noyse you that are full sound not If we pardon your closenesse you may well bear with our profusiō If there be any wrong it is to our selues that we vtter what wee should lay vp It is a pardonable fault to do lesse good to our selues that wee may doe more to others Amongst other endeauours I haue boldly vndertaken the holy Metres of Dauid how happily iudge you by what you see There is none of all my labours so open to all censures none whereof I would so willingly heare the verdit of the wise and iudicious Perhaps some thinke the verse harsh whose nice eare regards roundnesse more then sense I embrace smoothnesse but affect it not This is the least good quality of a verse that intends any thing but musicall delight Others may blame the difficulty of the tunes whose humour cannot be pleased without a greater offence For to say truth I neuer could see good verse written in the wonted measures I euer thought them most easie and least Poeticall This fault if any will light vpon the negligence of our people which endure not to take paines for any fit variety The French and Dutch haue giuen vs worthy examples of diligence and exquisitnesse in this kind Neither our eares nor voyces are lesse tunable Here is nothing wanting but will to learne What is this but to eate the corne out of the eare because we will not abide the labour to grinde and knead it If the question bee whether our verse must descend to them or they ascend to it wise moderation I thinke would determine it most equall that each part should
remit somewhat and both meet in the midst Thus I haue endeauored to doe with sincere intent of their good rather then my own applause For it had beene easie to haue reached to an higher straine but I durst not whether for the graue Maiesty of the subiect or benefit of the simplest reader You shal still note that I haue laboured to keepe Dauids entire sense with numbers neither lofty nor slubbered which mean is so much more difficult to find as the businesse is more sacred and the liberty lesse Many great wits haue vndertaken this task which yet haue either not effected it or haue smothered it in their priuate deskes and denied it the common light Amongst the rest were those two rare spirits of the Sidnyes to whom Poesie was as naturall as it is affected of others and our worthy friend M. Syluester hath shewed me how happily he hath sometimes turned from his Bartas to the sweet singer of Israel It could not be that in such abundant plenty of Poesie this work should haue past vnattempted would God I might liue to see it perfected either by my own hand or a better In the meane time let me expect your impartiall sentence both concerning the forme and sense Lay aside your loue for a while which too oft blindes iudgement And as it vses to be done in most equall proceedings of iustice shut me out of doores while my verse is discussed yea let me receiue not your censure onely but others by you this once as you loue mee play both the Informer and the Iudge Whether you allow it you shall encourage me or correct you shall amend me Either your starres or your spits Asteriscus Veru that I may vse Origens notes shall bee welcome to my margent It shall be happy for vs if God shall make our poore labours any way seruiceable to his Name and Church To M. Samuel Sotheby EP. VI. A Preface to his Relation of the Russian affaires TRauell perfiteth wisedome and obseruation giues perfection to trauell without which a man may please his eyes not feed his braine and after much earth measured shall returne with a weary body and an empty minde Home is more safe more pleasant but lesse fruitfull of experience But to a mind not working and discursiue all heauens all earths are alike And as the end of trauell is obseruation so the end of obseruation is the enforming of others for what is our knowledge if smothered in our selues so as it is not knowne to more Such secret delight can content none but an enuious nature You haue breathed many and cold ayres gone farre seene much heard more obserued all These two yeares you haue spent in imitation of Nabuchadnezzars seuen conuersing with such creatures as Paul fought with at Ephesus Alas what a face yea what a backe of a Church haue you seene what manners what people Amongst whom ignorant superstition striues with close Atheisme treachery with cruelty one Deuill with another while Truth and Vertue doe not so much as giue any chalenge of resistance Returning once to our England after this experience I imagine you doubted whether you were on earth or in heauen Now then if you will heare me whom you were wont as you haue obserued what you haue seene and written what you haue obserued so publish what you haue written It shall bee a gratefull labour to vs to posterity I am deceiued if the ficklenesse of the Russian state haue not yeelded more memorable matter of history then any other in our age or perhaps many centuries of our predecessors How shall I think but that God sent you thither before these broiles to be the witnesse the register of so famous mutations He loues to haue those iust euils which hee doth in one part of the world knowne to the whole and those euils which men doe in the night of their secrecy brought forth into the Theater of the World that the euill of mens sinne being compared with the euill of his punishment may iustifie his proceedings and condemne theirs Your worke shall thus honor him besides your second seruice in the benefit of the Church For whiles you discourse of the open tyranny of that Russian Nero Iohn Basilius the more secret no lesse bloody plots of Boris the ill successe of a stolne Crowne tho set vpon the head of an harmelesse Sonne the bold attempts and miserable end of a false yet aspiring chalenge the perfidiousnesse of a seruile people vnworthy of better gouernors the miscariage of wicked gouernors vnworthy of better subiects the vniust vsurpations of men iust tho late reuenges of God cruelty rewarded with blood wrong claimes with ouerthrow treachery with bondage the Reader with some secret horror shall draw-in delight and with delight instruction Neither know I any Relation whence hee shall take out a more easie lesson of iustice of loyalty of thankfulnesse But aboue all let the world see and commiserate the hard estate of that worthy and noble Secretary Buchinski Poore gentleman his distresse recals euer to my thoughts Aesops Storke taken amongst the Cranes He now nourishes his haire vnder the displeasure of a forraine Prince At once in durance and banishment He serued an ill master but with an honest heart with cleane hands The masters iniustice doth no more infect a good seruant then the truth of the seruant can iustifie his ill master A bad worke-man may vse a good instrument and oft-times a cleane napkin wipeth a foule mouth It ioyes me yet to thinke that his piety as it euer beld friendship in heauen so now it wins him friends in this our other world Lo euen from our Iland vnexpected deliuerance takes a long flight and blesseth him beyond hope yea rather from heauen by vs. That God whom he serues will bee knowne to those rude and scarce humane Christians for a protector of innocence a fauourer of truth a rewarder of piety The mercy of our gracious King the compassion of an honourable Councellor the loue of a true friend and which wrought all and set all on worke the grace of our good God shall now loose those bonds and giue a glad welcome to his liberty and a willing farewell to his distresse He shall I hope liue to acknowledge this in the meane time I doe for him Those Russian affaires are not more worthy of your records then your loue to this friend is worthy of mine For neither could this large sea drowne or quench it nor time and absence which are wont to breed a lingring consumption of friendship abate the heat of that affection which his kindnesse bred religion nourished Both rarenesse and worth shall commend this true-loue which to say true hath been now long out of fashion Neuer times yeelded more loue but not more subtle For euery man loues himselfe in another loues the estate in the person Hope of aduantage is the loadstone that drawes the iron hearts of men not vertue not desert No age afforded more
is sure and eternall If any man will doe my Fathers will he shall know of the doctrine whether it be of God TO M. EDMVND SLEIGH EP. IV. A discourse of the hardnesse of Christianity and the abundant recompence of the pleasures and commodities of that profession HOw hard a thing it is deare Vncle to be a Christian perhaps others are lesse dull and more quiet more waxen to the impressions of grace and lesse troublesome to themselues I accuse none but whom I dare my selfe Euen easie businesses are hard to the weake let others boast I must complaine To keepe our station is hard harder to moue forward One while I scarce restraine my vnruly desires from euill ofter can find no lust to good My heart will either be vaine or sullen when I am wrought with much sweat to detest sinne and distaste the world yet who shall raise vp this drosse to a spirituallioy Sometimes I purpose vvell and if those thoughts not mine begin to lift me from my earth loe he that rules in the aire stoopes vpon me with powerfull tentations or the vvorld puls me downe with a sweet violence so as I know not vvhether I be forced or perswaded to yeeld I finde much weakenesse in my selfe but more treachery How vvilling am I to be deceiued How loth to bee altered Good duties seeme harsh and can hardly escape the repulse or delay of excuses and not without much strife grow to any rellish of pleasure and vvhen they are at best cannot auoid the mixture of many infirmities which doe at once disquiet and discourage the mind not suffering it to rest in vvhat it vvould haue done and could not And if after many fighes and teares I haue attained to doe well and resolue better yet this good estate is farre from constant and easily inclining to change And whiles I striue in spight of my naturall ficklenesse to hold my owne vvith some progresse and gaine vvhat difficultie doe I finde vvhat opposition O God what aduersaries hast thou prouided for vs vveake men what incounters Malicious and subtill spirits an alluring vvorld a serpentine and stubborne nature Force and fraud doe their vvorst to vs sometimes because they are spirituall enemies I see them not and complaine to feele them too late Other-whiles my spirituall eyes see them with amazement and I like a cowardly Israelite am ready to flee and plead their measure for my feare Who is able to stand before the sonnes of Anak Some other times I stand still and as I can weakely resist but am foiled with indignation and shame Then againe I rise vp not without bashfulnesse and scorne and vvith more hearty resistance preuaile and triumph when ere long surprized with a sudden and vnwarned assault I am caried away captiue whither I vvould not and mourning for my discomfiture study for a feeble reuenge My quarrell is good but my strength maintaines it not It is now long ere I can recouer this ouerthrow and finde my selfe whole of these wounds Besides suggestions crosses fall heauy and worke no small distemper in a minde faint and vnsetled vvhose law is such that the more I grow the more I beare and not seldome when God giues me respite I afflict my selfe either my feare faineth euils or my vnruly passions raise tumults vvithin me vvhich breed much trouble whether in satisfying or suppressing not to speake that sinne is attended besides vnquietnesse vvith terror Now you say Alas Christianitie is hard I grant it liue gainfull and happy I contemne the difficultie when I respect the aduantage The greatest labours that haue answerable requitals are lesse then the least that haue no regard Beleeue me when I looke to the reward I would not haue the worke easier It is a good Master whom we serue who not onely payes but giues not after the proportion of our earnings but of his owne mercy If euery paine that wee suffer were a death and euery crosse an hell we haue amends enough It were iniurious to complaine of the measure when we acknowledge the recompence Away with these weake dislikes tho I should buy it dearer I would be a Christian Any thing may make me out of loue with my selfe nothing with my profession I were vnworthy of this fauour if I could repent to haue endured herein alone I am safe herein I am blessed I may be all other things and yet with that dying Emperor complaine with my last breath That I am no whit the better let me be a Christian I am priuiledged from miseries hell cannot touch me death cannot hurt me No euill can arrest me while I am vnder the protection of him which ouer-rules all-good and euill yea so soone as it touches mee it turnes good and being sent and suborned-by my spirituall aduersaries to betray mee now in an happy change it fights for me and is driuen rather to rebell then wrong mee It is a bold and strange word No price could buy of me the gaine of my sinnes That which while I repented I would haue expiated with blood now after my repentance I forgoe not for a world the fruit of hauing sinned if not rather of hauing repented Besides my freedome how large is my possession All good things are mine to challenge to enioy I cannot looke beyond my owne nor besides it and the things that I cannot see I dare claime no lesse The heauen that rowles so gloriously aboue my head is mine by this right yea those celestiall spirits the better part of that high creation watch me in my bed guard me in my wayes shelter me in my dangers comfort me in my troubles and are ready to receiue that soule which they haue kept What speake I of creatures The God of spirits is mine and by a sweet and secret vnion I am become an heire of his glory yea as it were a limme of himselfe O blessednesse worthy of difficulty vvorthy of paine What thou vvilt Lord so I may be thine what thou wilt When I haue done all when I haue suffered all thou exceedest more then I want Follow me then deare Vncle or if you will leade me rather as you haue done in these steps and from the rough way looke to the end Ouer-looke these trifling grieuances and fasten your eyes vpon the happy recompence and see if you cannot scorne to complaine Pitie those that take not your paines and persist with courage till you feele the weight of your Crowne To Mr W. L. EP. V. Expostulating the cause of his vnsetlednesse in Religion which is pleaded to be our dissensions shewing the insufficiencie of that Motiue and comparing the state of our Church herein with the Romish I Would I knew where to finde you then I could tell how to take a direct ayme whereas now I must roue and coniecture To day you are in the tents of the Romanists to morrow in ours the next day betweene both against both Our aduersaries thinke you ours we theirs your conscience findes you
God begin with those which he meant not to continue but to shew vs we may not alwayes look for one face of things The nurse feeds and tends her child at first afterward hee is vndertaken by the discipline of a Tutor must he be alwayes vnder the spoone and ferule because he began so If he haue good breeding it matters not by whose hands Who can denie that we haue the substance of all those royall lawes which Christ and his Apostles left to his Church What doe we now thus importunately catching at shadowes If there had been a necessitie of hauing what we want or vvanting what we haue let vs not so farre vvrong the wisdom and perfection of the Law-giuer as to thinke he would not haue inioyned that and forbidden this His silence in both argues his indifferencie and calls for ours which vvhile it is not peaceably entertained there is clamour without profit malice without cause and strife without end To my Lady MARY DENNY EP. III. Containing the description of a Christian and his differences from the worldling MADAM IT is true that worldly eyes can see no difference betwixt a Christian another man the out-side of both is made of one clay and cast in one mould both are inspired with one common breath Outward euents distinguish them not those God neuer made for euidences of loue or hatred So the senses can perceiue no difference betwixt the reasonable soule and that which informes the beast yet the soule knowes there is much more then betwixt their bodies The fame holds in this Faith sees more inward difference then the eye sees outward resemblance This point is not more high then materiall which that it may appeare let me shew what it is to be a Christian You that haue felt it can second mee with your experience and supply the defects of my discourse He is the liuing temple of the liuing God where the Deity is both resident and worshipped The highest thing in a man is his own spirit but in a Christian the spirit of God which is the God of spirits No grace is wanting in him and those which there are want not stirring vp Both his heart and his hands are cleane All his outward purity flowes from within neither doth he frame his soule to counterfet good actions but out of his holy disposition commands and produces them in the light of God Let vs begin with his beginning and fetch the Christian out of his nature as another Abraham from his Chaldea whiles the worldling liues and dies in nature out of God The true conuert therefore after his wylde and â—ecure courses puts himselfe through the motions of Gods Spirit to schoole vnto the Law there hee learnes what he should haue done what he could not do what he hath done what he hath deserued These lessons cost him many a stripe many a teare and not more griefe then terror for this sharpe master makes him feele what sinne is and what hell is and in regard of both what himselfe is When he hath vvell smarted vnder the whip of this seuere vsher and is made vile enough in himself then is he led vp into the higher schoole of Christ and there taught the comfortable lessons of grace there hee learnes vvhat belongs to a Sauiour what one he is what he hath done and for whom how he became ours vve his and now finding himselfe in a true state of danger of humilitie of need of desire of fitnesse for Christ he brings home to himselfe all that he learnes and what he knowes he applyes His former Tutor he feared this he loueth that shewed him his wounds yea made them this binds and heales them that killed him this shewes him life and leades him to it Now at once he hates himselfe defies Satan trusts to Christ makes account both of pardon glory This is his most precious Faith whereby he appropriates yea ingrosses Christ Iesus to himselfe whence he is iustified from his sinnes purified from his corruptions established in his resolutions comforted in his doubts defended against temptations ouercomes all his enemies Which vertue as it is most imployed and most opposed so caries the most care from the Christian heart that it be sound liuely growing sound not rotten not hollow not presumptuous sound in the act not a superficiall conceit but a true deepe and sensible apprehension an apprehension not of the braine but of the heart and of the heart not approuing or assenting but trusting and reposing Sound in the obiect none but Christ he knowes that no friendship in heauen can doe him good without this The Angels cannot God will not Ye beleeue in the Father beleeue also in me Liuely for it cannot giue life vnlesse it haue life the faith that is not fruitfull is dead the fruits of faith are good workes whether inward within the roofe of the heart as loue awe sorrow pietie zeale ioy and the rest or outward towards God or our brethren obedience and seruice to the one to the other reliefe and beneficence These he beares in his time sometimes all but alwayes some Growing true faith cannot stand still but as it is fruitfull in workes so it increaseth in degrees from a little seed it proues a large plant reaching from earth to heauen and from one heauen to another euery shower and euery Sun addes something to it Neither is this grace euer solitarie but alwayes attended royally for that he beleeues what a Sauiour he hath cannot but loue him and he that loues him cannot but hate whatsoeuer may displease him cannot but reioyce in him and hope to enioy him and desire to enioy his hope and contemne all those vanities which he once desired and enioyed His minde now scorneth to grouell vpon earth but soareth vp to the things aboue where Christ sits at the right hand of God and after it hath seene what is done in heauen lookes strangely vpon all worldly things He dare trust his faith aboue his reason and sense and hath learned to weane his appetite from crauing much Hee stands in awe of his own conscience and dare no more offend it then not displease himselfe He feares not his enemies yet neglects them not equally auoiding security and timorousnesse He sees him that is inuisible and walks with him awfully familiarly He knowes what he is borne to and therefore digests the miseries of his wardship with patience he findes more comfort in his afflictions then any worldling in pleasures And as hee hath these graces to comfort him within so hath hee the Angels to attend him without spirits better then his owne more powerfull more glorious These beare him in their armes wake by his bed keepe his soule while he hath it and receiue it when it leaues him These are some present differences the greatest are future which could not be so great if themselues were not witnesses no lesse then betwixt heauen and hell torment and glory an incorruptible crowne and
himselfe of himselfe a worme and no man the shame of men and contempt of the people Who is the King of glory Psal 24.10 the Lord of Hoasts he is the King of glory Set these two together the King of glory the shame of men the more honour the more abasement Looke backe to his Cradle there you finde him rejected of the Bethlemites borne and laid alas how homely how vnworthily sought for by Herod exiled to Aegypt obscurely brought vp in the Cottage of a poore Foster-Father transported and tempted by Sathan derided of his kindred blasphemously traduced by the Iewes pinched with hunger restlesse harbourlesse sorrowfull persecuted by the Elders and Pharises sold by his owne seruant apprehended arraigned scourged condemned and yet it is not finished Let vs with that Disciple follow him a farre off and passing ouer all his contemptuous vsage in the way see him brought to his Crosse Still the further we looke the more wonder euery thing adds to this ignominie of suffering and triumph of ouer-comming Where was it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Act 26.27 not in a corner as Paul saith to Festus but in Ierusalem the eye the heart of the world Obscuritie abateth shame publique notice heightens it Before all Israel and before this Sunne saith God to Dauid when he would thorowly shame him In Ierusalem which he had honoured with his presence taught with his preachings astonisht with his miracles bewayled with his teares O Ierusalem Ierusalem how oft would I and thou wouldest not O yet if in this thy day Crueltie and vnkindnesse after good desert afflict so much more as our merit hath beene greater Whereabouts without the gates in Caluarie among the stinking bones of execrable Malefactors Before the glory of the place bred shame now the vilenesse of it When but in the Passeouer a time of greatest frequence and concourse of all Iewes and Proselytes An holy time when they should receiue the figure they reiect the substance when they should kill and eat the Sacramentall Lambe in faith in thankfulnesse they kill the Lambe of God our true Passeouer in crueltie and contempt With whom The qualitie of our companie either increases or lessens shame In the midst of theeues saith one as the Prince of theeues In â—â—edio latronuÌ„ tanquam latronuÌ„ immanissimus Luthâ—r there was no guile in his mouth much lesse in his hands yet behold he that thought it no robberie to be equall with God is made equall to robbers and murderers yea superiour in euill What suffered he As all lifes are not alike pleasant so all deaths are not equally fearefull There is not more difference betwixt some life and death than betwixt one death and another See the Apostles gradation He was made obedient to the death euen the death of the Crosse The Crosse a lingring tormenting ignominious death The Iewes had foure kindes of death for malefactors the towell the sword fire stones each of these aboue other in extremitie Strangling with the towell they accounted easiest the sword worse than the towell the fire worse than the sword stoning worse than the fire but this Romane death was worst of all Cursed is euery one that hangeth on a Tree Yet as Ierome well hee is not therefore accursed because he hangeth but therefore he hangeth because he is accursed He was made 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a Curse for vs. The curse was more than the shame yet the shame is vnspeakable and yet not more than the paine Yet all that die the same death are not equally miserable the very theeues fared better in their death than hee I heare of no irrision no inscription no taunts no insultation on them they had nothing but paine to encounter he paine and scorne An ingenuous and noble Nature can worse brooke this than the other any thing rather than disdainfulnesse and derision especially from a base enemie I remember that learned Father begins Israels affliction with Ismaels persecuting laughter The Iewes the Souldiers yea the very Theeues flouted him and triumpht ouer his misery his bloud cannot satisfie them without his reproach Which of his senses now was not a window to let-in sorrow his eyes saw the teares of his Mother and friends the vnthankfull demeanure of Mankinde the cruell despight of his enemies his eares heard the reuilings and blasphemies of the multitude and whether the place were noysome to his sent his touch felt the nayles his taste the gall Looke vp O all yee beholders looke vpon this pretious bodie and see what part yee can finde free That head which is adored and trembled at by the Angelicall spirits is all raked and harrowed with thornes Caput Angelicis spiritibus tremebundum spinis corenatur c. that face of whom it is said Thou art fairer than the children of men is all besmeared with the filthy spettle of the Iewes and furrowed with his teares those eyes clearer than the Sunne are darkned with the shadow of death those eares that heare the heauenly consorts of Angels now are filled with the cursed speakings and scoffs of wretched men those lips that spake as neuer man spake that command the spirits both of light and darknesse are scornfully wet with vinegar and gall those feet that trample on all the powers of hell his enemies are made his footstoole are now nayled to the footstoole of the Crosse those hands that freely sway the scepter of the heauens now carry the reede of reproach and are nayled to the tree of reproach that whole bodie which was conceiued by the Holy-Ghost was all scourged wounded mangled this is the out-side of his sufferings Was his heart free Oh no the inner part or soule of this paine which was vnseene is as far beyond these outward and sensible as the soule is beyond the bodie Gods wrath beyond the malice of men these were but loue-tricks to what his soule endured O all yee that passe by the way behold and see if there bee any sorrow like to my sorrow Alas Lord what can we see of thy sorrowes wee cannot conceiue so much as the hainousnes and desert of one of those sinnes which thou barest wee can no more see thy paine than wee could vndergoe it onely this wee see that what the infinite sinnes of almost infinite men committed against an infinite Maiestie deserued in infinite continuance all this thou in the short time of thy Passion hast sustained Wee may behold and see but all the glorious spirits in Heauen cannot looke into the depth of this suffering Doe but looke yet a little into the passions of this his Passion for by the manner of his sufferings we shall best see what he suffered Wise and resolute men doe not complaine of a little holy Martyrs haue beene racked and would not be loosed what shall we say if the author of their strength God and Man bewray passions what would haue ouerwhelmed men would not haue made him shrinke and what made him
them that loue our soules and hate them that loue our sinnes They are these rough hands that must bring vs sauory dishes and carry away a blessing truth is for them now thankes shall be for them hereafter but in the meane time they may not be iudged by the appearance Lastly if we shall iudge friendship by complement salubrity by sweetnesse seruice by the eye fidelity by oathes valour by brags a Saint by his face a deuill by his feet we shall be sure to be deceiued Iudge not therefore according to appearance But that yee mistake not though we may not iudge onely by the appearance yet appearance may not bee neglected in our iudgement Some things according to the Philosopher 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 seeme and are are as they seeme Semblances are not alwaies seuered from truth Our senses are safe guides to our vnderstandings Wee iustly laugh at that Scepticke in Laertius who because his seruant robbed his Cup-bord doubted whether hee left his victuals there What doe wee with eyes if wee may not beleeue their intelligence That world is past wherein the glosse Clericus amplectens foeminam praesumitur benedicendi causà fecisse The wanton imbracements of another mans wife must passe with a Clarke for a ghostly benediction Men are now more wise lesse charitable Words and probable shewes are appearances actions are not and yet euen our words also shall iudge vs If they bee filthy if blasphemous if but idle wee shall account for them wee shall bee iudged by them Ex ore tuo A foule tongue shewes euer a rotten heart By their fruits yee shall know them is our Sauiours rule I may safely say No body desires to borrow colours of euill if you doe ill thinke not that we will make dainty to thinke you so When the God of loue can say by the Disciple of loue Qui facit peccatum ex diabolo est Hee that committeth sinne is of the deuill Euen the righteous Iudge of the world iudgeth secundum opera according to our works we cannot erre whiles wee tread in his steps If wee doe euill sinne lies at the doore but it is on the street side Euery Passenger sees it censures it How much more he that sees in secret Tribulation and anguish vpon euery soule that doth euill Euery soule here is no exemption by greatnesse no buying off with bribes no bleering of the eyes with pretences no shrouding our selues in the night of secrecy but if it be a soule that doth euill Tribulation and anguish is for it Contrarily If we doe well shall we not be accepted If we be charitable in our almes iust in our awards faithfull in our performances sober in our carriages deuout in our religious seruices conscionable in our actions Glory and honour and peace to euery man that workeâ—h good we shall haue peace with our selues honour with men glory with God and his Angels Yea that peace of God which passeth all vnderstanding such honour as haue al his Saints the incomprehensible glory of the God of peace the God of Saints and Angels to the participation whereof that good God that hath ordained vs as mercifully bring vs for the sake of his deare Sonne Iesus Christ the iust To whom with thee O Father and thy good Spirit one infinite God our God be giuen all praise honour and glory now and for euer Amen THE GREAT IMPOSTOR LAID OPEN IN A SERMON AT GRAYES INNE Febr. 2. 1623. By IOS HALL SIC ELEVABITVR FILIVS HOMINIS Io 3. ANCHORA FIDEI LONDON ⧠Printed for NATHANIEL BVTTER 1624. TO THE MOST NOBLE AND WORTHILY HONOVRED SOCIETIE OF GRAYES INNE AT WHOSE BARRE THIS JMPOSTOR WAS openly arraigned J. H. HVMBLY DEDICATES THIS PVBLIKE LIFE OF HIS WEAKE AND VNWORTHIE LABOVR THE GREAT IMPOSTOR LAID OPEN OVT OF IER 17.9 The heart is deceitfull aboue all things I Know where I am in one of the famous Phrontisteries of Law and Iustice wherefore serues Law and Iustice but for the preuention or punishment of fraud and wickednesse Giue me leaue therefore to bring before you Students Masters Fathers Oracles of Law and Iustice the greatest Cheator and Malefactor in the world our owne Heart It is a great word that I haue said in promising to bring him before you for this is one of the greatest aduantages of his fraud that hee cannot bee seene That as that old Iugler Apollonius Thyanaeus when he was brought before the Iudge vanished out of sight so this great Impostor in his very presenting before you dispeareth and is gone yea so cunningly that he doth it with our owne consent and we would be loth that he could be seene Therefore as an Epiphonema to this iust complaint of deceitfulnesse is added Who can know it It is easie to know that it is deceitfull and in what it deceiues though the deceits themselues cannot bee knowne till too late As wee may see the ship and the sea and the ship going on the sea yet the way of a ship in the sea as Salomon obserues wee know not God askes and God shall answer What hee askes by Ieremie he shall answer by S. Paul Who knowes the heart of man Euen the spirit of man that is in him 1 Cor. 2.11 If then the heart haue but eyes enow to see it selfe by the reflection of thoughts it is enough Ye shall easily see heare enough out of the analogie and resemblance of hearts to make you both astonished and ashamed The heart of man lies in a narrow roome yet all the world cannot fill it but that which may be said of the heart would more than fill a world Here is a double stile giuen it of deceitfulnesse of wickednesse either of which knowes no end whether of being or of discourse I spend my houre and might doe my life in treating of the first See then I beseech you the Impostor and the Imposture The Impostor himselfe The heart of man The Imposture Deceitfull aboue all things As deceitfull persons are wont euer to goe vnder many names and ambiguous and must be exprest with an alias so doth the heart of man Neither man himselfe nor any part of man hath so many names as the heart alone For euery facultie that it hath and euery action it doth it hath a seuerall name Neither is there more multiplicitie than doubt in this name Not so many termes are vsed to signifie the heart as the heart signifies many things When ye heare of the heart ye thinke straight of that fleshie part in the center of the body which liues first and dies last and whose beatings you finde to keepe time all the body ouer That is not it which is so cunning Alas that is a poore harmelesse peece meerely passiue and if it doe any thing as the subministration of Vitall spirits to the maintenance of the whole frame it is but good no it is the spirituall part that lurkes in this flesh which is guilty of such deceit We must learne of
making else-where this sinner worse than the Infidell And the old vulgar can giue no worse terme to 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 where he findes it yea to 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Rebels themselues What doth this brand to a Church not Christian onely though you denie it but famous Of whom is truly verified after all your spleene that which the Spirit writes to the Angell of Ephesus Laborasti non Defecisti Say if you can what Article of the Christian and Apostolike faith haue we renounced What Heresie maintaine we Wherein haue we runne from the Tents of Christ What hold we that may not stand with life in Christ and saluation We challenge all men and Deuils in this point for our innocence Distinguish for starke shame of so foule a word or which is better eat it whole and let not this blemish be left vpon your soule and name in the Records of God and the world that you once said of a Church too good for yours Drencht in Apostasie If wee crie Peace whiles you crie Apostasie surely we flatter whiles you raile betwixt these two dangerous extremes we know an wholsome meane so to approue that we foster not securitie so to censure that we neither reuile nor separate and in one word to doe that which your Pastor could exhort the Separators from your Separation for euen this Schisme hath Schismes If we should mislike yet to rest in our differences of iudgement and notwithstanding peaceably to continue with the Church Had you taken this course you should neither haue needed to expect our pittie nor to complaine of our crueltie Surely whether our loue be cruell or not your hatred is whereof take heed lest you heare from old IACOB Cursed bee their wrath for it was fierce and their rage for it was cruell How can you expect compassion when you breath fire and write gall Neuer mention the fury of others indignation till the venomous and desperate writings of Barrow and Greenwood be either worne out with time or by the Thunderbolts of your not rare censures be strucke downe to Hell whence their maliciousnesse came I forbeare to recapitulate how much rather had I helpe to burie than to reuiue such vnchristian exprobrations SEP The first action laid against vs is of vnnaturalnesse and ingratitude towards our Mother the Church of England for our causelesse separation from her to which vniust accusation and triuiall querimonie our most iust defence hath beene and is that to our knowledge wee haue done her no wrong we doe freely and with all thankfulnesse acknowledge euery good thing shee hath and which our selues haue there receiued SECTION XIIII INGRATITVDE and vnnaturalnesse to your mother is obiected The Separatists acknowledgements of the graces of the Church of England in that you flie from her yea now woe is me that you spet in her face and marke her for an Harlot Would God the accusation were as far from being iust as from being triuiall Yet perhaps you intend it not in the lightnesse of this charge but the commonnesse you haue caused me to smart for my charitie yet I forbeare it not What is your defence That you haue done her no wrong to your knowledge Modestly spoken that doubtfully we know your wrong but we know not your knowledge it is well if your wrong bee not wilfull an ignorant wrong is both in more hope of amends and of mercie But is not this caution added rather for that you thinke no hard measure can possibly be a wrong to so vile a Church I aske and would bee denied No you doe freely and with all thankfulnes acknowledge euery good thing shee hath Whatsoeuer you doe to vs I will not any more in fauour of you wilfully wrong my selfe you haue bidden me now to take you as a complete Separatist and speake this for your selfe and yours Let the Reader now iudge whether the wrong of your Sect be wilfull and acknowledgment of our good H. Barr. Praef. to the separ defended Causes of separ def p. 12. Confer with Doctor Andr. free and thankfull Your first false-named Martyr shall giue the first witnesse of the titles of our Church Who saith he that were not drunke and intoxicate with the Whores Cup could affirme this confuse Babel these cages of vncleane Birds these Prisons of foule and hatefull Spirits to be the Spouse of Christ And else-where he calls the people of our Church Goats and Swine Is this any wrong to your knowledge The same Author They haue not saith he in their Churches any one thing in their practise proceedings not one pin naile or hooke according to the true patterne Pref. to separ def Do you not now freely and thankfully acknowledge our Churches good things What is more ordinarie with him and his brother in euill Iohn Greenwood than to call our Ministers Baals Priests Cainites the marked seruants of Antichrist Sellers of the Whores wares Worshippers of the Beast Is this yet any wrong to your knowledge Pastor Iohnson sticks not to say that the Ministerie Worship of the Church of England were taken out of the Whores Cup Gyff refuted touch Donat. Obseruat of M. H. Bar. p. 239. Fr. Iohns Reason 9. against M. Iac. p. 74. Iohns against M. Iac. Excep 3. Nota Bene. and plainly stiles our Church as which of you doe not Daughter of the great Babylon that mother of Whoredomes and abominations of the earth yet more That Hierarchie Worship Constitution and Gouernment which they professe and practise being directly Antichristian do vtterly destroy true Christianity so as their people and Churches cannot in that estate be iudged true Christians Do you not now freely and thankfully acknowledge our good things What can any Deuill of Hell say worse against vs than this That we are no Christians Or what good can there be in vs if no true Christianitie If we denied euery Article of the Christian Creed if we were Mahumetans as your good Pastor sticks not to compare vs if the most damned Heretiques vnder Heauen Ibid. what could he say but no Christians Your Teacher and Pastor which is a wonder agree For your Doctor Ainsworth makes this one head of his poysonous Counterpoyson that Christ is not the Head Mediator Counterpoys p. 127. 131. Prophet Priest King of the Church of England You their Disciple are not yet promoted to this height of immodestie yet what are your good things Euen to you we are Apostates Traytors Rebels Babylonish this is well for a Learner Hereafter if you will heare me keepe our good things to your selfe and report our euill Yea that your vncharitablenesse may be aboue all examples monstrous You do not onely denie vs any interest in the Church of Christ but exclude vs what you may from all hope and possibilitie of attaining the honor of Christendome For when a godly Minister protested to Master Barrow Barr. Conference with M. Sperin as Barr. himselfe hath
dare say wee want him Wherein I suppose in our censures Wee haue Peters keyes as his true successors both in office and doctrine our fault is that we vse them not as you would What Church doth so your first Martyr doth as zealously inueigh against the practise of Geneua Bar. Gyff ref So some of their owne haue termed their Excommunication Confess by M. Iohns Inquirie pag. 65. and all other Reformed Congregations in this point as against vs both for the woodden Dagger as he termes it of suspension and for their Consistoriall Excommunication Woe were to all the World if Christ should limit his presence onely to your fashions Here you found him and here you left him Would to God we did no more grieue him with our sins than you please him in your presumptuous censures in the rest you raile against our Prelates and vs Can any man thinke that Christ hath left peaceable spirits to goe dwell with Railers Indeed yours is free-hold so you would haue it free from subiection free from obedience This is loosenesse more than liberty You haue broken the bonds and cast the cords from you but you mis-call ouâ— tenure Wee hate villenage no lesse than you hate peace and hold in capite of him that is the head of his body Coloss 1.18 the Churchâ— vnder whose easie yoke wee doe willingly stoope in a sweet Christian freedome abhorring and reprouing and therefore notwithstanding our personall Communion auoiding all abominations In these two respects therefore of our confusion and bondage wee haue well seene in this Discourse how iustly your Sion accounts vs Babylon since it is apparent for the one that here is neither confusion nor Babylonish nor without separation For the other no bondage no seruility Our Prelates being our Fathers Amari Parens Episcopus debet non timeri Hier. ad Theophilum not our Masters and if Lords for their externall dignity yet not Lords of our Faith and if both these your respects were so yet so long as we doe inuiolably hold the foundation both directly and by necessary sequell any Railer may terme vs but no Separatist shall proue vs Babylon you may flie whither you lift would God yet further vnlesse you had more loue SEP Master H. hauing formerly expostulated with vs our supposed impietie in forsaking a ceremonious Babylon in England proceeds in the next place to lay downe our madnesse in chusing a substantiall Babylon in Amsterdam and if it be so found by due triall as he suggesteth it is hard to say whether our impietie or madnesse bee the greater Belike Master H. thinkes wee gather Churches here by towne-rowes as they doe in England and that all within the Parish Procession are of the same Church Wherfore else tels he vs of Iewes Arrians and Anabaptists with whom we haue nothing common but the Streets and Market place It is the condition of the Church to liue in the World and to haue ciuill society with the men of his World 1 Cor. 5.10 Ioh. 17.13 But what is this to the spirituall Communion of the Saints in the fellowship of the Gospell wherein they are separated and sanctified from the World vnto the Lord Ioh. 17.16 1 Cor. 1. 2 Cor. 6.17 18. SECTION LII I Need no better Analyser than your selfe saue that you doe not onely resolue my parts The veiw of the sinnes and disorders of others whereupon obiected and how far it should affect vs. but adde more whereas euery motion hath a double terme from whence and whither both these could not but all into our discourse Hauing therefore formerly expostulated with you for your since you will so terme it impietie in forsaking a ceremonious Babylon of your owne making in England I thought it not vnfit to compare your choice with your refusall England with Amsterdam which it pleaseth you to intitle a substantiall Babylon impiety and madnesse are titles of your owne choice let your guiltinesse be your owne accuser The truth is my charity and your vncharitablenesse haue caused vs to mistake each other My charity thus Hearing both at Middleburgh and here that certaine companies from the parts of Nottingham and Lincolne which Harbinger had beene newly in Zeland before me meant to retire themselues to Amsterdam for their full liberty not for the full approbation of your Church not fauouring your maine opinions but emulating your freedome in too much hate of our Ceremonies and too much accordance to some grounds of your hatred I hoped you had beene one of their Guides both because Lincolneshire was your Countrey and Master Smith your Oracle and Generall Not daring therefore to charge you with perfect Brownisme what could I thinke might bee a greater motiue to this your supposed change than the view of our so oft proclaimed wickednesse and the hope of lesse cause of offence in those forraine parts this I vrged fearing to goe deeper than I might be sure to warrant Now comes my charitable Answerer and imputes this easinesse of my challenge to my ignorance and therefore will needes perswade his Christian Reader that I knew nothing of the first separation because I obiected so little to the second It were strange if I should thinke you gather Churches there by Towne-rowes as wee in England who know that some one Prison might hold all your refined Flocke you gathered here by Hedge-rowes but there it is easier to tell how you diuide than how you gather let your Church be an intire body inioying her owne spirituall Communion yet if it be not a corrosiue to your heart to conuerse in the same streets and to bee ranged in the same Towne-rowes with Iewes Arrians Anabaptists c. you are to whit of kinne to him that vexed his righteous soule with the vncleannesses of foule Sodme That good man had nothing but ciuill societie with those impure Neighbours hee differed from them in Religion in practise yet could he not so carelesly turne off this torment His house was Gods Church wherein they had the spirituall Communion of the Saints yet whiles the Citie was so vncleane his heart was vnquiet Separation from the world how required Iohn 17.16 We may you grant haue ciuill societie with ill men spirituall Communion onely with Saints Those must be accounted the world these onely the Church your owne allegations shall condemne you They are not of the World saith Christ as I am not of the World Both Christ and they were parts of the Iewish Church The Iewish Church was not so sanctified but the most were extremely vncleane therefore wee may bee parts of a Visible vnsanctified Church and yet bee separate from the World 1 Cor. 1.2 Saint Paul writes to his Corinthians sanctified in Christ Saints by calling True 1 Cor. 3.3 but not long after he can say Ye are yet carnall In his second Epistle Come out saith he from among them But from whom From Infidels by profession not corrupted Christians SEP Wee indeed
be read in the Catholike Church and as they are had in the old vulgar Latine Edition for holy and Canonicall let him be accursed Thus she Iudge you now of our age and say whether the opinion of the ancient Church that is ours be not a direct enemie to Popery and flatly accursed by the Romish Passe on yet a little further Our question is whether the Hebrew and Greeke Originals be corrupted and whether those first Copies of Sciptures be not to be followed aboue all Translations Heare first the ancient Church with vs But saith Saint AVGVSTINE how soeuer it be taken whether it be beleeued to bee so done or not beleeued or lastly whether it were so or not so I hold it a right course that when any thing is found different in either bookes the Hebrew and Septuagint since for the certaintie of things done there can be but one truth that tongue should rather be beleeued from whence the Translation was made into another language Vpon which words LVDOVICVS VIVES yet a Papist saith thus The same saith he doth HIEROM proclaime euery where and reason it selfe teacheth it and there is none of found iudgement that will gainsay it but in vain doth the consent of all good wits teach this for the stubborne blockishnesse of men opposeth against it Let HIEROM himselfe then a greater Linguist be heard speake And if there bee any man saith he that will say the Hebrew bookes were afterwards corrupted by the Iewes let him heare ORIGEN what he answeres in the eight volume of his explanations of ESAY to this question that the Lord and his Apostles which reproue other faults in the Scribes and Pharises would neuer haue beene silent in this which were the greatest crime that could be But if they say that the Hebrewes falsified them after the comming of Christ and Preaching of the Apostles I cannot hold from laughter that our Sauiour and the Euangelists and Apostles should so cite testimonies of Scripture as the Iewes would afterwards depraue them Thus IEROME And the Canon law it selfe hath this determination that the truth and credit of the bookes of the old Testament should bee examined by the Hebrew Volumes of the new by the Greeke And Pope INNOCENTIVS as he is cited by GRATIAN could say Haue recourse to the diuine Scriptures in their Original Greeke The same lastly by BELLARMINES owne confession Bellar. l. de verb. Dei 2. cap. 11. §. 3. the Fathers teach euery where As IEROME in his booke against HELVIDIVS and in his Epistle to MARCELLA that the Latine Edition of the Gospell is to be called backe to the Greeke fountaines and the Latine Edition of the old Testament is to be amended by the Hebrew in his Comment vpon ZACHARY 8. The very same hath AVSTEN in his second booke of Christian doctrine Chap. 11.12.15 and Epist 19. and elsewhere This was the old Religion and ours now heare the new The present Church of Rome hath thus The holy Synod decreeth that the old vulgar Latine Edition in all Lectures Dispuations Sermons Expositions be held for Authenticall saith the Councell of Trent And her Champion BELLARMINE hath these words That the fountaine of the Originals in many places runne muddy and impure wee haue formerly shewed and indeede it can scarce be doubted Accedit quod patres passim docent ad fontes Hebraeos Graeces esse recurrendum Hieron in lib. contr Heluid in Epist ad Marcellam c. Concil Trid. sess 4. Sacrosancta Synodus statuit vt haec ipsa vetus c. pro authentica habeatur Bell de verb. l. 2. c. 11. Nunc autem fontes multis in locis turbidos fluere c. Omnino contendunt Iudaeos in odium Christianae relig studiose deprauasse ita docet Iacobus Christop litanus Canus c. Bell. 2. de verb. Dei p. 100. So Raynolds in his refutation pag. 303. against Isaac Valla Andradius Monta c. Haeretici huius temporis odio vulgatae editionis nimium tribuunt editiâ—i Hebraicae c. omnia exaâ—â—nari vâ—lunt ad Hebraeum textum quem non semel purissimum fontem appellant Bell. l. 2. de verb. c. 2. Epiphan contr Anomaeos Haeres 76. Omnia sunt clara lucida c. Basil in Ascet oâ— Regul breuiores quae ambiguè obscurê videntur dici in quibusdam locis sacrae script reg 267. Aug. Ep. 3. Non tenta in scriptâ—â—is difficultate perueniter ad ea quae necessaria sunt saluti c. Aug. de doctr Christ l. 2. c. 9. In ijs quae â—pertè in scriptura positá siâ—â—t invenâ—tur illa 〈◊〉 quae continent fidem moresque vinendi Magnificè salubriter spirit sanctui ita script c. De doctr Christ lib. 2. cap. 4. Aug. Epist 3. Modus ipse dicendi quo sancta Scriptura c. Sed invitat omnes humili sermone but that as the Latine Church hath beene more constant in keeping the faith than the Greeke so it hath beene more vigilant in defending her bookes from corruption Yea some of the Popish Doctors maintaine that the Iewes in hatred of the Christian faith did on purpose corrupt many places of Scripture so holds GREGORY de VALENTIA IACOBVS CHRISTOPOLITANVS in his Preface to the Psalmes CANVS in the second booke of his common places But in stead of all BELLARMINE shall shut vp all with these words The Heretikes of this time in hatred of the vulgar Edition giue too much to the Hebrew Edition as CALVIN CHEMNITIVS GEORGIVS MAIOR All which would haue euery thing examined and amended by the Hebrew text which they commonly call a most pure fountaine See now whether that which BELLARMINE confesses to haue bin the Iudgement of HIEROME AVSTEN and all the ancient Fathers be not here condemned by him as the opinion of the Heretikes Ours was theirs and theirs is condemned vnder our names Iudge whether in this also Popery be not an vpstart Yet one step more Our question is whether the Scripture be easie or most obscure and whether in all essentiall poynts it doe not interpret it selfe so as what is hard in one place is openly laid forth in another Heare the Iudgment of the old Church and ours All things are cleare and plaine and nothing contrary in the Scriptures saith EPIPHANIVS Those things which seeme doubtfully and obscurely spoken in some places of Scripture are expounded by them which in other places are open and plaine saith BASIL What could CALVIN and LVTHER say more There is no so great hardnesse in the Scriptures to come to those things which are necessary to saluation saith AVSTEN In those things which are openly laid downe in Scripture are found all those things which containe our faith and rules of our life saith the same Father who yet againe also saith thus The Spirit of God hath Royally and wholsomely tempered the holy Scriptures so as both by the plaine places he might preuent our hunger and by the
the Schisme But first he cannot I hope deny him to haue been their Abbot then their Archbishop As for his red Hat it neuer came from Wittenberge nor Geneua it was of their owne dying Felix the false Pope he sayes gaue it him Reader the famous Councell of Basil consisting of no lesse then foure hundred reuerend Persons Cardinals Archbishops Bishops Doctors gathered and allowed at first by Pope Martin then by his Successor Eugenius the fourth afterwards was vpon some Politike considerations called off by Eugenius The Fathers of the Councell finding their owne strength stood vpon the right of their Superioritie and as they well might censured the Pope hee proceeded to obstinacy those braue spirits vpon ripe consideration iustly deposed him In the roome of this Eugenius otherwise called Gabriel Condulmarius was by iust number of voices elected Amadeus the deuout Duke of Sauoy and named Felix the Fifth a man too good for that See neither had he euer any so great blemish in all his life as the name of a Pope Volateran can tell vs what a Kennell of Hounds he shoued to the Ambassadors namely whole Tables of poore soules dayly fed by him All Histories speake of his Deuotion and Piety This man called from his intended retirednesse must carie the Keyes He makes choice of Archbishop Panormitan for one of his Cardinals What offence is here But he was a false Pope If the Councell of Basil were a true Councell then was Felix a true Pope It is in my Readers choice whether he will beleeue foure hundred Diuines representing the whole Church or a Popes Parasite But Panormitan dyed in the Schisme against Eugenius The World knowes that the greatest blot Panormitan euer had was his violent plea for Eugenius against the Bishop of Argens against eloquent Segouius against the whole streame of that Councell This is the thanke he now caries away Felix scelus virtus vocatur If Eugenius had not dealt vnder hand with the Dolphin of France and Fredericke of Austria then ambitious of the Empire and tryed all his wits both to make new Cardinals and to diuert the Neutrals Eugenius had not beene foelix and Felix had been still Eugenius the true and vndoubted Successor of Peter How-euer if these points should be strictly stood vpon Rome would be at a losse which many a time hath been to seeke for her head But what though it were granted that Panormitan was Cardinalated by an intruding Pope Can this call downe the authority of his iudgement and Writings especially those which he wrote before he was Cardinall or Archbishop being onely Abbot And yet may be cited by vs vnder the name of Cardinall as Bellarmines Dictates and Composures elder then his red Hat yet are fathered vpon that Title Once this I am sure of that f f Bell. de Cleric lib. 1. c. 19. Catholicum alio auin doctum anthorem Cardinall Bellarmine doubts not to stile Panormitan a Catholike and learned Doctor This is the man that stands with his Hat off to this worshipfull Clarke of Doway and tels him that Continency is not of the substance of order nor by Diuine Law annexed to it whereto hee shuffles out a miserable and desperate answer as we shall see in the sequell But in the meane time see the cunning of my Catholike Cauiller This is not the sentence I stood vpon of Panormitan it was not this whereto I proclaimed mine OyeZ but another which he slily smothers not daring so much as to repeat it lest his Romanizing popular ignorant Readers should heare and see and smell that the sacred Celibate of Priests did stinke an hundreth yeares before Luthers time I will therefore here supply for him and hoping hee will in his next take notice of the sentence will represent it here againe Abb. Panorm de Cleric coniugat Cap. Cùm olim The words are these Melius foret et pro bono salute animarum salubrius si vniuscuiusque voluntati relinqueretur ita vt non valentes aut non volentes continere possint contrahere Quia experientia docente experimus contrarium effectum sequi ex illa lege continentiae cùm hodie plerique non viuant spiritualiter nec sint mundi sed emaculenter illicito coitu cum ipsorum grauissimo peccato vbi cum propria vxore esset castitas That is It were better and more wholesome for the good and saluation of soules if it were left to euery mans will so as they which either cannot or will not containe might marry For we find by experience a contrary effect to follow vpon that Law of Continency since the greatest part of our Priests at this day liue not spiritually neither are chaste but are defiled with vnlawfull copulations not without their most hainous sinne whereas with their owne Wiues it should be Chastitie Thus he A sentence worthy of that Epiphonema of mine Is this a Cardinall thinke you or an Huguenot With this my Detector deales as their Inquisition doth with a mis-named Heretike he chokes it vp in secret or if hee bring it forth Refut p. 107. it is not without a gag in the mouth All his answer is We tye not our selues to euery mans opinion and This sentence is censured by Bellarmine as erroneous As if Panormitan were euery body and Bellarmine an Oracle It is enough for vs that one of their owne greatest learnedst zealousest Prelates iustifieth our Mariages and wisheth them in vse rather then their Continency To that other Testimony of Panormitan he answers by a grant yeelding vs freely That if we take diuine Law for that which is expressely determined in Scripture Refut p. 105. it must needs be said that there is no euident proofe set down of continency in Ecclesiasticall men by the Apostles yet that it is so insinuated and the obseruation of it hath beene so ancient as Bellarmine noteth that it may be truely termed Apostolicall Thus he And euen for this are we beholden to him All his friends would not haue beene so liberall His Ioannes Maior his Clictouaeus his Torrensis and all their rigorous Clients would not haue said so As on the other side the old Glosse was not so wise that could onely say which is now expunged Apostoli docuerunt exemplo The Apostles taught this by their example But what are these so pregnant insinuations Good wits haue found them out One was that of g g Decret p. 1. dist 28. Innocentius the second That these men are the vessels and Temples of God therefore they may not Cubilibus immunditiis seruire serue for chambering and wantonnesse Ywis no Lay-men is such therefore he may be allowed to be filthy Another was Luke 21. of Franc. Torrensis Take heed lest your hearts be oppressed with surfetting and drunkennesse and cares of this life Whereof Bishop h h Esâ—enc de cont l. 2. Espencaeus is so ashamed that hee answers it with an Absit God forbid saith he that
happy It is the third Heauen alone where thou O blessed Trinity enioyest thy selfe and thy glorified spirits enioy thee It is the manifestation of thy glorious presence that makes Heauen to be it selfe This is the priuiledge of thy Children that they here seeing thee which art inuisible by the eye of faith haue already begunne that heauen which the perfect sight of thee shall make perfect aboue Let my soule then let these heauens alone till it may see as it is seen That wee may descend to this lowest and meanest Region of Heauen wherewith our senses are more acquainted What maruels doe euer â—â—ere meet with vs There are thy Clouds thy bottles of raine Vessels as thinne as 〈◊〉 liquor which is contained in them there they hang and moue though weighty with their burden How they are vpheld and why they fall here and now we know not and wonder These thou makest one while as some Aerie Seas to hold water another while as some Aerie Furnaces whence thou scatterest thy sudden fires vnto all the parts of the Earth astonishing the World with the fearfull noyse of that eruption out of the midst of water thou fetchest fire and hard stones out of the midst of thin vapours another while as some steele-glasses wherein the Sunne lookes and shewes his face in the variety of those colours which he hath not There are thy streames of light blazing and falling Starres fires darred vp and downe in many formes hollow openings and as it were Gulfes in the skie bright circles about the Moone and other Planets Snowes Haile In all which it is enough to admire thine hand though we cannot search out thine action There are thy subtill Windes which we heare and feele yet neither can see their substance nor know their causes whence and whither they passe and what they are thou knowest There are thy Fowles of all shapes colours notes natures whilst I compare these with the inhabitants of that other heauen I finde those Starres and spirits like one another These Meteors and fowles in as many varieties as there are seuerall creatures Why is this Is it because Man for whose sake these are made delights in change thou in constancie Or is it that in these thou mayest shew thine owne skill and their imperfection There is no variety in that which is perfect because there is but one perfection and so much shall we grow nearer to perfectnesse by how much wee draw nearer to vnity and vniformitie From thence if wee goe downe to the great deepe the Wombe of moisture the Well of fountaines the great Pond of the world wee know not whether to wonder at the Element it selfe or the ghests which it containes How doth that sea of thine roare and fome and swell as if it would swallow vp the earth Thou stayest the rage of it by an insensible violence and by a naturall miracle confinest his wanes vvhy it moues and why it stayes it is to vs equally wonderfull what liuing Mountaines such are thy Whales rowle vp and downe in those fearfull billowes for greatnesse of number hugenesse of quantitie strangenesse of shapes varietie of fashions neither aire nor earth can compare vvith the vvaters I say nothing of thy hid treasures which thy vvisedome hath reposed in the bowels of the earth and sea How secretly and how basely are they laid vp secretly that we might not seeke them basely that vve might not ouer-esteeme them I need not digge so low as these metals mineries quarries vvhich yeeld riches enough of obseruation to the soule How many millions of vvonders doth the very face of the earth offer me Which of these Herbs Flowres Trees Leaues Seeds Fruits is there what Beast what Worme vvherein we may not see the footsteps of a Deity Wherein wee may not reade infinitenesse of power of skill and must be forced to confesse that hee vvhich made the Angels and Starres of heauen made also the vermine on the earth O God the heart of man is too strait to admire enough euen that vvhich he treads vpon What shall wee say to thee the Maker of all these O Lord how vvonderfull are thy vvorkes in all the world In wisedome hast thou made them all And in all these thou spakest and they were done Thy vvill is thy word and thy word is thy deed Our tongue and hand and heart are different all are one in thee which are simply one and infinite Here needed no helpes no instruments whâ—t could be present with the Eternall what needed or vvhat could be added to the infinite Thine hand is not shortned thy word is still equally effectuall say thou the word and my soule shall be made new againe say thou the word and my body shall be repaired from his dust For all things obey thee O Lord why doe I not yeeld to the word of thy councell since I must yeeld as all thy creatures to the word of thy command Of Man BVT O God what a little Lord hast thou made ouer this great World The least corne of sand is not so small to the whole Earth as Man is to the Heauen vvhen I see the Heauens the Sunne Moone and Starres O God what is man who would thinke thou shouldst make all these Creatures for one and that one vvell neere the least of all Yet none but he can see what thou hast done none but he can admire and adore thee in what he seeth how had he need to do nothing but this since he alone must do it Certainly the price and vertue of things consist not in the quantity one diamond is more worth then many Qâ—arries of stone one Loadstone hath more vertue then Mountaines of earth It is lawfull for vs to praise thee in our selues All thy creation hath not more wonder in it then one of vs other Creatures thou madest by a simple command Man not without a diuine consultation others at once Man thou didst first forme then inspire others in seuerall shapes like to none but themselues Man after thine owne Image others with qualities fit for seruice Man for dominion Man had his name from thee They had their names from Man How should we be consecrated to thee aboue all others since thou hast bestowed more cost on vs then others What shall I admire first Thy prouidence in the time of our Creation Or thy power and wisedom in the act First thou madest the great house of the World and furnishedst it then thou broughtest in thy Tenant to possesse it The bare vvalls had been too good for vs but thy loue vvas aboue our desert Thou that madest ready the Earth for vs before we were hast by the same mercy prepared a place in heauen for vs whiles wee are on earth The stage was first fully prepared then was Man brought forth thither as an Actor or Spectator that he might neither be idle nor discontent behold thou hadst addressed an earth for vse an Heauen for contemplation after thou hadst drawne
long had beene to punish Noah that was righteous After forty daies therefore the Heauens cleare vp after an hundred and fifty the waters sinke downe How soone is God weary of punishing which is neuer weary of blessing yet may not the Arke rest suddenly If we did not stay some-while vnder Gods hand we should not know how sweet his mercy is and how great our thankfulnesse should be The Arke though it was Noahs Fort against the waters yet it was his prison he was safe in it but pent vp he that gaue him life by it now thinkes time to giue him liberty out of it God doth not reueale all things to his best seruants behold He that told Noah an hundred and twenty yeares before what day he should goe into the Arke yet foretels him not now in the Arke what day the Arke should rest vpon the Hills and he should goe forth Noah therefore sends out his Intelligencers the Rauen and the Doue whose wings in that vaporous ayre might easily descry further then his sight The Rauen of quicke sent of grosse feed of tough constitution no Fowle was so fit for discouery the likeliest things alwaies succeed not He neither will venture far into that solitary world for feare of want nor yet come into the Arke for loue of liberty but houers about in vncertainties How many carnall mindes flye out of the Arke of Gods Church and imbrace the present world rather choosing to feed vpon the vnsauory carkasses of sinfull pleasures then to bee restrained within the straight lists of Christian obedience The Doue is sent forth a Fowle both swift and simple Shee like a true Citizen of the Arke returnes and brings faithfull notice of the continuance of the Waters by her restlesse and empty returne by her Oliue leafe of the abatement how worthy are those Messengers to be welcome which with innocence in their liues bring glad tydings of peace and saluation in their mouthes Noah reioyces and beleeues yet still he waites seuen daies more It is not good to deuoure the fauours of God too greedily but so take them in that we may digest them O strong faith of Noah that was not weary with this delay some man would haue so longed for the open ayre after so long closenesse that vpon the first notice of safetie hee would haue vncouered and voyded the Arke Noah stayes seuen dayes ere he will open and well-neere two Moneths ere he will forsake the Arke and not then vnlesse God that commanded to enter had bidden him depart There is no action good without Faith no Faith without a word Happy is that man which in all things neglecting the counsels of flesh and blood depends vpon the commission of his Maker Contemplations THE SECOND BOOKE NOAH Babel ABRAHAM ISAAC sacrificed LOT and Sodom BY IOS HALL D. of Diuinitie and Deane of WORCESTER LONDON Printed for THOMAS PAVIER MILES FLESHER and John Haviland 1624. TO THE RIGHT HONOVRABLE THE LORD STANHOPE ONE OF HIS MAIESTIES MOST HONORABLE PRIVIE COVNCELL All Grace and Happinesse RIght Honourable I Durst appeale to the iudgement of a carnall Reader let him not bee preiudicate that there is no Historie so pleasant as the Sacred Set aside the Maiestie of the Jnditer none can compare with it for the Magnificence and Antiquitie of the matter the sweetnesse of compyling the strange varietie of memorable occurrences And if the delight be such what shall the profit be esteemed of that which was written by GOD for the saluation of Men J confesse no thoughts did euermore sweetly steale Me and Time away then those which I haue imployed in this subiect and I hope none can equally benefit others for if the meere Relation of these holy things bee profitable how much more when it is reduced to vse This second part of the World repayred I dedicate to your Lordship wherein you shall see Noah as weake in his Tent as strong in the Arke an vngratious Sonne reserued from the Deluge to his Fathers curse modest pietie rewarded with blessings the building of Babel begunne in pride ending in confusion Abrahams Faith Feare Obedience Isaac bound vpon the Altar vnder the hand of a Father that hath forgotten both nature and all his hopes Sodom burning with a double fire from Hell and from Heauen Lot rescued from that impure Citie yet after finding Sodom in his Caue Euery one of these passages is not more full of wonder then of edification That Spirit which hath penned all these things for our learning teach vs their right vse and sanctifie these my vnworthy Meditations to the good of his Church To whose abundant grace J humbly commend your Lordship Your Lordships vnfainedly deuoted in all due obseruance IOS HALL Contemplations THE SECOND BOOKE NOAH NO sooner is Noah come out of the Arke but he builds an Altar not an house for himselfe but an Altar to the Lord Our faith will euer teach vs to prefer God to our selues delayed thankfulnesse is not worthy of acceptation Of those few creatures that are left God must haue some they are all his yet his goodnesse wil haue Man know that it was he for whose sake they were preserued It was a priuiledge to those very bruit creatures that they were saued from the waters to be offered vp in fire vnto God what a fauor is it to men to be reserued from common destructions to bee sacrificed to their Maker and Redeemer Loe this little fire of Noah through the vertue of his faith purged the world and ascended vp into those heauens from which the waters fell caused a glorious Rainbow to appeare therein for his securitie All the sins of the former world were not so vnsauory vnto God as this smoake was pleasant No perfume can be so sweet as the holy obedience of the faithfull Now God that was before annoyed with the ill sauor of sinne smells a sweet sauour of rest Behold here a new and second rest First God rested from making the World now he rests from destroying it Euen while we cease not to offend he ceases from a publike reuenge His word was enough yet withall he giues a signe which may speake the truth of his promise to the very eyes of men thus he doth still in his blessed Sacraments which are as reall words to the soule The Raine-bow is the pledge of our safety which euen naturally signifies the end of a showre all the signes of Gods institution are proper and significant But who would looke after all this to haue found righteous Noah the Father of the new World lying drunken in his tent Who could thinke that wine should ouerthrow him that was preserued from the waters That he who could not be tainted with the sinfull examples of the former world should begin the example of a new sinne of his own What are we men if we be but our selues While God vpholds vs no temptation can moue vs when he leaues vs no temptation is too weak to ouerthrow
been so scrupulously carefull that be should eate no vnclean thing and shall we now consent to an heathenish match Now therefore they grauely indeuour to coole this intemperate heat of his passion with good counsell as those which well knew the inconueniences of an vnequall yoke corruption in religion alienation of affections distraction of thoughts conniuence at Idolatry death of zeale dangerous vnderminings and lastly an vnholy seed Who can blame them if they were vnwilling to call a Philistim daughter I wish Manoah could speake so loud that al our Israelites might heare him Is there neuer a woman among the daughters of thy brethren or among all Gods people that thou goest to take a wife of the vncircumcised Philistims If religion be any other then a cypher how dare we not regard it in our most important choyce Is she a faire Philistim Why is not this deformity of the soule more powerfull to disswade vs then the beauty of the face or of metall to allure vs To dote vpon a faire skinne when we see a Philistim vnder it is sensuall and brutish Affection is not more blinde then deafe In vaine doe the parents seeke to alter a young man not more strong in body then in will Though he cannot defend his desires yet he pursues them Get me her for she pleases me And although it must needs be a weake motion that can plead no reason but appetite yet the good Parents sith they cannot bow the affection of their sonne with perswasion dare not breake it with violence As it becomes not children to be forward in their choyce so parents may not be too peremptory in their deniall It is not safe for children to ouer-run parents in settling their affections nor for parents where the impediments are not very materiall to come short of their children when the affections are once setled The one is disobedience the other may be tyranny I know not whether I may excuse either Samson in making this sute or his parents in yeelding to it by a diuine despensation in both For on the one side whiles the Spirit of God notes that as yet his parents knew not this was of the Lord it may seeme that he knew it and it is likely he would know not impart it This alone was enough to winne yea to command his parents It is not mine eye onely but the counsell of God that leads me to his coyce The way to quarrell with the Philistims is to match with them If I follow mine affection mine affection followes God in this proiect Surely hee that commanded his Prophet afterwards to marry an harlot may haue appointed his Nazarite to marry with a Philistim On the other side whether it were of God permitting or allowing I finde not It might so be of God as all the euill in the City and then the interposition of Gods decree shall be no excuse of Samsons infirmity I would rather thinke that God meant onely to make a Treacle of a Viper and rather appointed to fetch good out of Samsons euill then to approue that for good in Samson which in it selfe was euill When Samson went on wooing hee might haue made the sluggards excuse There is a Lion in the way but he that could not be staid by perswasion will not by feare A Lion young wilde fierce hungry comes roaring vpon him when he had no weapon but his hand no fence but his strength the same prouidence that carried him to Timnah brought the Lion to him It hath been euer the fashion of God to exercise his Champions with some initiatory incounters Both Samson and Dauid must first fight with Lions then with Philistims he whose type they bore meets with that roaring Lion of the wildernesse in the very threshold of his publike charge The same hand that prepared a Lion for Samson hath proportionably matches for euery Christian God neuer giues strength but he imployes it Pouerty meets one like an armed man Infamy like some furious Mastiue comes flying in the face of another the wilde Bore out of the forrest or the bloudy Tyger of persecution sets vpoÌ„ one the brawling curs of hereticall prauity or contentious neighbourhood are ready to bait another and by all these meaner and brutish aduersaries will God fit vs for greater conflicts It is a pledge of our future victory ouer the spirituall Philistims if we can say my soule hath been among Lions Come forth now thou weake Christian and behold this preparatory battell of Samson Dost thou thinke God deales hardly with thee in matching thee so hard and calling thee forth to so many fraies What doost thou but repine at thine owne glory How shouldst thou be victorious without resistance If the Parents of Samson had now stood behind the hedge and seen his incounter they would haue taken no further care of matching their sonne with a Philistim For who that should see a strong Lion ramping vpon an vnarmed man would hope for his life and victory The beast came bristling vp his feareful mane wafting his raised stem his eyes sparkling with fury his mouth roaring out knels of his last passage brething death from his nostrils now reioyced at so faire a prey Surely if the Lion had had no other aduersary then him whom he saw he had not lost his hope but now he could not see that his maker was his enemy The Spirit of the Lord came vpoÌ„ Samson what is a beast in the hand of the creator He that strooke the Lions with the aw of Adam Noah Daniel subdued this rebllious beast to Samson what maruell is it if Samson now tore him as if it had been a young Kid If his bones had been brasse and his skinne plâ—â—es of yron all had bin one The right hand of the Lord bringeth mighty things to passe If that roaring Lyon that goes about continually seeking whom he may deuoure finde vs alone among the vineyards of the Philistims where is our hope Not in our heeles he is swifter then we not in our weapons we are naturally vnarmed not in our hands which are weake and languishing but in the Spirit of that God by whom we can doe all things if God fight in vs who can resist him There is a stronger Lion in vs then that against vs. Samson was not more valiant then modest he made no words of this great exploit the greatest performers euer make the least noyse He that works wonders alone could say See thou tell no man whereas those whose hands are most impotent are busiest of their tongues Great talkers shew that they desire onely to be thought eminent whereas the deepest waters are least heard But whiles hee concealed this euent from others hee pondred it in himselfe and when hee returned to Timnaâ—h went out of the way to see his dead Aduersary and could not but recall to himselfe â—is danger and deliuerance Heere the beast met me thus he fought thus I slew him The very dead
stirres vp his courage and strikes them both hip thigh with a mighty plague That God which can doe nothing imperfectly where hee begins eyther mercy or iudgement will not leaue till hee haue happily finished As it is in his fauours so in his punishments One stroke drawes on another The Israelites were but slaues and the Philistims were their masters so much more indignely therefore must they needs take it to be thus affronted by one of their owne vassals yet shall we commend the moderation of these Pagans Samson being not mortally wronged by one Philistim falls foule vpon the whole Nation the Philistims hainously offended by Samson doe not fall vpon the whole Tribe of Iudah but being mustered together call to them for satisfaction from the person offending the same hand of God which wrought Samson to reuenge restrained them from it It is no thanke to themselues that sometimes wicked men cannot bee cruell The men of Iudah are by their feare made friends to their Tyrants and taytors to their friend it was in their cause that Samson had shed bloud yet they conspire with the Philistims to destroy their owne flesh and bloud So shall the Philistims bee quit with Israel that as Samson by Philistims reuenged himselfe of Philistims so they of an Israelite by the hand of Israelites That which open enemies dare not attempt they work by false brethren and these are so much more perilous as they are more entire It had been no lesse easie for Samson to haue slaine those thousands of Iudah that came to binde him then those other of the Philistims that meant to kill him bound And what if he had said Are ye turnd Traytors to your Deliuerer your bloud be vpon your owne heads But the Spirit of God without whom he could not kil either beast or man would neuer stirre him vp to kill his brethren though degenerated into Philistims they haue more power to binde him then he to kill them Israelitish bloud was precious to him that made no more scruple of killing a Philistim then a Lion That bondage and vsury that was allowed to a Iew from a Pagan might not be exacted from a Iew. The Philistims that had before plowed with Samsons Heifer in the case of the Riddle are now plowing a worse furrow with an Heifer more his owne I am ashamed to heare these cowardly Iewes say Knowest thou not that the Philistims are Lords ouer vs Why hast thou done thus vnto vs We are therefore come to binde thee Wheras they should haue said We finde these tyrannicall Philistims to vsurpe dominion ouer vs thou hast happily begun to shake off their yoke and now we are come to second thee with our seruice the valour of such a Captaine shall easily lead vs forth to liberty We are ready either to die with thee or to bee freed by thee A fearefull man can neuer be a true friend rather then incurre any danger he will be false to his owne soule Oh cruell mercy of these men of Iuda Wee will not kill thee but we will binde thee and deliuer thee to the hands of the Philistims that they may kill thee As if it had not been much worse to dye an ignominious and tormenting death by the hands of Philistims then to bee at once dispatcht by them which wisht either his life safe or his death easie When Saul was pursued by the Philistims vpon the mountaines of Gilboa he could say to his Armour-bearer Draw forth thy sword and kill me lest the vncircumcised come and thrust me thorow and mocke me and at last would rather fall vpon his owne sword then theirs And yet these cousins of Samson can say Wee will not kill thee but we will binde thee and deliuer thee It was no excuse to these Israelites that Samsons binding had more hope then his death It was more in the extraordinary mercy of God then their will that hee was not tyed with his last bonds Such is the goodnesse of the Almighty that he turnes the cruell intentions of wicked men to an aduantage Now these Iewes that might haue let themselues loose from their owne bondage are binding their Deliuerer whom yet they knew able to haue resisted In the greatest strength there is vse of patience There was more fortitude in this suffering then in his former actions Samson abides to be tyed by his owne countrymen that he may haue the glory of freeing himselfe victoriously Euen so O Sauiour our better Nazarite thou which couldst haue called to thy Father and haue had twelue Legions of Angels for thy rescue wouldst be bound voluntarily that thou mightst triumph So the blessed Martyrs were racked and would not be loosed because they expected a better resurrection If we be not as well ready to suffer ill as to doe good we are not fit for the consecration of God To see Samson thus strongly manicled and exposed to their full reuenge could not but be a glad spectacle to these Philistims and their ioy was so full that it could not but flie forth of their mouthes in shouting and laughter Whom they say loose with terror it is pleasure to see bound It is the sport of the spirituall Philistims to see any of Gods Nazarites fettered with the cords of iniquitie their Imps are ready to say Aha so would we haue it But the euent answers their false ioy with that clause of triumph Reioyce not ouer me O mine enemie though I fall yet I shal rise again How soon was the countenance of these Philistims changed and their shouts turned into shriekings The Spirit of the Lord came vpon Samson and then what are cords to the Almighty His new bonds are as a flax burnt with fire and he rouzes vp himselfe like that young Lion whom he first incountred flyes vpon those cowardly aduersaries who if they had not seen his cords durst not haue seen his face If they had been so many diuels as men they could not haue stood before that Spirit which lifted vp the heart and hand of Samson Wicked men neuer see fairer prospect then when they are vpon the very threshold of destruction Security and Ruine are so close bordering vpon each other that where we see the face of the one we may be sure the other is at his backe This didst thou O blessed Sauiour when thou wert fastened to the Crosse when thou layest bound in the graue with the cords of death thus didst thou miraculously raise vp thy selfe vanquish thine enemies and lead captiuity captiue Thus doe all thy holy ons when they seem most forsaken and laid open to the insultation of the world finde thy Spirit mighty to their deliuerance and the discomfiture of their malicious aduersaries Those three thousand Israelites were not so ill aduised as to come vp into the rocke vnweaponed to apprehend Samson Samson therefore might haue had his choice of swords or speares for this skirmish with the Philistims yet he leaues
man may think these men slaine for their daughters they plainly dye for their sinne and these Gileadites might not haue liued without the periury of Israel and now sith they must dye it is good to make benefit of necessity I inquire not into the rigour of the oath If their solemne vow did not binde them to kill all of both sexes in Beniamin why did they not spare their virgins and if it did so binde them why did they spare the virgins of Gilead Fauours must be enlarged in all these religious restrictions Where breath may be taken in them it is not fit nor safe they should be straitned Foure hundred virgins of Gilead haue lost Parents and brethren and kindred and now finde husbands in lieu of them An inforced marriage was but a miserable comfort for such a losse like Wards or captiues they are taken and chuse not These suffice not their friendly aduersaries consult for more vpon worse conditions Into what troublesome and dangerous straits doe men thrust themselues by either vniust or inconsiderate vowes In the midst of all this common lawlesnesse of Israel here was conscience made on both sides of matching with Infidels The Israelites can rather be content their daughters should be stollen by their owne then that the daughters of aliens should be giuen them These men which had not grace enough to detest and punish the beastlinesse of their Gileadites yet are not so gracelesse as to chuse them wiues of the Heathen All but Athiests howsoeuer they let themselues loose yet in some things finde themselues restrained and shew to others that they haue a coÌ„science If there were not much danger and much sinne in this vnequall yoke they would neuer haue perswaded to so heauy an inconuenience Disparitie of religion in matrimoniall contracts hath so many mischiefes that it is worthy to be redeemed with much preiudice They which might not giue their owne daughters to Beniamin yet giue others whiles they giue leaue to steale them Stollen marriages are both vnnatural and full of hazrad for loue whereof marriage is the knot cannot be forced this was rather rape then wedlocke What vnlikenesse perhaps contrarietie of disposition what auersenes of affection may there be in not only a sudden but a forceable meeting If these Beniaminites had not taken liberty of giuing themselues ease by diuorcemeÌ„t they would often haue found leisure to rue this stollen booty This act may not be drawn to example and yet here was a kinde of indefinite consent Both deliberation and good liking are little enough for a during estate and that which is once done for euer These virgins come vp to the feast of the Lord and now out of the midst of their daunces are carried to a double captiuity How many virgins haue lost themselues in daunces and yet this sport was not immodest These virgins daunced by themselues without the company of them which might moue towards vnchastity for if any men had been with them they they had found so many rescuers as they had assaulters now the exposing of their weake sex to his iniury proues their innocence Our vsuall daunces are guilty of more sinne Wanton gestures and vnchaste touches lookes motions draw the heart to folly The ambushes of euill spirits carry away many a soule from daunces to a fearefull desolation It is supposed that the parents thus robbed of their daughters will take it heauily There cannot be a greater crosse then the miscariage of children They are not onely the liuing goods bur pieces of their parents that they should therefore be torne from them by violence is no lesse iniury then the dismembring of their owne bodies NAOMI and RVTH BEtwixt the raigne of the Iudges Israel was plagued with tyranny and whiles some of them raigned with famine Seldome did that rebellious people want somewhat to humble them One rod is not enough for a stubborne child The famine must needs be great that makes the inhabitants to runne their country The name of home is so sweet that we cannot leaue it for a little Behold that land which had wont to flow with milke and hony now abounds with want and penurie and Bethleem in stead of an house of bread is an house of famine A fruitfull land doth God make barren for the wickednes of them that dwell therein The earth beares not for it selfe but for vs God is not angry with it but with men For our sakes it was first cursed to thornes thistles after that to moisture and since that not seldome to drought and by all these to barrennesse Wee may not looke alwaies for plenty It is a wonder whiles there is such superfluitie of wickednesse that our earth is no more sparing of her fruits The whole earth is the Lords and in him ours It is lawfull for the owners to change their houses at pleasure Why should we not make free vse of any part of our owne possessions Elimelech and his family remoue from Bethleem Iuda vnto Moab Nothing but necessity can dispense with a locall relinquishing of Gods Church Not pleasure not profit not curiosity Those which are famished out God calls yea driues from thence The Creator and possessor of the earth hath not confined any man to his necessary destruction It was lawfull for Elimelech to make vse of Pagans and Idolaters for the supply of all needfull helps There cannot bee a better imployment of Moabites then to be the treasures and purueyors of Gods children Wherefore serue they but to gather for the true owners It is too much nicenesse in them which forbeaâ—e the benefit they might make of the faculties of profane or hereticall persons They consider not that they haue more right to the good such men can doe then they that doe it and challenge that good for their owne But I cannot see how it could be lawfull for his Sons to match with the daughters of Moab Had these men heard how farre and vnder how solemn an oath their father Abraham sent for a wife of his owne Tribe for his sonne Isaac Had they heard the earnest charge of holy Isaac to the sonne hee blessed Thou shall not take a wife of the daughters of Canaan Hâ—d they forgotten the plagues of Israel for but a short conuersation with the Moabitish women If they plead remotenesse from their own people Did they not remember how fâ—rre Iacob walked to Padan-Aram Was it further from Moab to Bethleem then froÌ„ Bethleem to Moab and if the care of themselues led theÌ„ from Bethleem to Moab should not their care of obedience to God haue as wel carried them backe from Moab to Bethleem Yet if their wiues would haue left their Idotrie with their maidenhead the match had been more safe but now euen at the last farewell Naomi can say of Orpah that shee is returned to her gods These men haue sinned in their choice and it speeds with them accordingly Where did euer one of these vnequall matches prosper
This one art-lesse perswasion hath preuailed more with the world then all the places of reason How many millions miscarry vpon this ground Thus did my fore-fathers Thus doe the most I am neither the first nor the last Doe any of the rulers Wee straight thinke that either safe or pardonable for which we can pleade a precedent This good woman hath more warrant for her resolution then anothers practice The mind can neuer be steady whiles it stands vpon others feete and till it be setled vpon such grounds of assurance that it will rather lead then follow and can say with Ioshua whatsoeuer become of the world I and my house will serue the Lord. If Naomi had not beene a person of eminent note no knowledge had beene taken at Bethleem of her returne Pouerty is euer obscure and those that haue little may goe and come without noise If the streetes of Bethleem had not before vsed to say There goes Noami they had not now asked Is not this Noami Shee that had lost all things but her name is willing to part with that also Call mee not Noami but call mee Marah Her humility cares little for a glorious name in a deiected estate Many a one would haue set faces vpon their want an in the bitternesse of their condition haue affected the name of beauty In all formes of good there are more that care to seeme then to be Naomi hates this hypocrisie since God hath humbled her desires not to be respected of men Those which are truely brought down make it not dainty that the world should thinke them so but are ready to be the first proclaimers of their owne vilenesse Naomi went full out of Bethleem to preuent want and now shee brings that want home with her which shee desired to auoid Our blindnesse oft-times carries vs into the perils we seeke to eschew God findes it best many times to crosse the likely proiects of his dearest children and to multiply those afflictions which thy feared fingle Ten yeeres haue turned Naomi into Marah What assurance is there of these earthly things whereof one houre may strip vs What man can say of the yeeres to come Thus I will be How iustly doe we contemne this vncertainty and looke vp to those riches that cannot but endure when heauen and earth are dissolued BOAZ and RVTH WHiles Elimelech shifted to Moab to auoid the famine Boaz abode still at Bethleem and continued rich and powerfull He staid at home and found that which Elimelech went to seek and missed The iudgement of famine doth not lightly extend it selfe to all Pestilence and the sword spare none but dearth commonly plagueth the meaner sort and balketh the mighty When BoaZ his store-house was empty his fields were full and maintained the name of Bethleem I do not heare Ruth stand vpō the termes of her better education or wealthy Parentage but now that God hath called her to want she scorns not to lay her hand vnto all homely seruices and thinks it no disparagement to finde her bread in other mens fields There is no harder lesson to a generous minde nor that more beseemes it then either to beare want or to preuent it Base spirits giue themselues ouer to idlenesse and misery and because they are crossed will sullenly perish That good woman hath not bin for nothing in the schoole of patience she hath learned obedience to a poore stepmother she was now a widdo past reach of any danger of correction besides that penury might seem to dispense with awe Euen children do easily learne to contemne the pouerty of their own Parents Yet hath she inured her selfe to obedience that she will not so much as go forth into the field to gleane without the leaue of her mother in law is no lesse obsequious to Marah then she was to Naomi What shall she say to those children that in the maine actions of their life forget they haue naturall Parents It is a shame to see that in meane families want of substance causeth want of duty and that children should thinke themselues priuiledged for vnreuerence because the Parent is poore Little do we know when we goe forth in the morning what God meanes to do with vs ere night There is a prouidence that attends on vs in all our waies guides vs insensibly to his owne ends That diuine hand leades Ruth blindfolded to the field of BoaZ That she meetes with his reapers fals vpon his land amongst al the fields of Bethleem it was no praise to her election but the gracious disposition of him in whom we moue His thoughts are aboue ours and doe so order our actions as we if we had known should haue wished No sooner is she come into the field but the reapers are friendly to her no sooner is Boaz come into his field but he inuites her to more bounty then she could haue desired now God begins to repay into her bosome her loue and duty to her mother in law Reuerence and louing respects to parents neuer yet went away vnrecompenced God will surely raise vp friends amongst strangers to those that haue been officious at home It was worth Ruthe's iourney from Moab to meet with such a man as BoaZ whom we find thrifty religious charitable Though he were rich yet he was not carelesse he comes into the field to ouersee his reapers Euen the best estate requires carefull managing of the owner He wanted not officers to take charge of his husbandry yet he had rather be his own witnesse After all the trust of others the Masters eye feeds the horse The Master of this great Houshold of the world giues vs an example of this care whose eye is in euery corner of this his large possessiō Not ciuility only but religion binds vs to good husbandry We are all stewards and what account can we giue to our Master if we neuer looke after our estate I doubt whether Boaz had bin so rich if he had not bin so frugall Yet was he not more thrifty then religious He comes not to his reapers but with a blessing in his mouth the Lord be with you as one that knew if he were with them and not the Lord his presence could auaile nothing All the businesse of the family speeds the better for the Masters benediction Those affaires are likely to succeed that take their beginning at God Charity was well matched with his religion without which good words are but hypocrites no sooner doth he heare the name of the Moabitesse but he secōds the kindnesse of his reapers and still he rises in his fauours First she may gleane in his field then shee may drinke of his vessels then she shall take her meale with his reapers and part of it from his own hand lastly his work-men must let fall sheaues for her gathering A Small thing helpes the needy an handfull of gleanings a lap-full of parched corne a draught of the seruants bottles a loose sheafe was
Father from whom she could not fly to saue an Husband which durst not â—ot fly from her The bonds of matrimoniall loue are and should bee stronger then those of nature Those respects are mutuall which God appointed in the first institution of Wedlocke That Husband and Wife should leaue Father and Mother for each others sake Treason is euer odious but so much more in the Mariage-bed by how much the obligations are deeper As she loued her husband better then her Father so shee loued her selfe better then her husband she saued her husband by a wyle and now shee saues her selfe by a lye and loses halfe the thanke of her deliuerance by an officious slander Her act was good but she wants courage to maintaine it and therefore seekes to the weake shelter of vntruth Those that doe good offices not out of conscience but good nature or ciuility if they meet an effront of danger seldome come off cleanly but are ready to catch at all excuses though base though iniurious because their grounds are not strong enough to beare them out in suffering for that which they haue well done Whither doth Dauid fly but to the Sanctuary of Samuel He doth not though he knew himselfe gracious with the Souldiers raise forces or take some strong Fort and there stand vpon his owne defence and at defiance with his King but he gets him to the Colledge of the Prophets as a man that would seeke the peaceable protection of the King of Heauen against the vniust fury of a King on earth Onely the wing of God shall hide him from that violence God intended to make Dauid not a Warriour and a King onely but a Prophet too As the field fitted him for the first and the Court for the second so Naioth shall fit him for the third Doubtlesse such was Dauids delight in holy meditations he neuer spent his time so contentedly as when he was retired to that diuine Academie and so full freedome to enioy God and to satiate himselfe with heauenly exercises The only doubt is how Samuel can giue harbour to a man fled from the anger of his Prince wherein the very persons of both giue abundant satisfaction for both Samuel knew the councell of God and durst doe nothing without it and Dauid was by Samuel anointed from God This Vnction was a mutuall Bond Good reason had Dauid to sue to him which had powred the Oile on his head for the hiding of that head which he had anointed and good reason had Samuel to hide him whom God by his meanes had chosen from him whom God had by his sentence reiected besides that the cause deserued commiseration Here was not a Malefactor running away from Iustice but an innocent auoiding Murder not a Traitor countenanced against his Soueraigne but the Deliuerer of Israel harboured in a Sanctuary of Prophets till his peace might bee made Euen thither doth Saul send to apprehend Dauid All his rage did not incense him against Samuel as the Abettor of his Aduersarie Such an impression of reuerence had the person and calling of the Prophet left in the minde of Saul that hee cannot thinke of lifting vp his hand against him The same God which did at the first put an awe of man in the fiercest creatures hath stamped in the cruellest hearts a reuerent respect to his owne image in his Ministers so as euen they that hate them doe yet honour them Sauls messengers came to lay hold on Dauid God layes hold on them No sooner doe they see a company of Prophets busie in these diuine Exercises vnder the moderation of Samuel then they are turned from Executioners to Prophets It is good going vp to Naioth into the holy Assemblies who knows how we may be changed beside our intention Many a one hath come into Gods House to carpe or scoffe or sleepe or gaze that hath returned a Conuert The same heart that was thus disquieted with Dauids happy successe is now vexed with the holinesse of his other Seruants Irangdrs him that Gods Spirit could finde no other time to seize vpon his Agents then when he had sent them to kill And now out of an indignation at this disappointment himselfe will goe and be his owne Seruant His guilty soule finds it selfe out of the danger of being thus surprised And behold Saul is no sooner come within the smell of the smoke of Naioth then hee also prophesies The same Spirit that when hee went first from Samuel inabled him to prophesie returnes in the same effect now that he was going his last vnto Samuel This was such a grace as might well stand with reiection an extraordinarie gift of the spirit but nor sanctifying Many men haue had their mouthes opened to prophesie vnto others whose hearts haue beene deafe to God But this such as it was was farre from Sauls purpose who in stead of expostulating with Samuel fals downe before him and laying aside his weapons and his Robes of a Tyrant proues for the time a Disciple All hearts are in the hand of their maker how easie is it for him that gaue them their being to frame them to his owne bent Who can be afraid of malice that knowes what hookes God hath in the nosthrils of men and Deuils What charmes he hath for the most Serpentine hearts DAVID and AHIMELECH WHO can euer iudge of the Children by the Parents that knowes Ionathan was the son of Saul There was neuer a falser heart then Sauls there was neuer a truer friend then Ionathan Neither the hope of a Kingdome nor the frownes of a Father not the feare of death can remoue him from his vowed amity No Sonne could be more officious and dutifull to a good father yet he layes down nature at the foot of grace and for the preseruation of his innocent Riuall for the Kingdome crosses the bloody designes of his owne Parent Dauid needs no other Counsellor no other Aduocate no other Intelligencer then hee It is not in the power of Sauls vnnaturall reproches or of his Speare to make Ionathan any other then a friend and patron of innocence Euen after all these difficulties doth Ionathan shoot beyond Dauid that Saul may shoot short of him In vaine are those professions of loue which are not answered with action He is no true friend that besides talke is not ready both to doe and suffer Saul is no whit the better for his propecying he no sooner rises vp from before Samuel then he pursues Dauid Wicked men are rather the worse for those transitorie good motions they haue receiued If the Swine be neuer so cleane washed shee will wallow againe That we haue good thoughts it is no thanke to vs that wee answer them not it is both our sinne and iudgement Dauid hath learned not to trust these fits of deuotion but flyes from Samuel to Ionathan from Ionathan to Ahimelech when he was hunted from the Prophet he flyes to the Priest as one that knew iustice and compassion
Samuel himselfe whiles hee was aliue could not haue spoken more grauely more seuerely more diuinely than this euill ghost For the Lord will rent thy Kingdome out of thy hand and giue it to thy neighbour Dauid because thou obeyedst not the voyce of the Lord not executedst his fierce wrath vpon the Amalekites therefore hath the Lord done this vnto thee this day When the Deuill himselfe puts on grauity and religion who can maruell at the hypocrisie of men Well may lewd men bee good Preachers when Satan himselfe can play the Prophet Where are those Ignorants that thinke charitably of charmes and spells because they finde nothing in them but good words What Prophet could speake better words than this Deuill in Samuels Mantle Neither is there at any time so much danger of that euill spirit as when hee speakes best I could wonder to heare Satan preach thus prophetically if I did not know that as hee was once a good Angell so hee can still act what hee was Whiles Saul was in consultation of sparing Agag wee shall neuer finde that Satan would lay any blocke in his way Yea then hee was a prompt Orator to induce him into that sinne now that it is past and gone hee can lade Saul with fearefull denunciations of iudgement Till wee haue sinned Satan is a parasite when wee haue sinned hee is a Tyrant What cares hee to flatter any more when hee hath what hee would Now his onely worke is to terrifie and confound that hee may enioy what he hath wonne How much better is it seruing that Master who when wee are most deiected with the conscience of euill heartens vs with inward comfort and speakes peace to the soule in the midst of tumult Ziklag spoyled and reuenged HAd not the King of the Philistims sent Dauid away early his Wiues and his people and substance which hee left at Ziklag had beene vtterly lost Now Achish did not more pleasure Dauid in his entertainment than in his dismission Saul was not Dauids enemy more in the persecution of his person than in the forbearance of Gods enemies Behold thus late doth Dauid feele the smart of Sauls sinne in sparing the Amalekites who if Gods sentence had beene duly executed had not now suruiued to annoy this parcell of Israel As in spirituall respects our sinnes are alwayes hurtfull to our selues so in temporall oft-times preiudiciall to posteritie A wicked man deserues ill of those hee neuer liued to see I cannot maruell at the Amalekites assault made vpon the Israelites of Ziklag I cannot but maruell at their clemencie how iust it was that while Dauid would giue aid to the enemies of the Church against Israel the enemies of the Church should rise against Dauid in his peculiar charge of Israel But whilst Dauid rouing against the Amalekites not many dayes before left neither man nor woman aliue how strange is it that the Amalekites inuading and surprizing Ziklag in reuenge kill neither man nor woman Shall wee say that mercy is fled from the brests of Israelites and rests in Heathens Or shall wee rather ascribe this to the gracious restraint of God who hauing designed Amalek to the slaughter of Israel and not Israel to the slaughter of Amalek moued the hand of Israel and held the hands of Amalek This was that alone that made the Heathens take vp with an vn-bloudy reuenge burning only the wâ—â—es and leading away the persons Israel crossed the reuealed will of God insparing Amalek Amalek fulfils the secret will of God in sparing Israel It was still the lot of Amalek to take Israel at all aduantages vpon their first comming out of Egypt when they were weary weake and vnarmed then did Amalek assault them And now when one part of Israel was in the field against the Philistians another was gone with the Philistims against Israel the Amalekites set vpon the Coasts of both and goes away laded with the spoile No other is to bee exspected of our spirituall Aduersaries who are euer readiest to assayle when wee are the vnreadiest to defend It was a wofull spectacle for Dauid and his Souldiers vpon their returne to find mines and ashes in stood of houses and in steed of their Families solitude Their Citie was vanished into smoke their housholds into captiuitie neither could they know whom to accuse or where to enquire for redresse whiles they made account that their home should recompence their tedious iourney with comfort the miserable desolation of their home doubles the discomfort of their iourney what remained there but teares and lamentations They lifted vp their voyces and wept till they could weepe no more Heere was plentie of nothing but misery and sorrow The heart of euery Israelite was brim full of griefe Dauids ranne ouer for besides that his crosse was the same with theirs all theirs was his alone each man looke on his fellow as a partner of affliction but euery one lookt vpon Dauid as the cause of all their affliction and as common displeasure is neuer but fruitfull of reuenge they all agree to stone him as the Author of their vndoing whom they followed all this while as the hopefull meanes of their aduacements Now Dauids losse is his least griefe neither as if euery thing had conspired to torment him can hee looke besides the aggrauation of his sorrow and danger Saul and his Souldiers had hunted him out of Israel the Philistim Courtiers had hunted him from the fauour of Achish the Amalekites spoyled him in Ziklag yet all these are easie aduersaries in comparison of his owne his owne followers are so far from pittying his participation of the losse that they are ready to kill him because they are miserable with him Oh the many and grieuous perplexities of the man after Gods owne heart If all his traine had ioyned their best helpes for the mitigation of his griefe their Cordials had beene too weake but now the vexation that arises from their fury and malice drowneth the sence of their losse and were enough to distract the most resolute heart why should it bee strange to vs that wee meete with hard tryalls when wee see the deare Annoynted of God thus plunged into euils What should the distressed sonne of Ishai now doe Whither should hee thinke to turne him to goe backe to Israel hee durst not to goe to Achish hee might not to abide amonst those waste heapes hee could not or if there might haue beene harbor in those burnt wals yet there could bee no safety to remayne with those mutinous spirits But Dauid comforted himselfe in the Lord his God oh happie and sure refuge of a faithfull soule The earth yeelded him nothing but matter of disconsolation and heauinesse hee lifts his eyes aboue the hils whence commeth his saluation It is no maruell that God remembreth Dauid in all his troubles since Dauid in all his troubles did thus remember his God hee knew that though no mortall eye of reason or sence could discerne any euasion
Amnon procures the iniustice of Absalom in punishing Amnon with Murder That which the Father should haue iustly reuenged and did not the Sonne reuenges vniustly The Rape of a Sister was no lesse worthy of death than the Murder of a Brother Yea this latter sinne was therefore the lesse because that Brother was worthy of death though by another hand whereas that Sister was guiltie of nothing but modest beautie yet he that knew this Rape passed ouer whole two yeares with impunitie dares not trust the mercie of a Father in the pardon of his Murder but for three yeares hides his head in the Court of his Grand-father the King of Geshur Doubtlesse that Heathenish Prince gaue him a kind welcome for so meritorious a reuenge of the dishonour done to his owne Loynes No man can tell how Absalom should haue sped from the hands of his otherwise ouer-indulgent Father if he had beene apprehended in the heat of the fact Euen the largest loue may be ouer-strayned and may giue a fall in the breaking These fearefull effects of lenity might perhaps haue whetted the seueritie of Dauid to shut vp these outrages in bloud Now this displeasure was weakned with age Time and thoughts haue digested this hard morsell Dauids heart told him that his hands had a share in this offence that Absalom did but giue that stroke which himselfe had wrongfully forborne that the vnrecouerable losse of one Sonne would be but wofully relieued with the losse of another Hee therefore that in the newes of the deceased Infant could change his clothes and wash himselfe and cheere vp his spirits with the resolution of I shall goe to him hee shall not returne to me comforts himselfe concerning Amnon and begins to long for Absalom THOSE three yeares banishment seemed not so much a punishment to the Son as to the Father Now Dauid beginnes to forgiue himselfe yet out of his wisedome so inclines to fauour that he conceales it and yet so conceales it that it may be descryed by a cunning eye If he had cast out no glances of affection there had beene no hopes for his Absalom if he had made profession of loue after so foule an Act there had beene no safetie for others now he lets fall so much secret grace as may both hold vp Absalom in the life of his hopes and not hearten the presumption of others GOOD Eyes see light thorow the smallest chinke The wit of Ioab hath sooone discerned Dauids reserued affection and knowes how to serue him in that which hee would and would not accomplish and now deuises how to bring into the light that birth of Desire whereof hee knew Dauid was both bigge and ashamed A woman of Tekoah that Sex hath beene euer held more apt for wiles is suborned to personate a mourner and to say that by way of Parable which in plaine termes would haue sounded too harshly and now whiles shee lamentably layes forth the losse and danger of her Sonnes she shewes Dauid his owne and whiles shee mooues compassion to her pretended Issue she winnes Dauid to a pittie of himselfe and a fauourable sentence for Absalom We loue our selues better than others but we see others better than our selues who so would perfectly know his owne case let him view it in anothers person PARABLES sped well with Dauid One drew him to repent of his owne sinne another to remit Absaloms punishment And now as glad to heare this Plea and willing to bee perswaded vnto that which if hee durst hee would haue sought for he gratifies Ioab with the grant of that suite which Ioab more gratified him in suing for Goe bring againe the young man ABSALOM How glad is Ioab that hee hath light vpon one Act for which the Sun both setting and rising should shine vpon him and now he speeds to Geshur to fetch backe Absalom to Ierusalem hee may bring the long-banished Prince to the Citie but to the Court he may not bring him Let him turne to his owne house and let him not see my face THE good King hath so smarted with mercie that now hee is resolued vpon austeritie and will relent but by degrees It is enough for Absalom that hee liues and may now breathe his natiue ayre Dauids face is no obiect for the eyes of a Murtherer What a Deareling this Sonne was to his Father appeares in that after an vnnaturall and barbarous rebellion passionate Dauid wishes to haue changed liues with him yet now whiles his bowels yearned his brow frowned The face may not bee seene where the heart is set THE best of Gods Saints may bee blinded with affection but when they shall once see their errors they are carefull to correct them Wherefore serues the power of Grace but to subdue the insolencies of nature It is the wisedome of Parents as to hide their hearts from their best children so to hide their countenances from the vngracious Fleshly respects may not abate their rigour to the ill deseruing For the Childe to see all his Fathers loue it is enough to make him wanton and of wanton wicked For a wicked Child to see any of his Fathers loue it emboldens him in euill and drawes on others ABSALOMS house is made his Prison Iustly is hee confined to the place which he had stayned with bloud Two yeares doth hee liue in Ierusalem without the happinesse of his Fathers sight It was enough for Dauid and him to see the smoke of each others Chimnies In the meane time how impatient is Absalom of this absence Hee sends for Ioab the Soliciter of his returne So hard an hand doth wise and holy Dauid carry ouer his reduced Sonne that his friendly Intercessor Ioab dares not visit him HE that afterwards kindled that seditious fire ouer all Israel sets fire now on the field of Ioab whom loue cannot draw to him feare and anger shall Continued displeasure hath made Absalom desperate Fiue yeares are passed since hee saw the face of his Father and now is hee no lesse weary of his life than of this delay Wherefore am I come downe from Geshur It had beene better for mee to haue beene there still Now therefore let mee see the Kings face and if there bee any iniquitie in mee let him kill mee Either banishment or death seemed as tolerable to him as the debarring of his Fathers sight WHAT a torment shall it be to the wicked to be shut out for euer from the presence of a God without all possible hopes of recouery This was but a Father of the flesh by whom if Absalom liued at first yet in him he liued not yea not without him onely but against him that Sonne found he could liue God is the Father of Spirits in whom wee so liue that without him can bee no life no being to bee euer excluded from him in whom wee liue and are what can it bee but an eternall dying an eternall perishing If in thy presence O God be the fulnesse of ioy in
now all hearts are cold all faces pale and euery man hath but life enough to runne away How suddenly is this brauing troupe dispersed Adonijah their new Prince flies to the hornes of the Altar as distrusting all hopes of life saue the Sanctity of the place and the mercy of his riuall So doth the wise and iust God befoole proud and insolent sinners in those secret plots wherein they hope to vndermine the true sonne of Dauid the Prince of Peace he suffers them to lay their heads together and to feast themselues in a iocund securitie and promise of successe at last when they are at the height of their ioyes and hopes he confounds all their deuices and layes them open to the scorne of the world and to the anguish of their owne guilty hearts DAVIDS end and SALOMONS beginning IT well became Salomon to begin his Raigne in peace Adonijah receiues pardon vpon his good behauiour and findes the Throne of Salomon as safe as the Altar Dauid liues to see a wise sonne warme in his seat and now hee that had yeelded to succession yeelds to nature Many good counsels had Dauid giuen his Heire now hee summes them vp in his end Dying words are wont to bee weightiest The Soule when it is entring into glory breathes nothing but diuine I goe the way of all the earth How well is that Princely heart content to subscribe to the conditions of humane mortality as one that knew Soueraigntie doth not reach to the affaires of nature Though a King he neither expects nor desires an immunity from dissolution making not account to goe in any other then the common track to the vniuersall home of mankind the house of age Whither should earth but to earth and why should we grugde to doe that which all doe Be thou strong therefore and shew thy selfe a man Euen when his spirit was going out he puts spirit into his Sonne Age puts life into youth and the dying animates the vigorous He had well found that strength was requisit to gouernment that he had need to be no lesse then a man that should rule ouer men If greatnesse should neuer receiue any opposition yet those worlds powers A weake man may obey none but the strong can gouerne Gracelesse courage were but the whetstone of tyranny Take heed therefore to the charge of the Lord thy God to walke in his wayes and to keepe his Statutes The best legacy that Dauid bequeathes to his heire is the care of piety himselfe had found the sweetnesse of a good conscience and now he commends it to his successor If there be any thing that in our desires of the prosperous condition of our children takes place of goodnesse our hearts are not vpright Here was the father a King charging the King his sonne to keepe the Statutes of the King of Kings as one that knew greatnesse could neither exempt from obedience nor priuiledge sinne as one that knew the least deuiation in the greatest and highest Orbe is both most sensible and most dangerous Neither would he haue his sonne to looke for any prosperity saue onely from well-doing That happinesse is built vpon sands or Ice which is raised vpon any foundation besides vertue If Salomon were wise Dauid was good and if old Salomon had well remembred the counsell of old Dauid he had not so foulely mis-caried After the precepts of pietie follow those of iustice distributing in a due recompence as reuenge to Ioab and Shimei so fauour to the house of Barzillai The bloodinesse of Ioab had lien long vpon Dauids heart the hideous noyse of those treacherous murders as it had pierced heauen so it still filled the eares of Dauid He could abhorre that villanie though he could not reuenge it What he cannnot pay hee will owe and approue himselfe at last a faithfull debtor Now hee will defray it by the hand of Salomon The slaughter was of Abner and Amasa Dauid appropriates it Thou knowest what Ioab did to me The Soueraigne is smitten in the Subiect Neither is it other then iust that the arraignment of meane malefactors runnes in the stile of wrong to the Kings Crowne and dignity How much more 〈◊〉 thou O Sonne of Dauid take to thy selfe those insolencies which are done to thy poorest subiects seruants sonnes members here vpon earth No Saul can touch a Christian here below but thou feelest it in heauen and complainest But what shall we thinke of this Dauid was a man of Warre Salomon a King of Peace yet Dauid referres this reuenge to Salomon How iust it was that he who shed the blood of warre in peace and put the blood of war vpon his girdle that was about his loynes should haue his blood shed in peace by a Prince of peace Peace is fittest to rectifie the out-rages of Warre Or whether is not this done in type of that diuine administration wherein thou O father of heauen hast committed all iudgement vnto thine eternall Sonne Thou who couldst immediately either plague or absolue sinners wilt doe neither but by the hand of a Mediator Salomon learned betimes what his ripenesse taught afterwards Take away the wicked from the King and his Throne shall be established in righteousnesse Cruell Ioab and malicious Shimei must be therfore vpon the first opportunity remoued The one lay open to present iustice for abetting the conspiracy of Adonijah neither needes the helpe of time for a new aduantage The other went vnder the protection of an oath from Dauid and therefore must be fetcht in vpon a new challenge The hoare head of both must bee brought to the graue with blood else Dauids head could not bee brought to his graue in peace Due punishment of malefactors is the debt of authority If that holy King haue runne into arerages yet as one that hates and feares to breake the banke he giues order to his pay-master It shall bee defraid if not by him yet for him Generous natures cannot be vnthankfull Barzillai had shewed Dauid some kindnesse in his extremity and now the good man will haue posterity to inherite the thankes How much more bountifull is the Father of mercies in the remuneration of our poore vnworthy seruices Euen successions of generations shall fare the better for one good parent The dying words and thoughts of the man after Gods owne heart did not confine themselues to the straites of these particular charges but inlarged themselues to the care of Gods publike seruice As good men are best at last Dauid did neuer so busily and carefully marshall the affaires of God as when he was fixed to the bed of his age and death Then did he lode his sonne Salomon with the charge of building the house of God then did hee lay before the eyes of his sonne the modell and patterne of that whole sacred worke whereof if Salomon beare the name yet Dauid no lesse merits it He now giues the platforme of the Courts and buildings Hee giues the gold and siluer for
I see foure Temples in this one It is but one in matter as the God that dwels in it is but one three yet more in resemblance according to the diuision of them in whom it pleases God to inhabite For where euer God dwels there is his Temple Oh God thou vouchsafest to dwell in the beleeuing heart as we thy silly creatures haue our being in thee so thou the Creator of heauen earth hast thy dwelling in vs. The heauen of heauens is not able to containe thee and yet thou disdainest not to dwell in the strait lodgings of our renewed soule So then because Gods children are many and those many diuided in respect of themselues though vnited in their head therefore this Temple which is but one in collection as God is one is manifold in the distribution as the Saints are many each man bearing about him a little shrine of this infinite Maiestie And for that the most generall diuision of the Saints is in their place and estate some strugling and toyling in this earthly warfare others triumphing in heauenly glory therefore hath God two other more vniuersall Temples One the Church of his Saints on earth the other the highest heauen of his Saints glorified In all these O God thou dwellest for euer and this materiall house of thine is a cleare representation of these three spirituall Else what were a temple made with hands vnto the God of spirits And though one of these was a true type of all yet how are they all exceeded each by other This of stone though most rich and costly yet what is it to the liuing Temple of the holy Ghost which is our body What is the Temple of this body of ours to the Temple of Christs body which is his Church And what is the Temple of Gods Church on earth to that which triumpheth gloriously in heauen How easily doe wee see all these in this one visible Temple which as it had three distinctions of roomes the Porch the Holy-place the Holy of Holies so is each of them answered spiritually In the Porch wee finde the regenerate soule entring into the blessed society of the Church In the holy place the Communion of the true visible Church on earth selected from the world In the Holy of Holies whereinto the high Priest entred once a yeare the glorious heauen into which our true high-Priest Christ Iesus entred once for all to make an atonement betwixt God and man In all these what a meer correspondence there is both in proportion matter situation In proportion The same rule that skilfull caruers obserue in the cutting out of the perfect statue of a man that the height bee thrice the breadth and the breadth one third of the height was likewise onely obserued in the fabricke of the Temple whose length was double to the height and treble to the breadth as being sixty cubits long thirty high and twenty broad How exquisite a symmetry hast thou ordained O God betwixt the faithfull heart and thy Church on earth with that in heauen how accurate in each of these in all their powers and parts compared with other So hath God ordered the beleeuing soule that it hath neither too much shortnesse of grace nor too much height of conceit nor too much breadth of passion So hath he ordered his visible Church that there is a necessarie inequalitie without any disproportion an height of gouernment a length of extent a breadth of iurisdiction duely answerable to each other So hath he ordered his triumphant Church aboue that it hath a length of eternitie answered with an height of perfection and a breadth of incomprehensible glory In matter All was here of the best The wood was precious sweet lasting The stone beautifull costly insensible of age The gold pure and glittering So are the graces of Gods children excellent in their nature deare in their acceptation eternall in their vse So are the ordinances of God in his Church holy comfortable irrefragable So is the perfection of his glorified Saints incomparable vnconceiuable In situation the outer parts were here more common the inner more holy and peculiarly reserued I finde one Court of the Temple open to the vncleane to the vncircumcised Within that another open onely to the Israelites and of them to the cleane within that yet another proper onely to the Priests and Leuites where was the Brazen Altar for sacrifice and the Brazen sea for washings The eyes of the Laitie might follow their oblations in hither their feet might not Yet more in the couered roomes of the Temple there is whither the Priests onely may enter not the Leuites there is whither the high Priest onely may enter not his brethren It is thus in euery renewed man the indiuiduall temple of God the outward parts are allowed common to God and the world the inwardest and secretest which is the heart is reserued onely for the God that made it It is thus in the Church visible the false and foule-hearted hypocrite hath accesse to the holy ordinances of God and treads in his Courts onely the true Christian hath intire and priuate conuersation with the holy One of Israel He only is admitted into the Holy of Holies and enters within the glorious vaile of heauen If from the wals we looke vnto the furniture What is the Altar whereon our sacrifices of prayer and praises are offered to the Almightie but a contrite heart What the golden Candlestickes but the illumined vnderstanding wherein the light of the knowledge of God and his diuine will shineth for euer What the Tables of Shew-bread but the sanctified memory which keepeth the bread of life continually Yea if we shall presume so farre as to enter into the very closet of Gods Oracle Euen there O God doe wee finde our vnworthy hearts so honoured by thee that they are made thy very Arke wherein thy Royall law and the pot of thine heauenly Manna is kept for euer and from whose propitiatorie shaded with the wings of thy glorious Angels thou giuest thy gracious Testimonies of thy good spirit witnessing with ours that we are the children of thee the liuing God Behold if Salomon built a Temple vnto thee thou hast built a Temple vnto thy selfe in vs We are not onely through thy grace liuing stones in thy Temple but liuing Temples in thy Sion Oh doe thou euer dwell in this thine house and in this thy house let vs euer serue thee Wherefore else hast thou a Temple but for thy presence with vs and for our worshipping of thee The time was when as thy people so thy selfe didst lodge in flitting Tents euer shifting euer mouing thence thou thoughtest best to soiourne both in Shilo and the roofe of Obed-Edom After that thou condescendedst to settle thine abode with men and wouldest dwell in an house of thine owne at thy Ierusalem So didst thou in the beginning lodge with our first Parents in a Tent Soiourne with Israel vnder the law and now makest
men according to no other conditions then of their faith The Centurions seruant was sicke the Rulers sonne The Centurion doth not sue vnto Christ to come onely sayes My seruant is sicke of a Palsie Christ answers him I will come and heale him The Ruler sues vnto Christ that hee would come and heale his sonne Christ will not goe onely sayes Goe thy way thy sonne liues Outward things carie no respect with God The Image of that diuine Maiestie shining inwardly in the graces of the soule is that which wins loue from him in the meanest estate The Centurions faith therefore could do more then the Rulers greatnesse and that faithfull mans seruant hath more regard then this great mans sonne The Rulers request was Come and heale Christs answer was Goe thy way thy sonne liues Our mercifull Sauiour meets those in the end whom hee crosses in the way How sweetly doth he correct our prayers and whiles he doth not giue vs what we aske giues vs better then we asked Iustly doth he forbeare to go downe with this Ruler lest he should confirme him in an opinion of measuring his power by conceits of locality distance but he doth that in absence for which his presence was required with a repulse Thy sonne liueth giuing a greater demonstration of his omnipotencie then was craued How oft doth hee not heare to our will that hee may heare vs to our aduantage The chosen vessell would be rid of tentations he heares of a supply of grace The sicke man askes release receiues patience life and receiues glory Let vs aske what we thinke best let him giue what he knowes best With one word doth Christ heale two Patients the sonne and the father the sons feuer the fathers vnbeleefe That operatiue word of our Sauiour was not without the intention of a triall Had not the Ruler gone home satisfied with that intimation of his sonnes life and recouerie neither of them had beene blessed with successe Now the newes of performance meets him one halfe of the way and hee that beleeued somewhat ere he came and more when he went grew to more faith in the way and when he came home inlarged his faith to all the skirts of his familie A weake faith may be true but a true faith is growing He that boasts of a full stature in the first moment of his assent may presume but doth not beleeue Great men cannot want clients their example swaies some their authoritie more they cannot goe to either of the other worlds alone In vaine doe they pretend power ouer others who labour â—ut to draw their families vnto God The Dumbe Deuill eiected THat the Prince of our Peace might approue his perfect victories wheresoeuer hee met with the Prince of darknesse hee foyled him he eiected him He found him in heauen thence did hee throw him headlong and verified his Prophet I haue cast thee out of mine holy mountaine And if the Deuils left their first habitation it was because being Deuills they could not keepe it Their estate indeed they might haue kept and did not their habitation they would haue kept and might not How art thou falne from heauen O Lucifer He found him in the heart of man for in that closet of God did the euill spirit after his exile from heauen shrowd himselfe Sin gaue him possession which he kept with a willing violence thence hee casts him by his word and spirit He found him tyrannizing in the bodies of some possessed men and with power commands the vncleane spirits to depart This act is for no hand but his When a strong man keepes possession none but a stronger can remoue it In voluntary things the strongest may yeeld to the weakest Sampson to a Dalilah but in violent euer the mightiest caries it A spirituall nature must needs be in ranke aboue a bodily neither can any power be aboue a spirit but the God of spirits No otherwise is it in the mentall possession Where euer sinne is there Satan is As on the contrary whosoeuer is borne of God the seed of God remaines in him That euill one not onely is but rules in the sonnes of disobedience in vaine shall wee try to eiect him but by the diuine power of the Redeemer For this cause the Sonne of God was manifested that hee might destroy the workes of the Deuill Doe we finde our selues haunted with the familiar Deuills of Pride selfe-loue sensuall desires vnbeleefe None but thou O Son of the euerliuing God can free our bosomes of these hellish guests Oh clense thou mee from my secret sinnes and keepe mee that presumptuous sinnes preuaile not ouer me O Sauiour it is no Paradox to say that thou castest out more Deuils now then thou diddest whiles thou wert vpon earth It was thy word When I am lifted vp I will draw all men vnto me Satan weighes downe at the feet thou pullest at the head yea at the heart In euery conuersion which thou workest there is a dispossession Conuert mee O Lord and I shall be conuerted I know thy meanes are now no other then ordinary if we expect to be dispossessed by miracle it would be a miracle if euer wee were dispossessed Oh let thy Gospell haue the perfect worke in me so onely shall I bee deliuered from the powers of darknesse Nothing can be said to be dumbe but what naturally speakes nothing can speake naturally but what hath the instruments of speech which because spirits want they can no otherwise speake vocally then as they take voices to themselues in taking bodies This deuill was not therefore dumbe in his nature but in his effect The man was dumbe by the operation of that deuill which possessed him and now the action is attributed to the spirit which was subiectiuely in the man It is not you that speake saith our Sauiour but the spirit of your Father that speaketh in you As it is in bodily diseases that they doe not infect vs alike some seize vpon the humors others vpon the spirits some assault the braine others the heart or lungs so in bodily and spirituall possessions In some the euill spirit takes away their senses in some their lims in some their inward faculties like as spiritually they affect to moue vs vnto seuerall sinnes One to lust another to couetousnesse or ambition another to cruelty and their names haue distinguished them according to these various effects This was a dumbe Deuill which yet had possessed not the tongue onely of this man but his eare not that onely but as it seemes his eies too O suttle and tyrannous spirit that obstructs all wayes to the soule that keepes out all meanes of grace both from the doores and windowes of the heart yea that stops vp all passages whether of ingresse or egresse Of ingresse at the eye or eare of egresse at the mouth that there might be no capacity of redresse What holy vse is there of our tongue but to praise our Maker to confesse our
sinnes to informe our brethren How rife is this Dumbe Deuill euerywhere whiles hee stops the mouthes of Christians from these vsefull and necessarie duties For what end hath man those two priuiledges aboue his fellow creatures Reason and Speech but that as by the one he may conceiue of the great workes of his Maker which the rest cannot so by the other hee may expresse what hee conceiues to the honor of the Creator both of them and himselfe And why are all other creatures said to praise God and bidden to praise him but because they doe it by the apprehension by the expression of man If the heauens declare the glory of God how doe they it but to the eies and by the tongue of that man for whom they were made It is no small honor whereof the enuious spirit shall rob his Maker if he 〈◊〉 close vp the mouth of his onely rationall and vocall creature and turne the best of his workemanship into a dumbe Idoll that hath a mouth and speakes not Lord open thou my lips and my mouth shall shew forth thy praise Praise is not more necessary then complaint praise of God then complaint of ourselues whether to God or men The onely amends we can make to God what we haue not had the grace to auoid sinne is to confesse the sinne wee haue not auoided This is the sponge that wipes out all the blots and blurs of our liues If wee confesse our sinnes he is faithfull and iust to forgiue vs our sins and to cleanse vs from all vnrighteousnesse That cunning man-slayer knowes there is no way to purge the sicke soule but vpward by casting out the vicious humor wherewith it is clogged and therefore holds the lips close that the heart may not dis-burden it selfe by so wholesome euacuation When I kept silence my bones consumed For day and night thy band O Lord was heauy vpon me my moisture is turned into the drought of Summer O let me confesse against my selfe my wickednesse vnto thee that thou maist forgiue the punishment of my sinne We haue a tongue for God when wee praise him for our selues when wee pray and confesse for our brethren when we speake the truth for their information which if we hold backe in vnrighteousnesse we yeeld vnto that dumbe Deuill where doe we not see that accursed spirit Hee is on the Bench when the mute or partiall Iudge speakes not for truth and innocence He is in the pulpit when the Prophets of God smother or halue or adulterate the message of their master Hee is at the barre when irreligious Iurors dare lend an oath to feare to hope to gaine Hee is in the market when godlesse chapmen for their peny sell the truth and their soule He is in the common conuersation of men when the tongue belies the heart flatters the guilty balketh reproofes euen in the foulest crimes O thou who only art stronger then that strong one cast him out of the hearts and mouthes of men It is time for thee Lord to worke for they haue destroyed thy Law That it might well appeare this impediment was not naturall so soone as the man is freed from the spirit his tongue is free to his speech The effects of spirits as they are wrought so they cease at once If the Sonne of God doe but remoue our spirituall possession we shall presently breake forth into the praise of God into the confession of our vilenesse into the profession of truth But what strange variety do I see in the spectators of this miracle some wondring others censuring a third sort tempting a fourth applauding There was neuer man or action but was subiect to variety of constructions What man could bee so holy as he that was God What act could bee more worthy then the dispossession of an euill spirit yet this man this act passeth these differences of interpretation What can we doe to vndergoe but one opinion If we giue almes and fast some will magnifie our charity and deuotion others will taxe our hypocrisie If wee giue not some will condemne our hard-heartednesse others will allow our care of iustice if wee preach plainly to some it will sauour of a carelesse slubbering to others of a mortified sincerity Elaborately some will tax our affectation others will applaud our diligence in dressing the delicate viands of God What maruell is it if it bee thus with our imperfection when it fared not otherwise with him that was purity and righteousnesse it selfe The austere fore-runner of Christ came neither eating nor drinking they say He hath a Deuill The sonne of man came eating and drinking they say This man is a glutton a friend of Publicans and sinners and here one of his holy acts caries away at once wonder censure doubt celebration There is no way safe for a man but to square his actions by the right rule of iustice of charitie and then let the world haue leaue to spend their glosses at pleasure It was an heroicall resolution of the chosen vessell I passe very little to be iudged of you or of mans day I maruell not if the people maruelled for here were foure wonders in one The blinde saw the deafe heard the dumbe spake the demoniacke is deliuered Wonder was due to so rare and powerfull a worke and if not this nothing We can cast away admiration vpon the poore deuices or actiuities of men how much more vpon the extraordinary workes of omnipotency Who so knowes the frame of Heauen and earth shall not much be affected with the imperfect effects of fraile humanity but shall with no lesse rauishment of soule acknowledge the miraculous workes of the same Almighty hand Neither is the spirituall eiection worthy of any meaner intertainment Raritie and difficultie are wont to cause wonder There are many things which haue wonder in their worth and leese it in their frequence there are some which haue it in their strangenesse and leese it in their facilitie Both meet in this To see men haunted yea possessed with a dumbe Deuill is so frequent that it is a iust wonder to finde a man free but to finde the dumbe spirit cast out of a man and to heare him praising God confessing his sinnes teaching others the sweet experiments of mercy deserues iust admiration If the Cynick sought in the market for a man amongst men well may we seeke amongst men for a conuert Neither is the difficulty lesse then the rarenesse The strong man hath the possession all passages are blockt vp all helpes barred by the trechery of our nature If any soule be rescued from these spirituall wickednesses it is the praise of him that doth wonders alone But whom doe I see wondring The multiude The vnlearned beholders follow that act with wonder which the learned Scribes entertaine with obloquy God hath reuealed those things to babes which he hath hid from the wise and prudent With what scorne did those great Rabbins speake of these sonnes of the earth This
people that knowes not the Law is accursed Yet the mercie of God makes an aduantage of their simplicity in that they are therefore lesse subiect to cauillation and incredulitie as contrarily his iustice causes the proud knowledge of the other to lie as a blocke in their way to the ready assent vnto the diuine power of the Messias Let the pride of glorious aduersaries disdaine the pouerty of the clients of the Gospell it shall not repent vs to goe to heauen with the vulgar whiles their great ones goe in state to perdition The multitude wondered Who censured but Scribes great Doctors of the Law of the diuinity of the Iewes What Scribes but those of Ierusalem the most eminent Academie of Iudea These were the men who out of their deepe reputed iudgment cast these foule aspersions vpon Christ Great wits oft-times mis-lead both the owners and followers How many shall once wish they had beene borne dullards yea idiots when they shal find their wit to haue barred them out of heauen Where is the Scribe where is the disputer of this world Hath not God made the wisdome of the world foolishnesse Say the world what it will a dram of holinesse is worth a pound of wit Let others censure with the Scribes let me wonder with the multitude What could malice say worse Hee casteth out Deuills through Beelzebub the Prince of Deuils The Iewes well knew that the Gods of the heathen were no other then Deuills Amongst whom for that the Lord of Flies so called whether for the concourse of flies to the abundance of his sacrifices or for his ayde implored against the infestation of those swarmes was held the chiefe therefore they stile him The Prince of Deuills There is a subordination of spirits some hier in degree some inferiour to others Our Sauiour himselfe tells vs of the Deuill and his Angels Messengers are inferiour to those that send them The seuen Deuills that entered into the swept and garnished house were worse then the former Neither can Principalities and Powers and Gouernours and Princes of the darkenesse of this World designe other then seuerall rankes of euill Angels There can be no beeing without some kinde of order there can bee no order in paritie If wee looke vp into heauen there is The King of Gods The Lord of Lords hier then the hiest If to the earth There are Monarchs Kings Princes Peeres people If wee looke downe to hell There is the Prince of Deuills They labour for confusion that call for parity What should the Church doe with such a forme as is not exemplified in heauen in earth in hell One deuill according to their supposition may be vsed to cast out another How far the command of one spirit ouer another may extend it is a sector of internall state too deepe for the inquiry of men The thing it selfe is apparent vpon compact and precontracted composition one giues way to other for the common aduantage As we see in the Common-wealth of Cheaters and Gut-purses one doth the fact another is seed to bring it out and to procure restitution both are of the trade both conspire to the fraud the actor falls not out with the reuealer but diuides with him that cunning spoile One malicious miscreant sets the Deuill on worke to the inflicting of disease or death another vpon agreement for a further spirituall gaine takes him off There is a Deuill in both And if there seeme more bodily fauour there is no lesse spirituall danger in the latter In the one Satan wins the agent the suitor in the other It will bee no cause of discord in hell that one deuill giues ease to the body which another tormented that both may triumph in the gaine of a soule O God that any creature which beares thine Image should not abhorre to bee beholden to the powers of hell for aid for aduice Is it not because there is not a God in Israel that men goe to inquire of the God of Ekron Can men bee so sottish to thinke that the vowed enemie of their soules can offer them a bait without an hooke What euill is there in the City which the Lord hath not done what is there which he cannot as easily redresse He wounds he heales againe And if he will not it is the Lord let him doe what seemes good in his eies If he doe not deliuer vs he will crowne our faithfulnesse in a patient perseuerance The wounds of a God no better then the salues of Satan Was it possible that the wit of Enuy could deuise so hie a slander Beelzebub was a God of the heathen therefore herein they accuse him for an Idolater Beelzebub was a Deuill to the Iewes therefore they accuse him for a coniurer Beelzebub was the chiefe of Deuils therefore they accuse him for an Archexorcist for the worst kind of Magician Some professors of this blacke Art though their worke be deuillish yet they pretend to doe it in the name of Iesus and will presumptuously seeme to do that by command which is secretly transacted by agreement the Scribes accuse Christ of a direct compact with the Deuill and suppose both a league and familiarity which by the law of Moses in the very hand of Saul was no other then deadly Yea so deepe doth this wound reach that our Sauiour searching it to the bottome findes no lesse in it then the sinne against the Holy Ghost inferring hereupon that dreadfull sentence of the irremissiblenesse of that sinne vnto death And if this horrible crimination were cast vpon thee O Sauiour in whom the Prince of this world found nothing what wonder is it if wee thy sinfull seruants bee branded on all sides with euill tongues Yea which is yet more how plaine is it that these men forced their tongue to speake this slander against their owne heart Else this blasphemie had beene onely against the sonne of man not against the holy Ghost but now that the searcher of hearts finds it to bee no lesse then against the blessed Spirit of God the spight must needs be obstinate their malice doth wilfully crosse their conscience Enuie neuer regards how true but how mischieuous So it may gall or kill it cares little whether with truth or falshood For vs Blessed are we when men reuile vs and say all manner of euill of vs for the name of Christ For them What reward shall be giuen to thee thou false tongue Euen sharpe arrowes with hot burning coles Yea those very coles of hell from which thou wert enkindled There was yet a third sort that went a mid way betwixt wonder and censure These were not so malicious as to impute the miracle to a Satanicall operation they confesse it good but not enough and therefore vrge Christ to a further proofe Though thou hast cast out this dumbe Deuill yet this is no sufficient argument of thy diuine power We haue yet seene nothing from thee like those ancient miracles of the times of our
should not import enough since others haue beene honoured by this name in Type he addes for full distinction The Sonne of the most High God The good Syrophenecian and blind Bartemeus could say The Sonne of Dauid It was well to acknowledge the true descent of his pedigree according to the flesh but this infernall spirit lookes aloft and fetcheth his line out of the highest heauens The Sonne of the most high God The famous confession of the prime Apostle which honoured him with a new name to immortalitie was no other then Thou art the Christ the Sonne of the liuing God and what other doe I heare from the lips of a fiend None more diuine words could fall from the highest Saint Nothing hinders but that the veriest miscreant on earth yea the foulest Deuill in Hell may speake holily It is no passing of iudgement vpon loose sentences So Peter should haue been cast for a Satan in denying forswearing cursing and the Deuill should haue beene set vp for a Saint in confessing Iesus the Sonne of the most high God Fond hypocrite that pleasest thy selfe in talking well heare this Deuil and when thou canst speake better then he looke to fare better but in the meane time know that a smooth tongue and a foule heart caries away double iudgements Let curious heads dispute whether the Deuill knew Christ to bee God In this I dare beleeue himselfe though in nothing else he knew what hee beleeued what hee beleeued what he confessed Iesus the Sonne of the most high God To the confusion of those semi-Christians that haue either held doubtfully or ignorantly mis-knowne or blasphemously denied what the very Deuils haue professed How little can a bare speculation auaile vs in these cases of Diuinitie So farre this Deuill hath attained to no ease no comfort Knowledge alone doth but puffe vp it is our loue that edifies If there be not a sense of our sure interest in this Iesus a power to apply his merits and obedience we are no wâ—â—t the safer no whit the better onely we are so much the wiser to vnderstand who shall condemne vs. The piece of the clause was spoken like a Saint Iesus the Sonne of the most high God the other piece like a Deuill What haue I to doe with thee If the disclamation were vniuersall the latter words would impugne the former for whiles hee confesses Iesus to be the Sonne of the most high God hee withall confesses his owne ineuitable subiection Wherefore would he beseech if he were not obnoxious He cannot hee dare not say What hast thou to doe with me but What haue I to doe with thee Others indeed I haue vexed thee I feare in respect then of any violence of any personall prouocation What haue I to doe with thee And doest thou aske O thou euill spirit what thou hast to doe with Christ whiles thou vexest a seruant of Christ Hast thou thy name from knowledge and yet so mistakest him whom thou confessest as if nothing could be done to him but what immediately concernes his owne person Heare that great and iust Iudge sentencing vpon his dreadfull Tribunall In as much as thou didst it vnto one of these little ones thou didst it vnto me It is an idle misprision to seuer the sense of an iniury done to any of the members from the head Hee that had humilitie enough to kneele to the Son of God hath boldnesse enough to expostulate Art thou come to torment vs before our time Whether it were that Satan who vseth to enioy the torment of sinners whose musick it is to heare our shrieks and gnashings held it no small piece of his torment to bee restrained in the exercise of his tyrannie Or whether the very presence of Christ were his racke For the guilty spirit proiecteth terrible things and cannot behold the Iudge or the executioner without a renouation of horror Or whether that as himselfe professeth he were now in a fearfull expectation of being commanded downe into the deepe for a further degree of actuall torment which he thus deprecates There are tortures appointed to the very spirituall natures of euill Angels Men that are led by sense haue easily granted the body subiect to torment who yet haue not so readily conceiued this incident to a spirituall substance The holy Ghost hath not thought it fit to acquaint vs with the particular manner of these inuisible acts rather willing that wee should herein feare then enquire but as all matters of faith though they cannot be proued by reason for that they are in an higher sphere yet afford an answer able to stop the mouth of al reason that dares bark against them since truth cannot be opposite to it selfe so this of the sufferings of spirits There is therefore both an intentionall torment incident to spirits and a reall For as in blessednes the good spirits find themselues ioined vnto the chiefe good and herevpon feele a perfect loue of God and vnspeakable ioy in him and rest in themselues so contrarily the euill spirits perceiue themselues eternally excluded from the presence of God and see themselues setled in a wofull darknesse and from the sense of this separation arises an horrour not to be expressed not to be conceiued How many men haue wee knowne to torment themselues with their owne thoughts There needs no other gibbet then that which their troubled spirit hath erected in their owne heart and if some paines begin at the body and from thence afflict the soule in a copartnership of griefe yet others arise immediately from the soule and draw the body into a participation of misery Why may we not therefore conceiue meere and separate spirits capable of such an inward excruciation Besides which I heare the Iudge of men and Angels say Goe yee cursed into euerlasting fire prepared for the Deuill and his Angels I heare the Prophet say Tophet is prepared of old If with feare and without curiositie wee may looke vpon those flames Why may we not attribute a spirituall nature to that more then naturall fire In the end of the world the elements shall be dissolued by fire and if the pure quintessentiall matter of the skie and the element of fire it selfe shall be dissolued by fire then that last fire shall be of another nature then that which it consumeth what hinders then but that the omnipotent God hath from eternitie created a fire of another nature proportionable euen to spirituall essences Or why may wee not distinguish of fire as it is it selfe a bodily creature and as it is an instrument of Gods iustice so working not by any materiall vertue or power of it owne but by a certain height of supernaturall efficacie to which it is exalted by the omnipotence of that supreme and righteous Iudge Or lastly why may wee not conceiue that though spirits haue nothing materiall in their nature which that fire should worke vpon yet by the iudgement of the almightie Arbiter of the world iustly
willing their torment they may be made most sensible of paine and by the obedible submission of their created nature wrought vpon immediately by their appointed tortures Besides the very horrour which ariseth from the place whereto they are euerlastingly confined For if the incorporeall spirits of liuing men may bee held in a loathed or painfull body and conceiue sorrow to bee so imprisoned Why may wee not as easily yeeld that the euill spirits of Angels or men may be held in those direfull flames and much more abhorre therein to continue for euer Tremble rather O my soule at the thought of this wofull condition of the euill Angels who for one onely act of Apostasie from God are thus perpetually tormented whereas we sinfull wretches multiply many and presumptuous offences against the Maiestie of our God And withall admire and magnifie that infinite mercy to the miserable generation of man which after this holy seueritie of iustice to the reuolted Angels so graciously forbeares our hainous iniquities and both suffers vs to be free for the time from these hellish torments and giues vs opportunitie of a perfect freedome from them for euer Praise the Lord O my soule and all that is within me praise his holy Name who for giueth all thy sinnes and healeth all thine infirmities Who redeemeth thy life from destruction and crowneth thee with mercy and compassions There is no time wherein the euill spirits are not tormented there is a time wherein they expect to be tormented yet more Art thou come to torment vs before our time They knew that the last Assises are the prefixed terme of their full execution which they also vnderstood to be not yet come For though they knew not when the Day of Iudgement should be a point concealed from the glorious Angels of heauen yet they knew when it should not be and therefore they say Before the time Euen the very euill spirits confesse and fearfully attend a set day of vniuersall Sessions They beleeue lesse then Deuils that either doubt of or deny that day of finall retribution Oh the wonderfull mercy of our God that both to wicked men and spirits respites the vtmost of their torment He might vpon the first instant of the fall of Angels haue inflicted on them the highest extremitie of his vengeance Hee might vpon the first sinnes of our youth yea of our nature haue swept vs away and giuen vs our portion in that fierie lake he stayes a time for both Though with this difference of mercy to vs men that here not onely is a delay but may be an vtter preuention of punishment which to the euill spirits is altogether impossible They doe suffer they must suffer and though they haue now deserued to suffer all they must yet they must once suffer more then they doe Yet so doth this euill spirit expostulate that he sues I beseech thee torment mee not The world is well changed since Satans first onset vpon Christ Then hee could say If thou be the Sonne of God now Iesus the Sonne of the most high God then All these will I giue thee if thou wilt fall downe and worship me now I beseech thee torment mee not The same power when hee lists can change the note of the Tempter to vs How happy are wee that haue such a Redeemer as can command the Deuils to their chaines Oh consider this ye lawlesse sinners that haue said Let vs breake his bonds and cast his cords from vs How euer the Almighty suffers you for a iudgement to haue free scope to euill and ye can now impotently resist the reuealed will of your Creator yet the time shall come when yee shall see the very masters whom ye haue serued the powers of darknesse vnable to auoid the reuenges of God How much lesse shall man striue with his Maker man whose breath is in his nostrils whose house is clay whose foundation is the dust Nature teaches euery creature to wish a freedome from paine the foulest spirits cannot but loue themselues and this loue must needs produce a deprecation of euill Yet what a thing is this to heare the deuill at his prayers I beseech thee torment me not Deuotion is not guilty of this but feare There is no grace in the suit of Deuils but nature no respect of glory to their Creator but their owne ease They cannot pray against sinne but against torment for sinne What newes is it now to heare the profanest mouth in extremitie imploring the Sacred Name of God when the Deuils doe so The worst of all creatures hates punishment and can say Lead me not into paine onely the good heart can say Leade mee not into temptation If wee can as heartily pray against sinne for the auoiding of displeasure as against punishment when wee haue displeased there is true grace in the soule Indeed if wee could feruently pray against sinne we should not need to pray against punishment which is no other then the inseparable shadow of that bodie but if we haue not laboured against our sins in vaine doe wee pray against punishment God must be iust and the wages of sinne is death It pleased our holy Sauiour not onely to let fall words of command vpon this spirit but to interchange some speeches with him All Christs actions are not for example It was the errour of our Grand-mother to hold chat with Satan That God who knowes the craft of that old Serpent and our weake simplicitie hath charged vs not to enquire of an euill spirit surely if the Disciples returning to Iacobs Well wondred to see Christ talke with a woman well may wee wonder to see him talking with an vncleane Spirit Let it be no presumption O Sauiour to aske vpon what grounds thou didst this wherein wee may not follow thee Wee know that sinne was excepted in thy conformitie of thy selfe to vs wee know there was no guile found in thy mouth no possibilitie of taint in thy nature in thine actions Neither is it hard to conceiue how the same thing may bee done by thee without sinne which wee cannot but sinne in doing There is a vast difference in the intention in the Agent For on the one side thou didst not aske the name of the spirit as one that knew not and would learne by inquiring but that by the confession of that mischiefe which thou pleasedst to suffer the grace of the cure might bee the more conspicuous the more glorious so on the other God and man might doe that safely which meere man cannot doe without danger thou mightest touch the leprosie and not be legally vncleane because thou touchedst it to heale it didst not touch it with possibility of infection So mightest thou who by reason of the perfection of thy diuine nature wert vncapable of any staine by the interlocution with Satan safely conferre with him whom corrupt man pre-disposed to the danger of such a parle may not meddle with without sinne because not without perill It is
forth their hands to wickednesse No man will put his hand into a fiery crucible to fetch gold thence because hee knowes it will burne him Did wee as truely beleeue the euerlasting burning of that infernall fire we durst not offer to fetch pleasures or profits out of the midst of those flames This degree of torment they grant in Christs power to command they knew his power vnresistible had hee therefore but said Backe to hell whence hee came they could no more haue staid vpon earth then they can now climbe into heauen O the wonderfull dispensation of the Almighty who though hee could command all the euill spirits downe to their dungeons in an instant so as they should haue no more opportunity of temptation yet thinkes fit to retaine them vpon earth It is not out of weaknesse or improuidence of that diuine hand that wicked spirits tyrannize here vpon earth but out of the most wise and most holy ordination of God who knowes how to turne euill into good how to fetch good out of euill and by the worst instruments to bring about his most iust decrees Oh that wee could adore that awfull and infinite power and cheerefully cast our selues vpon that prouidence which keepes the Keyes euen of hell it selfe and either lets out or returnes the Deuils to their places Their other suit hath some maruell in mouing it more in the grant That they might be suffered to enter into the Herd of Swine It was their ambition of some mischiefe that brought forth this desire that since they might not vexe the body of man they might yet afflict men in their goods The malice of these enuious spirits reacheth from vs to ours It is sore against their wils if wee be not euery way miserable if the Swine were legally vncleane for the vse of the table yet they were naturally good Had not Satan knowne them vsefull for man he had neuer desired their ruine But as Fencers will seeme to fetch a blow at the legge when they intend it at the head so doth this Deuill whiles he driues at the Swine hee aimes at the soules of these Gadarens by this meanes he hoped well and his hope was not vaine to worke in these Gergesens a discontentment at Christ an vnwillingnesse to entertaine him a desire of his absence he meant to turne them into Swine by the losse of their Swine It was not the rafters or stones of the house of Iobs children that hee bore the grudge to but to the owners nor to the liues of the children so much as the soule of their father There is no affliction wherein hee doth not strike at the heart which whiles it holds free all other dammages are light but a wounded spirit whether with sinne or sorrow who can beare What euer becomes of goods or limmes happy are wee if like wise souldiers we guard the vitall parts whiles the soule is kept sound from impatience from distrust our enemy may afflict vs he cannot hurt vs. They sue for a sufferance not daring other then to grant that without the permission of Christ they could not hurt a very swine If it be fearfull to thinke how great things euill spirits can doe with permission it is comfortable to thinke how nothing they can doe without permission Wee know they want not malice to destroy the whole frame of Gods worke but of all man of all men Christians but if without leaue they cannot set vpon an hogge what can they doe to the liuing Images of their Creator They cannot offer vs so much as a suggestion without the permission of our Sauiour And can hee that would giue his owne most precious blood for vs to saue vs from euill wilfully giue vs ouer to euill It is no newes that wicked spirits wish to doe mischiefe it is newes that they are allowed it If the owner of all things should stand vpon his absolute command who can challenge him for what hee thinkes fit to doe with his creature The first Fole of the Asse is commanded vnder the law to haue his necke broken what is that to vs The creatures doe that they were made for if they may serue any way to the glory of their Maker But seldome euer doth God leaue his actions vnfurnished with such reasons as our weaknesse may reach vnto There were sects amongst these Iewes that denied spirits they could not bee more euidently more powerfully conuinced then by this euent Now shall the Gadarens see from what a multitude of deuils they were deliuered and how easie it had beene for the same power to haue allowed those spirits to seize vpon their persons as well as their Swine Neither did God this without a iust purpose of their castigation His iudgements are righteous where they are most secret though wee cannot accuse these inhabitants of ought yet hee could and thought good thus to mulct them And if they had not wanted grace to acknowledge it it was no small fauour of God that hee would punish them in their Swine for that which hee might haue auenged vpon their bodies and soules Our goods are furthest off vs If but in these we smart wee must confesse to finde mercy Sometimes it pleaseth God to grant the suits of wicked men and spirits in no fauour to the suitors He grants an ill suit and withholds a good He grants an ill suit in iudgement and holds backe a good one in mercy The Israelites aske meat hee giues Quailes to their mouthes and leannesse to their soules The chosen vessell wishes Satan taken taken off and heares onely My grace is sufficient for thee Wee may not euermore measure fauour by condescent These Deuils doubtlesse receiue more punishment for that harmefull act wherein they are heard If wee aske what is either vnfit to receiue or vnlawfull to begge it is a great fauour of our God to bee denied Those spirits which would goe into the Swine by permission goe out of the man by command they had stayed long and are eiected suddenly The immediate works of God are perfect in an instant and doe not require the aide of time for their maturation No sooner are they cast out of the man then they are in the Swine They will leese no time but passe without intermission from one mischiefe to another If they hold it a paine not to be doing or of euill Why is not our delight to bee euer doing good The impetuousnesse was no lesse then the speed The Herd was caried with violence from a steepe downe place into the lake and was choaked It is no small force that could doe this but if the Swine had beene so many mountaines these spirits upon Gods permission had thus transported them How easily can they carie those soules which are vnder their power to destruction Vncleane beasts that wallow in the mire of sensualitie brutish drunkards transforming themselues by excesse euen they are the Swine whom the Legion caries headlong to the pit of perdition The
then thy fathers and thou shalt liue to honour him Toile and sorrow haue lulled the Prophet asleepe vnder his Iuniper tree that wholesome shade was well chosen for his repose whiles death was called for the cozen of death comes vnbidden The Angell of God waits on him in that hard lodging no wildernesse is too solitarie for the attendance of those blessed spirits As hee is guarded so is hee awaked by that Messenger of God and stirred vp from his rest to his repast whiles hee slept his breakfast is made ready for him by those spirituall hands There was a cake baked on the coales and a cruse of water at his head Oh the neuer-ceasing care and prouidence of the Almigâ—tie not to bee barred by any place by any condition when meanes are wanting to to vs when we are wanting to our selues when to God euen then doth hee follow vs with his mercy and cast fauours vpon vs beyond against expectation What varietie of purueyance doth he make for his seruant One while the Rauens then the Sareptan now the Angell shall be his Cator none of them without a miracle Those other prouided for him waking this sleeping O God the eye of thy prouidence is not dimmer the hand of thy power is not shorter onely teach thou vs to serue thee to trust thee Needs must the Prophet eate and drinke and sleepe with much comfort whiles hee saw that hee had such a guardian attendant purueiour and now the second time is he raised by that happy touch to his meale and his way Arise and eate because the iourney is too great for thee What needed hee to trauell further sith that diuine power could as well protect him in the Wildernesse as in Horeb What needed hee to eate since hee that meant to sustaine him forty dayes with one meale might as well haue sustained him without it God is a most free Agent neither will be tied to the termes of humane regularities It is enough that hee knowes and approues the reasons of his owne choice and commands once in forty dayes and nights shall Elijah eate to teach vs what God can doe with little meanes and but once to teach vs what hee can doe without meanes Once shall the Prophet eate Man liues by bread and but once Man liues not by bread onely but by euery word that proceeds out of the mouth of God Moses Elijah our Sauiour fasted each of them forty daies and forty nights the three great fasters met gloriously in Tabor I finde not where God euer honoured any man for feasting It is abstinence not fulnesse that makes a man capable of heauenly visions of diuine glory The iourney was not of it selfe so long the Prophet tooke those wayes those houres which his heart gaue him In the very same Mount where Moses first saw God shall Elijah see him one and the same caue as is very probable was the receptacle to both It could not bee but a great confirmation of Elijah to renue the sight of those sensible monuments of Gods fauour and protection to his faithfull predecessor Moses came to see God in the Bush of Horeb God came to finde Elijah in the Caue of Horeb What doest thou here Elijah The place was directed by a prouidence not by a command Hee is hid sure enough from Iezebel hee cannot bee hid from the all-seeing eye of God Whither shall I goe from thy Spirit or Whither shall I fly from thy presence If I ascend vp into Heauen thou art there if I make my bed in Hell behold thou art there If I take the wings of the morning and dwell in the vttermost parts of the Sea euen there shall thine hand finde me and thy right hand shall hold mee Twice hath God propounded the same question to Eljiah Once in the heart once in the mouth of the Caue Twice doth the Prophet answer in the same words Had the first answer satisfied the question had not beene re-demanded Now that sullen answer which Elijah gaue in the darknesse of the Caue is challenged into the Light not without an awfull preface The Lord first passeth by him with the terrible demonstrations of his power A great strong wind rent the Mountaines and brake the Rocks in pieces That tearing blast was from God God was not in it So was hee in it as in his other extraordinarie workes not so in it as by it to impart himselfe to Elijah it was the vshier not the cariage of God After the winde came an Earthquake more fearfull then it That did but moue the aire this the earth that beat vpon some prominences of earth this shooke it from the Center After the earth-quake came a fire more fearfull them either The other affected the eare the feeling but this lets in horrour into the Soule by the eye the quickest and most apprehensiue of the senses Elijah shall see Gods mighty power in the earth aire fire before hee heare him in the soft voice all these are but boistrous harbingers of a meeke and still word In that God was Behold in that gentle and mild breath there was omnipotency there was but powerfulnesse in those fierce representations There is not alwaies the greatest efficacie where is the greatest noise God loues to make way for himselfe by terrour but he conuayes himselfe to vs in sweetnesse It is happy for vs if after the gusts and flashes of the Law wee haue heard the soft voice of Euangelicall mercy In this very mount with the same horror God had deliuered his Law to Moses and Israel It is no maruell if Elijah wrap his face in his Mantle His obedience drawes him forth to the mouth of the Caue his feare still hides his head Had there not beene much courage in the Prophets faith hee had not stood out these affrightfull fore-runners of the diuine presence though with his face couered The very Angels doe no lesse before that all-glorious Maiestie then vaile themselues with their wings Farre be it from vs once to thinke of that infinite and omnipotent Deitie without an humble awfulnesse Feare changes not the tenour of Elijahs answer Hee hath not left one word behinde him in the Caue I haue beene very iealous for the Lord God of Hosts because the children of Israel haue forsaken thy Couenant throwne downe thine Altars and slaine thy Prophets with the sword and I euen I onely am left and they seeke my life to take it away I heare not a direct answer from the Prophet to the demand of God then hee had said I runne away from the threats of Iezebel and here I hide my head from her malicious pursuit His guiltinesse would not let him speake out all Hee had rather say I haue beene iealous for the Lord God of Hosts then I was fearfull of Iezebel Wee are all willing to make the best of our owne case but what hee wants of his owne accusation hee spends vpon the complaint of Israel Neither doth he more bemone
courses are quite contrary to the Commandements of God Vpon the act done God passed the sentence of restraining Moses with the rest from the promised Land Now he performes it Since that time Moses had many fauors from God All which could not reuerse this decreed castigation That euerlasting rule is grounded vpon the very essence of God I am Iehouah I change not Our purposes are as our selues fickle and incertaine His are certaine and immutable some things which he reueales he alters nothing that he hath decreed Besides the soule of Moses to the glory whereof God principally intended this change I finde him carefull of two things His Successor and his Body Moses moues for the one the other God doth vnasked He that was so tender ouer the welfare of Israel in his life would not staken his care in death He takes no thought for himselfe for hee knew how gainfull an exchange he must make All his care is for his charge Some enuious natures desire to be missed when they must goe and wish that the weakenesse or want of a successor may be the foyle of their memory and honour Moses is in a contrary disposition It sufficeth him not to find contentment in his owne happinesse vnlesse hee may haue an assurance that Israel shall prosper after him Carnall minds are all for themselues and make vse of gouernment onely for their owne aduantages But good hearts looke euer to the future good of the Church aboue their owne against their owne Moses did well to shew his good affection to his people but in his silence God would haue prouided for his owne He that called him from the sheepe of Iethro will not want a gouernour for his chosen to succeed him God hath fitted him whom he will choose Who can be more meet then he whose name whose experience whose graces might supply yea reuiue Moses to the people He that searched the Land before was fittest to guide Israel into it Hee that was indued with the Spirit of God was the fittest deputy for God He that abode still in the Tabernacle of Ohel-moed as Gods attendant was fittest to bee sent forth from him as his Lieutenant But oh the vnsearchable counsell of the Almighty Aged Caleb and all the Princes of Israel are past ouer and Ioshua the seruant of Moses is chosen to succeed his master The eye of God is not blinded either with gifts or with blood or with beauty or with strength but as in his eternall elections so in his temporary hee will haue mercy on whom he will And well doth Ioshua succeed Moses The very acts of God of old were allegories where the Law ends there the Sauiour begins we may see the Land of Promise in the Law Onely Iesus the Mediator of the New Testament can bring vs into it So was he a seruant of the Law that hee supplies all the defects of the Law to vs Hee hath taken possession of the promised Land for vs he shall cary vs from this Wildernesse to our rest It is no small happinesse to any state when their gouernours are chosen by worthinesse and such elections are euer from God whereas the intrusions of bribery and iniust fauour or violence as they make the Common-wealth miserable so they come from him which is the author of confusion Woe be to that state that suffers it woe be to that person that workes it for both of them haue sold themselues the one to seruitude the other to sinne I doe not heare Moses repine at Gods choyce and grudge that this Scepter of his is not hereditarie but he willingly layes hands vpon his seruant to consecrate him for his successor Ioshua was a good man yet he had some sparkes of Enuy for when Eldad and Medad prophesied he stomakt it My Lord Moses forbid them Hee that would not abide two of the Elders of Israel to prophecie how would hee haue allowed his seruant to sit in his throne What an example of meekenesse besides all the rest doth he here see in this last act of his master who without all murmuring resignes his chaire of State to his Page It is all one to a gracious heart whom God will please to aduance Emulation and discontentment are the affections of carnall mindes Humility goes euer with regeneration which teaches a man to thinke what euer honor be put vpon others I haue more then I am worthy of The same God that by the hands of his Angels caried vp the soule of Moses to his glory doth also by the hand of his Angels cary his body down into the velley of Moab to his sepulture Those hands which had taken the Law from him those eyes that had seene his presence those lips that had conferred so oft with him that face that did so shine with the beames of his glory may not be neglected when the soule is gone He that tooke charge of his birth and preseruation in the Reedes takes charge of his cariage out of the world The care of God ceaseth not ouer his owne either in death or after it How iustly do we take care of the comely burials of our friends when God himselfe giues vs this example If the ministery of man had beene vsed in this graue of Moses the place might haue been knowne to the Israelites but God purposely conceales this treasure both from Men and Deuils that so he might both crosse their curiosity and preuent their superstition If God had loued the adoration of his seruant relikes he could neuer haue had a fitter opportunity for this deuotion then in the body of Moses It is folly to place Religion in those things which God hides on purpose from vs It is not the property of the Almighty to restraine vs from good Yet that diuine hand which lockt vp this treasure and kept the key of it brought it forth afterwards glorious In the transfiguration this body which was hid in the valley of Moab appeared in the hill of Tabor that wee may know these bodies of ours are not lost but layd vp and shall as sure bee raised in glory as they are layd downe in corruption We know that when he shall appeare wee shall also appeare with him in Glory Contemplations THE EIGHTH BOOKE Rahab Jordan diuided The siege of Jericho Achan The Gibeonites BY IOS HALL D. of Diuinitie and Deane of WORCESTER TO THE TRVLY NOBLE AND WORTHILY HONOVRED GENTLEMAN MASTER ROBERT HAY ONE OF THE ATTENDANTS OF HIS MAIESTIES BED-CHAMBER A SINCERE FRIEND OF VERTVE AND LOVER OF LEARNING J. H. WITH APPRECATION OF ALL HAPPINESSE DEDICATES THIS PART OF HIS MEDITATIONS Contemplations THE EIGHTH BOOKE Of RAHAB IOshua was one of those twelue searchers which were sent to view the Land of Canaan yet now he addresses two Spyes for a more particular Suruey Those twelue were onely to enquire of the generall condition of the people and Land these two finde out the best entrance into the next part of the Countrey and into their
greatest Citie Ioshua himselfe was full of Gods Spirit and had the Oracle of God ready for his direction yet now he goes not to the Propitiatorie for consultation but to the Spyes Except where ordinary means faile vs it is no appealing the immediate helpe of GOD we may not seeke to the posterne but where the common gate is shut It was promised Ioshua that he should leade Israel into the promised Land yet he knew it was vnsafe to presume The condition of his prouident care was included in that assurance of successe Heauen is promised to vs but not to our carelesnesse infidelitie disobedience He that hath set this blessed Inheritance before vs presupposes our wisdome faith holinesse Either force or policy are fit to be vsed vnto Canaanites He that would be happy in this spirituall warfare must know where the strength of his enemy lyeth and must frame his guard according to the others assault It is a great aduantage to a Christian to know the fashion of Satans onsets that he may the more easily compose himselfe to resist Many a soule hath miscaried through the ignorance of his enemy which had not perished if it had well knowne that the weaknesse of Satan stands in our faith The Spyes can finde no other lodging but Rahabs house Shee was a victualler by profession and as those persons and trades by reason of the commonnesse of entertainment were amongst the Iewes infamous by name and note shee was Rahab the Harlot I will not thinke she professed filthinesse onely her publike trade through the corruption of those times hath cast vpon her this name of reproach yea rather will I admire her faith then make excuses for her calling How many women in Israel now Miriam was dead haue giuen such proofes of their knowledge and faith How noble is that confession which she makes of the power and truth of God Yea I see here not onely a Disciple of God but a Prophetesse Or if she had once been publike as her house was now 〈…〉 worthy Coâ—â—t and so approued her selfe for honest and wise behauiour that she is â—â—ought wâ—â—hy to bee the great Grandmother of Dauids Father and â—e holy Line of the Messias is not ashamed to admit her into 〈◊〉 happy Pedegreeâ—â—he mercy of our God doth not measure vs by what wâ— were It would be wide with the best of vs if the eye of God should looke backward to our former estate there â—e should see Abraham an Idolater Paul a Persecuâ—â— Manasses a Necromancer Mary Magdalen a Curtizan and the best vile enough to be ashamed of himselfe Who can despaire of mercy that sees euen Rahab fetcht into the blood of Israel and line of Christ If Rahab had not receiued these Spies but as vnknowne passengers with respect to their money and not to their errand it had been no praise for in such cases the thanke is rather to the ghest then to the Oast but now she knew their purpose she knew that the harbor of them was the danger of her owne life and yet shee hazards this entertainment Either faith or friendship are neuer tried but in extremities To shew countenance to the messengers of God whiles the publike face of the State smiles vpon them is but a courtesie of course but to hide out owne liues in theirs when they are persecuted is an act that lookes for a reward These times need not fauour wee know not what may come Alas how likely is it they would shelter them in danger which respect them not in prosperity All intelligences of State come first to the Court It most concernes Princes to harken after the affaires of each other If this poore Inholder knew of the Sea dried vp before Israel and of the discomfiture of Og and Sehon Surely this rumour was stale with the King of Iericho he had heard it and feared and yet in stead of sending Ambassadors for peace hee sends Pursuiâ—nts for the Spyes The spirit of Rahab 〈◊〉 with that same report wherewith the King of Iericho was hardâ—ed all make not and vse of the messages of the proceedings of God The King sends to tell her what she knew shee had not hid them if shee had not knowne their errand I know not whether first to wonder at the gracious prouision of God for the Spies or at the strong faith which hee hath wrought in the heart of a weake woman two strangers Israelites Spies and noted for all these in a foraine in an hostile Land haue a safe harbour prouided them euen amongst their enemies In Iericho at the very Court gate against the Proclamation of a King against the indeuours of the people Where cannot the God of heauen either find or raise vp friends to his owne cause and seruants Who could haue hoped for such faith in Rahab which contemned her life for the present that she might saue it for the future neglected her owne King and Country for strangers which she neuer saw and more feared the destruction of that Citie before it knew that it had an aduersarie then the displeasure of her King in the mortall reuenge of that which he would haue accounted treacherie She brings them vp to the roofe of her house and hides them with stalkes of Flax That plant which was made to hide the body from nakednesse and shame now is vsed to hide the Spies from death Neuer could these stalkes haue been improued so well with all her houswifery after they were bruised as now before they were fitted to her wheele Of these shee hath wouen an euerlasting web both of life and propagation And now her tongue hides them no lesse then her hand her charitie was good her excuse was not good Euill may not be done that good may come of it we may doe any thing but sinne for promoting a good cause And if not in so maine occasions how shall God take it that weare not dainty of falshoods in trifles No man will looke that these Spies could take any sound sleepe in these beds of stalkes It is enough for them that they liue though they rest not And now when they heard Rahab comming vp the staires doubtlesse they looked for an executioner but behold she comes vp with a message better then their sleepe adding to their protection aduice for their future safety whereto she makes way by a faithfull report of Gods former wonders and the present disposition of her people and by wise capitulations for the life and security of her Family The newes of Gods miraculous proceedings for Israel haue made her resolue of their successe and the ruines of Iericho Then only doe we make a right vse of the workes of God when by his iudgements vpon others weare warned to auoid our owne He intends his acts for presidents of iustice The parents and brethren of Rahab take their rest They are not troubled with the feare and care of the successe of Israel but securely goe with the current of the present