separated from Christ if that might haue gained the conuertion of the Iewes his brethren But surely this care for the Church is now so rare that we may iustly complaine with the Apostle Phil. 2.21 All men seeke their owne no man that which is Iesus Christes How many are there that could well be content that Churches were turned to rubbish so as out of them they might builde them selues glorious houses that they might fatte the bodyes of their posteritie though with the staruing of thousand of soules But the time will not suffer me to dwell vpon this poynt The beautie of the Church generally considered is twofold the first is inward and that is perfect beautie of which Saint Paul speaketh in the first Chapter to the Ephesians Christ hath sanctified and clensed it by the washing of water through the worde that he might make it to himselfe a glorious Church not hauing spotte or blemish c. Of this beautie mention is made in the 45. Psalm The Kinges daughter is all glorious within And this is the beautie spoken of in the 16. of Ezechiel Thou wast perfect through my beautie that I had put vpon thee Also the Church saith Cant. 1. though externally shee seeme many times like the tentes of Kedar shee is in deede meaning inwardly like Salomons Tapistrie The other beautie of the Church is externall and this was figured by the glory of the Tabernacle first and of the Temple afterwarde where all those Ceremoniall ordinances were set out to the eye in most glorious show the Mercie-seate the Arke the Table with Shew-bread the Candlestickes with lightes the Lauer the siluer Trumpets the Alters for Incense and Sacrifices themselues the glorious garmentes of Aaron and such like by which thinges were then represented in figure that which afterward was really performed as the sacrifice righteousnesse and mediation of Christ the perpetuall vse of the ministerie in the Church for the preseruation of sound droctrine and administration of the Sacramentes the dayly vse of publique prayer with a perpetual conseruation of these orders by a godly religious gouernment This externall beautie among other places is most excellently set out in the 4. Chap. of Salomons song where the eyes of the Church signifying her knowledge in heauenly thinges are compared to Doues eyes fayre for their excellencie chaste for their puritie being not corrupted with vncleannesse of mens traditions her haire like a flocke of Goates on mount Gilead signifying the populous assemblies of the faythfull to the worship of God Her teeth like a flocke of Sheepe in good order comming from the washing euery one bringing twins meaning the Ministers and Pastors of the church likened to the teeth because they breake the bread of life to the Church orderly in the course of their ministerie washed in godlines of conuersation and fruitfull in winning soules vnto Christ Her lippes like a threed of Scarlet meaning thereby the publique profession of religion by the Church when the mouth confesseth vnto saluation speaking such things as may minister grace to the hearers Her neeke as the Tower of Dauid a thousand Shildes hanging in it meaning the gouernment of the Church by which those excellent thinges of the ministerie profession are supported and preserued in puritie And lastly her two breasts meaning thereby the sound doctrine of trueth gathered out of the two Testamentes the olde and the new But what shall we need to seeke further then this decree of Artashashte vnto which this thankesgiuing hath relation to vnderstand what is the adorning beautifying of the Church Wherein is first contained libertie for Gods people to professe true religion in his Church next gouernours stablished for the Church thirdly maintenance for the Church fourthly the sacrifices according to the law Then all ornaments for the ceremoniall worship and whatsoeuer by the commaundement of God ought to be established Freedome of taxation for the Priestes and Leuites A speciall commaundement for the teaching and instruction of the people So that nothing can be desired for the beautifying of the Church but is here either generally comprehended or particularly expressed And this is that that maketh the Church beautifull as Tirza faire as the Moone cleere as the Sunne and tirrible as an Armie with Banners when these holy orders are thus established This is that holy beautie of the publique assemblies mentioned in the 110. Psalme This is that beautie which Dauid calleth the beautie of the Lord Psal 27. where he sayth One thing haue I desired of the Lord that I will require euen that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the dayes of my life to behold the Beautie of the Lord and to visit the Temple For it was not the outward ornamentes of the Tabernacle that drew his affection but those things that were by them represented and figured So that the beautie of the Church is then most cleere and glorious when the reuerend Bishops gouerne carefully and preach faythfully who are therefore worthy of double honoure the Pastors vigilant to watch ouer their flocke teaching in season out of season Actes 20. publice et per singulas domos openly and through euery house When the Saboathes are sanctifyed with the morning and euening sacrifyce of prayer and preaching where the whole congregations as one man assemble to worship the Lord where the Sacramentes are duely ministred and the people prepared to them by Catechizing and exhortations so that holy thinges are not giuen to dogges and where a carefull gouernment keepes all these in good order Vnto all which the example of Christain Princes being added is as a rich iewell in the attire of Christes spouse when like Dauid they thinke it no disgrace themselues to entertaine the Lordes Arke to keepe his Sabaoths and frequent holy assemblies as to our great comfort we see at this day who in deed as they haue receiued most of God should be most forwarde to doe him seruice This giues honour to God comfort to his children encouragement to his ministers and iust disgrace to all contemners There are many otherwise affected touching this poynt of beautifying the Church as if these things before mentioned were not sufficient to adorne the same For the Schismaticall separation of the Brownists is so farre from beeing content heerewith that they accompt all christian congregations prophane Synagogues because they be not framed by the modell of their fancies Another sort vnder pretence of reformation would haue the dignities in the Church taken away spoyling her of all such endowmentes and patrimonies as haue been bestowed vpon her by deuout progenitors that they might sacriligiously diuide amongst them her spoyles as the Souldiers did the garments of Christ A third sort pretending the faire colour of quiet and contentment affirme that it would adde much to the beautie of the Church if a tolleration of a false worship of God were allowed then which nothing could more pollute the Sanctuarie of the Lord. Of
but a child of sixteene yeeres old began then to seeke the Lord God of his fathers Yea Cyrus in the first yeere of his kingdome at Babel hauing as Iosephus recordeth in his eleuenth Booke and fyrst Chapter of his Antiquities Read the prophesie of Esay made almost 200. yeere before of him that he should be the restorer of the Iewes in that fyrst yeere performed that famous worke of sending those Captiues home one giuing order for the building of the Temple But the famous and memorable example of our late Soueraine of all other cannot be forgotten but will euer be as sweete perfume in the house of God who â—…ing at the entrance into her kingdome the Church defaced the whole forme of Gods worship corrupted idolatrie practised the true preaching of Gods word banished groues and hill-alters in all places erected and maintained the Priest Sons of Aaron yet left aliue from the cruelty of that time remaining in banishment Her Maiestie in the very entraunce into her raigne against the liking of all her neighbour Princes some of them threatning her with sharpe Warre for the same and also contrary to the will of most of her counsell being at that time otherwise affected clensed the Temples called home her banished restored true Religion and established the Church in that state condition that the florishing thereof hath bin famous through the world holding with a most constant resolution aboue the wonted custome of that sexe the continuance thereof against all contrarie perswasions to her last end Which worke of her Maiestie how the Lord hath blessed the length and peace of her raigne and the flourishing of the Church with so many worthy and excellent men giues manifest demonstration Let vs then euery one looke vnto this dutie as the first stone and maine ground-worke of all our happinesse which being not layde all carthly glory will be but as a house built on the sand 2. Chr. 20.37 yea like Iehosaphats shyppes built at Ezion Gabar that brake in peeces when there was greatest expectatioÌ„ of their vses Gen. 11. Like the Tower of Babel that began in pride and ended in confusion The Lord heerein blesse and sanctific the heart of our Soueraine that as his Maiestie hath knowne the Scriptures of a child and bin brought vp as Samuel in the Temple of the Lord so his royall arme may still be strengthned in this glorious worke that he may be like the morning light which is cleerer and cleerer till it be perfect day Now if it be obiected that these poynts are needlesse to be handled saying as did Korah the Lords people are holy inough there is no need of these admonitions The wordes of the text will cleere this poynt Whosoeuer will not do the law of thy God c. So that it is not inough that the lawes of God be established or that they be professed but that they be religiously obeyed practised And the looking to this poynt is a speciall dutie of a christian Prince Soloculus mundi Princeps regni and very famous to this purpose is the example of good Iosia who made a couenant with the Lord both for himselfe in his owne practise and for his people whom he caused to stand to the couenant and compelled all that were found in Israel to serue the Lord their God And the present example of this Heathen Monarch also being recorded by the holy Ghost for vs vpon whom the ends of the world are come should be no smal prouocation to all persons professing christian religion to further the true practise of obedience to Gods law by all good meanes whatsoeuer What neede there is of this care and how behoouefull it is for vs to be stirred vp therto both by exhortations examples the great prophanenesse of this euill late age of the world prooueth too planely For although religion as was before remembred is happily established the Church hauing both reuerend Bishops worthy Teachers yet touching christian conuersation in the practise of Religion we may complaine as doth the Prophet Ieremy in the 8. Ier. 8. Chapter I harkened heard but none spake aright no man repented him of his wickednesse saying What haue I done euery one turneth to his race as the Horse rusheth into the battell yea that which the Prophet Hose speaketh in his 4. Chapter By swearing and lying stealing killing and whoring they breake out and blood toucheth blood The complaints may be alike for the â—â—mes are alike sounde doctâ—ine sicke manners good religion euill practise in our profession we say we will go worke in the Vineyard but in our practise neuer come there like the Figtree which Christ cursed full of leaues but no fruite like the Church of Sardis Apo. 3. haue a name that we liue but are dead Athismne hath preuayled mightily the diuill labouring not as heretofore onely to trouble the quiet of the Church he dooth nowe iugulum petere seeke to cut the throate of all Religion by bringing in a prophane scorne and contempt both of the ground and practise of all godlynesse and would to God the trueth of this were not so manifest that it should need tryall For prophaning the sacred name of God by horrible oathes is most common yea in that fearefull manner as if they would crucifie the Sonne of God a fresh Sacramentes not regarded Sabaothes not sanctified Prayer onely made a cerimonie and for vntemperate vncleane life we may againe complaine with the Prophet Hosea Hose 4. Exod. 8. Whoredom Wine and new Wine take away the hart yea all these so common and so many that they are as the Frogges of Egypt that came into the Kinges Chamber Besides all this ignorance in the common and meaner sort yea grosse ignoraunce so that it may truly be sayd with the Apostle in the fift to the Hebrewes Whereas concerning the time yee might haue been teachers you haue yet neede to be taught the principles of Religion and as babes to be fed with Milke A great cause of these mischieues is in the labourers for there is want of labourers and want in labourers many cannot labour many will not labour no though they haue large allowance of the Churche beeing worse then the Prophets in Ieremies time for they prophesied for money these haue money and prophesie not nay which is worse appoynt none to prophesie for them so as many great Congregations haue onely a blinde Guyde to watch ouer them Other like the Scribes and Pharisies sitting in Moses Chayre say and doe not like vnto Boate-men lookeing one way and rowing another Hereby it commeth to passe that religion hath been so little regarded Seminaries Schismatikes haue so preuayled for they haue mined and we haue not countermined but my Lord the King is wise as the Angell of God hee will both finde out and reforme these abuses in due time It folowes in the text and the Kings law Next vnto God Princes are
happines of them to our posteritie which if our sinnes do not hinder good things from vs shall no doubt be accomplished For now the two peeces of wood so long disioyned mentioned in the 37. of Ezech. wee also may say are made one in the hand of our Soueraigne Now is that made one in gouernment which Nature had made one in situation now the two brethren Ioab Abishai may helpe one another Nay which is more we are that threefold gable which being well twisted will not easily be broken and these are great causes of thankfulnesse Further in the person of our Soueraigne we haue as great cause to praise the Lord in that not onely his Maiestie indued with excellent morall vertues but a zelous embracer and professor of the trueth and sinceritie of the Gospell from which neither hopes feares or perswasions could euer remooue him but as God had ordained him to be so we doubt not but he euer will be a true and worthy defender of the Christian fayth And now lastly for the time will not serue me to repeate all causes of thankfulnes this goodnesse of God in the middest of so great iudgment to remember mercie and to stay the hand of his striking Angell that so lately hath executed the sentence of death vpon so many of our brethren both in the head Citie of this kingdome and in many other partes of this land they were all by Nature as good as wee bought with the same price and we haue no lesse offended God then they The staying then of this iudgement should mooue vs all to thankfulnes that our liues and the liues of our brethren that remaine are yet pretious in the eyes of the Lord neither can we yet be secure considering the fire of Gods displeasure is not so quenched but that we may feare a kindling againe of the same a fresh for the wrath of the Lord is not wholly turned away but his hand is stretched out still because the people returneth not to him that smiteth them neither doe they seeke the Lord so that we may iustly feare least for our vnthankefulnesse the seconde iudgement be greater then the former And herein the example of Ezechia would not be forgotten who hauing receiued great fauour from God did not render to the Lord againe according to the benefite so that wrath came vpon him 2. Chron. 32.25 The Lord sanctifie our harts that these thinges may be better remembred and regarded then they haue been and this longer time of repentance that the Lord hath giuen vs may be thankfully acknowledged and layde hold on to eternall life This thankesgiuing may be distributed into two partes To whom it is giuen and for what In the first we see what hath euer been the practise of the godly who when they haue receiued any great benefit haue neither their eyes like children alwayes fixed on the gyft nor like carnall men on the meanes by which it was giuen them but their fayth rayseth their considerations higher namely to the Lord from whom all good things do come Wherein they consider of Gods loue towards them which stirreth vp in them loue to him againe his hearing their prayers which doth animate them to pray Psal 116.1 and his trueth in his promises for the strengthening and encreasing of their fayth And hereof is it that Ezra calleth the Lord the God of our Fathers in regarde of his couenant made with them So as by this maner of speaking it appeares he lookes to the promise the Lord made with the Fathers for their returne from captiuitie the setting vp againe of his worship amongst them which in this edict of the King he saw so fully perâ—ited and accomplished And surely the consideration hereof is much worth and of holy edifying in our meditations of heaueÌ„ly things to confirme our assurance of Gods promises hereafter to be accomplished to vs by the experience of his faythfulnesse and goodnesse past as of preseruation in affliction strength for perseuerance the resurrection of our bodyes and whatsouer promises remaine yet accomplyshed But these thinges are so playne they neede no further enlarging It followes in the Text which hath so put in the Kinges hart Heere is the roote whence this benefite came next followes the benefite it selfe Pro. 21.1 The Kinges hart sayth Salomon is in the hand of the Lord as the riuers of water he turneth it whither soeuer it pleaseth him For if we can not thinke one good thought without the motion of Gods spirit much more are purposes of such great and wonderfull consequence as the beautifying of Gods house and furthering of his worshippe and seruice the speciall worke of God himselfe In which poynt I would note a double vse one for our selues that we knowing how many tentations Princes are subiect to by reason of these two great faculties of sinne wealth and authoritie should make it our continuall practise to pray for our Soueraigne Psal 72 1 Psal 20.1 that the Lord will giue him his iudgement and righteousnesse that the Lord will put in his Maiesties hart all good motions purposes and resolutions for the aduancement of his glory and good of his people and that his hart may neuer be corrupted either with pleasures or flatterers the bane of many Princes to choake those good seedes before they can come to ripenesse of perfection Neither should the great hopes we haue in good and vertuous Princes make vs carelesse herein For Salomon had many excellent vertues yet wealth and pleasure had welny wholly extinguished them Ioas being alwayes trayned vp in religion had a hart well disposed till he was drawen away by the Princes of Iuda as appeares in the 2. of Chro. 24.17 The seconde is that Princes themselues should consider what purposes they haue had heretofore for the good of the Church of God and to take heede they suffer not such motions of Gods spirite to be quenched in them For if in their lower estate with Dauid they haue made vowes and promises which no doubt the Lord did put in their hartes he will now looke at their handes for the payment of them For when God hath graunted the suite he lookes for the performance of the promise I might enlarge this poynt but to the wise a word is sufficient The next poynt in our text is the benefite for which Ezra is thankefull namely the beautifying of Gods house an vnspeakable speakeable comfort which the Church of God receiued by this Monarke In which wee may obserue ere wee come to the maine poynt that Ezra is first thankefull for the good of the Church before hee mention the fauour and preferment done to himselfe An argument vndoubtedly of zeale and loue to the Church of God as esteeming more the Churches good then his owne This affectionate zeale was in Moses who rather then the Lord should cast off the Iewes desired to be blotted out of the Booke of life And in the Apostle Paul that wished himselfe