disparagement to his Gentilitie to till the Earth nor Iacob that was his heire to follow Sheepe though perhaps my Lord Esau goe a hunting euery day an ende Yet I thinke not Isaac was a Plowman but I thinke he followed his seruants that were so and in such labour there is no man but shall finde as much wisedome as delight and health Besides if a man would labour vpon the ground one would suppose being rich the ground should be his owne not anothers what would one of our small heires say should I now turne Farmour I thanke God I haue beene brought vp after another fashion and haue ground enough of mine owne to liue vpon by other mens labours Well I make no question but Isaac was as well brought vp as such idle out of calling Gentlemen and yet he plowes and sowes not only another mans ground but the ground of straungers where hee could exspect nothing but hard dealing which indeed hee found The last circumstance is of the time which was a time of Famine wherein all men are most discouraged to sowe both because of their present want of that seede they cast into the ground which might serue themselues and because they feare the yeare to come may proue as barren as that which was past Yet for all this Isaac though rich neither thinkes it too meane a calling for him to till the ground neither is discouraged from labouring though he spent his sweat vpon the ground of strangers and sowed in a most vnseasonable time and what might the reason of this be First Isaac was a religious person and lookt assuredly for Gods blessing which he found and therefore sowed From whence we gather this instruction T is good husbandrie to bee a religious man and one of the children of Abraham that is a faithfull man Secondly Isaac knew that hee who meant to reape the fruit of Gods blessing must sowe the seede of his owne labour in some lawfull and honest course and therefore he sowed whence arises this Obseruation That as euery man must vse the meanes that would be profited by Gods blessings so that Husbandry hath beene an auncient and honourable meanes of life Thirdly Isaac had Gods promise to blesse him in the third verse of this Chapter euen in this vnlikely place and therefore sowed among strangers and from hence we may borrow this direction A Childe of God makes Gods will the rule of all his actions though it seeme neuer so repugnant to his reason And to conclude Isaac had learnt by experience that God was not ruled by nature but was the Ouer-ruler of it and therefore though Famine should haue eaten vp all the Land besides yet he was sure God could preserue him and blesse his seede when the the fields of other men languisht with desolation and waste and therefore hee sowed then in the time of Famine from whence we we will learne this last instruction God alwaies glorifies himselfe in preseruing his Children by taking aduantage of the most vnlikely time that may bee to preserue them in Let vs now begin with the first IIII. It is good husbandrie to be a Religious man and one of the Children of Abraham FOr though the wicked Mowles of the Common-wealth that are alwaies rooting in the earth after profit suppose they should lose much if they were troubled in their bargaines with the scrupulous vice of Religion as they thinke it yet by their leaues Godlinesse is great gaine as the Apostle tels vs and is instated in a double portion by Gods owne promise both of the things of this life and of the life to come Hee giueth meat to them that feare him and is euer mindfull of his promise sings Dauid Psal 111. 5. His are no Court-promises prodigally made and purposely forgotten but so carefull is God after an especiall manner to be out of debt to those that rely vpon his word that in the times of dearth and famine when all other are lankt and shrunke vp with the leannesse of the Earth yet then as it is in the fifth of Iob the 20. and 22. God shall redeeme thee from death so as thou shalt laugh at destruction and famine What though a man begin with little as Iacob did Yet if thou seeke to God betimes and make thy supplication to the Almightie though thy beginning be small yet thy latter ende shall greatly increase as one of Iobs false friends truly prophecied at randome of Gods purpose toward Iobs estate No matter therefore how wicked men are opinioned of Godlinesse who accompt it a very vnprofitable and most vnthriftie vertue the truth is it is farre otherwise For Godlinesse is not only a gaine without losse but a great gaine without the least losse but wicked gaines are all like Samsons Foxes they haue fire brands in their tailes that consume all their Masters good husbandrie For they gaine a little part of the world and lose that in the ende which is more worth then the whole world and such gaines will profit little For as our Sauiour saies What will it profit a man if hee gaine the whole world and lose his owne soule So that indeed a wicked man gaines only for other but gets losse for himselfe for whilest he loses himselfe his heires enter vpon all his gaines and such are but silly gaines God knowes and I would they knew so to but the gettings of a Religious man brings no such after-claps of griefe and sorrow with them as Salomon tels vs in 10. of the Prou. 22. The blessing of the Lord it maketh rich and hee addeth no sorrow with it but how hurtfull and full of irremediable sorrow the goods are of vnrighteous Mammon Saint Paul most excellently describes in the 1. Epistle to Tim. the 6. 9. But they that will be rich saith the Apostle fall into temptation and a snare and into many foolish and hurtfull lusts which drown men in destruction and perdition A man would haue thought Temptations and Snares and Folly and hurtfull Lusts and Destructions and Perdition had beene miserie and sorrow enough for a Couetous heart a heart that will be rich Quasi nolente Deo to be drowned in But as Salomon saies God addes no sorrowes to the riches he giues so Saint Paul addes more to those the world giues For the lone of money saies the same Apostle in the same place is the root of all euill which while some coueted after they haue erred from the Faith and pierced themselues thorow and thorow with many sorrows All these mischiefes happen not to rich men but to men that will bee rich not to men that haue money but to men that loue money and set their heart vpon it If riches increase set not thy heart vpon it saies Dauid A man may haue riches but riches must not haue the man as Aristippus said of Lais the Harlot 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 otherwise they should not be Gods blessing which they are Deut. 28. they would not be rewards
THE REVVARD of the Faithfull MATH 5. 6. They shall be satisfied THE LABOVR OF the Faithfull GENES 26. 12. Then Isaac sowed in that Land THE GROVNDS of our Faith ACTS 10. 43. To him giue all the Prophets witnesse At London printed by B. A. for Beniamin Fisher and are to be sold at the signe of the Talbot in Pater-noster row 1623. To the right Honorable and Religious Sir Roger Townshend Knight Baronet all grace and peace Honorable Sir BENEFITS they say are alwayes best giuen when they are most concealed but thanks when they are made most knowne Giue my priuate estate leaue therefore to borrow the Art of the Printer which is the publike Tongue of the learned to expresse my selfe though with no other learning then what your kinde respects haue taught mee most gratefull vnto you who indeed am bound though principally yet not onely to your Honoured selfe but totj Gentj tuae to the worthy Lady your mother the religious Knight Sir Nathaniel your second Father without thought not beyond my desire to your most noble learned Vncle the Right Honorable Francis Lord Verulam Viscount Saint Albones my free and very Honourable Benefactor whose Gift as it was worthy his bestowing so was it speedily sent and not tediously sued for Honourably giuen not bought with shame to one whom he neuer knew or saw but onely heard kindly slaundered with a good report of others and opinion conceiued by himselfe of sufficiencie and worth For by your Fauours I confesse my estate is something but the sence of my pouertie much more increased For if we may beleeue Neros wise Maister and Martyr There is none so poore as he who cannot requite a benefit but I am glad your Estates will be alwayes beyond any retaliating kindnesses of mine who could not indeed with out doing you much iniury wish my selfe able to make you amends As therefore Aristippus came to Dionysius so doe I to you 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Hauing receiued what I wanted to returne what I had Though in trueth this small pâ—esent may bee better sayed to bee giuen by you to others then by my self to you who thought it worthy of more mens reading then your owne which I pray God it may be Surely if there be any worth in it it is in the dignitie of the matter and the fitnesse of it for our nature and times The matters are the Grounds Exercise and Reward of the faithfull Heauenly Light Bodily labour Spirituall rest The first of which brings with it light for our Soules the second Health for our bodies and the third for them both eternall Blessednesse But in our times there is three Vertues are so great strangers in which there are so many euill heartes of vnbeliefe all standing ready to depart from the liuing God that wee had need to offer a holy violence to our nature and to fall out with our times that fall so fast away from God or else it is to be feared least the tide and streame of them both carry vs not into the riuers of Paradise there to bee landed vpon the mountaines of our saluation but into the riuers of Brimstone whether all are wasted that depart from GOD as himselfe telleth vs Depart from mee yee cursed into euerlasting fire And so much the more need had wee that liue in this last Age of the world to looke to the infirmitie of our natures and diseases of the time because natural infirmities are alwayes greatest Tyrants in our Age and it is no otherwise in this old world then in old persons If we were borne weake sighted it is a venture but in age a great dimnesse if not a totall blindnesse doe not befall vs. If a lame hand by nature hath disabled the actions of our youth the hand which in youth could doe little will doe nothing in our age if we haue traduced a personal inclination from our parents to any vice it is a grace if that inclination grow not to an affection in our youth and in our age to a habite So fast grow the ill weedes of Nature when Nature it selfe decayes in vs. Now wee cannot bee ignorant that in the very Spring of nature these three strong infirmities were seeded in vs. The first vpon the effacing of Gods Image a dimme eye-sight or darknesse in our soule the second a lame hand or idlenesse in the body which grew when Mortalitie first broke in vpon vs and left our nature consumed of that first-borne strength it then flowrished with bringing in vpon our labour an accursed sweat vpon our sweat wearinesse and consequently faynting and languishing the whole body with vnrest and disease The third vpon the losse of our heauenly inheritance an inclination and affection of the whole man to such a happinesse as wee cannot build for our selues out of the beautie and delights lights of this world which Salomon happily alluded vnto Eccles. 3. 11. where speaking of Humane happinesse to reioyce and doe good that is to eate and to drinke and to enioy the good of all our Labour verse 13 Which questionlesse is therefore lawfull because it is there sayd to bee the gift of GOD hee telleth vs that God hath made euery thing beautifull in his season and hath set 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Coelum the worlde as it is translated or the desire of perpetuitie in their heartes so that no man can finde out the worke that God maketh from the beginning to the end Whereas it seemes to me Salomon allowing vs this Humane felicitie as good in it selfe yet secretly accuseth it by reason of the immoderate affection and desire of perpetuitie wee cast after it for blinding the eye of our consideration so farre as thereby wee cannot finde out the worke that God maketh from the beginning to the end which doublesse can bee no other then his worke of our Redemption purposed from all eternitie in CHRIST our Lord who therefore as himself is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the first borne of all creatures so his day is cald Nouissimus Dierum the last of all dayes he onely being as himselfe witnesseth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and the Frst and the Last the beginning of all things and the ende of all things Colos 11. and in this worke onely consists the knowledge of our perfit happines wherein is both perpetuitie and sufficiency which work of Gods most men therefore cannot finde out because they acquiet their desires with this humane felicitie and lie downe vnder Issachars blessing which indeed is but a cursory and viatorie happinesse seruing vs onely for the time and by the way These then are the three great diseases of our soules bodies and persons Blindnesse of Spirit Idlenesse of Body Loue and rest in the world which the beginning of the world made by corruption naturall and the Age of the world by the second nature and of custome hath made delight full to vs. And truely if our owne
And there is a Spirituall Vnion whereby all th' Elect soules and bodies are not onely inspired and I may so speake Spirited with the Holy Ghost who rules and swayes all the thoughts and actions of the soule as the soule doth all the parts and affections of the body And last of all there is a gracious and admirable Vnion of similitude whereby wee are made whollie conformable and alike to the Diuine being which is the most desireable accumulate blessednesse of our Nature So that looke as you see the very bright image of the Sunne so reflected vpō the water somtimes that the dull Element seemes to haue caught downe the very glorious body it selfe to paint her watry face with and lookes more like a part of heauen then like it selfe who in the absence of the Sunne is all fabled with blacknesse and darknesse and sad obscurity but vpon the first beames of the heauenly body is glazed with a most noble illustrious brightnesse so is it with our whole man For when God shall thus imprint and strike himselfe into our darke being O how beautifull shall the feet of Gods Saints bee Esay 52. 7. What a Diadem of stars shall crowne their glorious heads Reuelat. 12. How shall their amiable bodies shine in Sun-like Maiesty Mat. 13. 4. Neither let it bee thought a vaine audacity of speech to say that the countenance and face of Gods children shall break forth into beames of more celestiall glory then the mid-day sunne euer yet sent abroad into the World For as S. Paule tells vs they shall be conform'd to the Image of his glorious body so he tels Agrippa Acts 26. 13. At mid-day O King I saw in the way a light from heauen aboue the brightnes of the Sunne shining round about me which was no other then the Light of the countenance of our Lord Iesus which sight as it struck blindnesse into the face and thicke scales into the eies of persecuting Saul so it dressed the whole countenance of suffering Stephen with a most Diuine and Angelical glory and had not the Light in reason beene greater then the Suns it would haue beene like the Moon and Starres at mid-day wholly extinguisht and inuisible Neyther let any man amaze his vnderstanding with the manner how a Spirituall substance can so sparkle and be as it were visible in the body Saint Austins comparison hath life in it in the expression of that point Life in it selfe is inuisible and cannot be seene yet it so freshes the countenance and beautifies the eyes that when the body wants it and is dead nothing lookes more dreary and ghastly then a Corps doth We see not life in it selfe sayes the Father but wee see it shining in the brightnesse of the eyes and smiling in the liuelihood and cheerefulnesse of the countenance And so it is with a glorious body God is Life and like Life cannot bee seene in himselfe by any ocular aspect but as Life in a Naturall so God in a glorious body is most apparant and plainely visible and conspicuous euen vnto our eyes But some perhaps will thinke this discourse of spirituall satiety I call it spirituall not excluding the Body but because our Bodies themselues shall be then spirituall as now our very spirits are in a manner carnall to be fetch'd rather out of the schooles of Reason then of Gods Word and to haue more ground in Philosophy then Faith For where in Scripture shall we read of any such image of God to satisfie our Natures with If we turne to the 17. Psalme and the 15. verse we shal there finde the portion of the righteous excellently described by Dauid who hauing before set out the men of this world who haue their portion in this life their dimensum which is their belly full of Treasures abundance of Children and their happinesse to leaue their substance to their Babes verse 14. hee reflects his thoughts into his owne brest and sings As for me I will behold thy face in righteousnesse I shall bee satisfied when I awake with thy Image This made Dauids heart pant after the sight of Gods face for so the words originally signifie Psalm 42. 1. This made him pray Lighten mine eyes that I sleepe not in death and needes must the eyes of the righteous be lightened and then awaken when the wicked shall haue theirs shut vp in eternall darkenesse when they shall behold the face of God and shall satisfie with his Image their euigilant soules Wee shall finde in Scripture besides this Image of God that for aye blesses the soules of the righteous two other Images of the wicked world and of wicked men wherewith the wicked striue to satisfie their soules but as S. Paul 〈◊〉 vs the image of the world does 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 loose continually his forme and fashion so Dauid tells vs Psalme the 73. the 20. that when God awakes he shal despise their image The image of God satisfies the righteous when they awake to their reward because there is substance and truth and goodnesse in it but when God awakes to the punishment of the wicked their image is so far from bringing with it any satisfaction of glory that in the iudgment of God himselfe who cannot but iudge most vprightly it is full of shame most ignoble and worthy to be despised hauing no substance but onely shadow no truth but onely appearance no ground but onely opinion to paint it selfe with and therefore looke what difference of things there is in the sound iudgment of one waking and the skipping and dauncing phansies of a dreaming braine so much more is there betweene the swelling images of secular glory and the diuine image of God when wee shall awaken from those dreams which the world as long as shee can keepe vs in the cradle of our flesh rocks and pleasantly sings vs a-sleep in And therefore Dauid hauing spoken of the death of the wicked in the former verse of the fore-cited Psalme O how suddenly doe they consume and perish and come to a fearefull end presently annexes As a dreame when one awaketh so O Lord when thou awakest thou shalt despise their image But let vs leaue this golden Image with all the dreaming World with Nebuchadnezar is troubled with in their sleepe and is angry with all that will not fall down to worship it and returne to that Image that deludes not dreaming but satisfies our awaking spirits As Dauid speaks of his owne so S. Paul speakes of all the Elect soules of God Rom. 8. 29. that they were predestinated to be conform'd to this Diuine image and therefore in the 2. to the Corinthians the 3. 13. 14. c. he makes his difference betweene the obstinate Iew and the beleeuing Christian that their hearts was stil veild and blinded with their olde Mosaicall shadows and ceremonies but wee all saies the Apostle hauing the veyle done away in Christ with open face beholding as in a glasse the glory
Patriarckes to Pharaoh Gen. the 47. Thy seruants are shepheards both wee and all our fathers Where we may see that Pharaoh himselfe had his heards and flocks of cattell to feed abroade in his own crowne lands and royall inheritance And among the Princes of Israel was not Gedeon taken from the threshing floore Iudg. 6. 11. Moses Dauid from the Ewes great with young to feed Israel Gods people and Iacob his inheritance Exodus 3. 1. Sam. 16. 11. may wee not meete Saul after hee was annoynted king ouer Israel following his Oxen. 1. Sam. 11. 5 and therefore the ancient phrase of the world for kings was the shepheards of people so Homer vsually stiles Agamemnon 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and nothing is more frequent in the stories of elder times then to see the greatest Princes of the world taken with Cincinnattus and C. Fabricius and Curius Dentatus as they were following the plow to bee the Consuls and Dictators of Rome which was then the Queene of Nations and the Lady of the world And this not so much the necessitie of their estates droue them as the honesty delight and naturall sweetnes of these countrey and fieldlabours woed them vnto And therefore old Cato after hee had out of his censorious grauity well rated and scolded withall other pleasures as the lasciuious Mistresse of lewd youth and the onely harlots of the whole world cannot in conclusion dissemble his loue to this same countrey Galatea as Virgil cals this field-life but as soone as he begins to speake of it Redeamus in gratiam cum voluptate sayes the rough Censour of the world Let vs bee friends againe with pleasure as confessing it to be not so much a clownish labour as the most naturall and therefore lawfull delight allowed a wise man And therefore in the youthful flourish of Rome we shal finde it obserued by Columella that their faires which the Romans call Nundinae quasi nono die habitae were kept once onely in nine dayes because they would not leaue their country houses to be drawne into the idle troubles of the cittie more then needes must and if they were by exigence called to the Senate house for their aduise they had publike officers whom they called Viatores their countrey posts attending such occasions and when they gaue any man extraordinary commendation ita laudabant sayes the first Latine writer de re rustica Bonum agricolam bonumque colonum as for the generall Trade some fewer then but now so many deale with of vsury the Romane Law was sayes the same Cato Furem dupli condemnari foeneratorem quadrupli and with good reason is this Art of getting by our mony not by our labour inueighed against of all such as commend husbandry as most vnnaturall husbandry and contrary to the life they write of being as M. Varro speakes of it most hated of those who are beholding to it but for the certainty of gaine and the pietie of the getter and the safety and health of him that vses it and the apting the bodies of men military seruices in the defence of the common-wealth those haue euerbin accounted most happie sayes the same Authour Qui in eo studio occupati sunt By all which it sufficiently appeares that husbandry hath bin both an ancient and honourable meanes of life before pride and the fashion began to bee vertues of so speciall request in the world as they are now thought and that all bee in the glory of Nature before sinne had hlemisht the world we were by creation all diuines and Priests of God not to offer bloudy sacrifices but of praise and obedience which should make vs thinke honorably of that calling which we were al born to except we would cast dirt in the face of our innocent nature yet presently after the soyle of our sin had strucke barennes into the womb of our mother her brests were dried vp that suckled vs husbandry succeeded to bee the next vocation The first call was of the minde the second of the body the first of heauen the secoÌ„d of the earth the first to the glory of God the second for the necessitie of man and yet I thinke both of them may make the same complaint for themselues which Iunius Moderatus Columela does for them Sola res rustica quae sine dubitatione proxima quasi coÌ„sanguinea sapientia est tam discentibus egeat quam ma gistris Onely the Art of husbandry which doubtlesse is next and nearest a kinne to wisedome wants both schollers and teachers meeting very seldome with such religious votaries towards them as the Prince of the Latin Poets was who in his Georgicks or poeticall Husbandrie breaks out into this godly wish Me vero primum dulces ante omnia Musae QuaruÌ„ sacra fero ingenti percislsus amore Accipiant caelique vias sidera monstrent Sin has non possim Naturae accedere partes c. Rura mihi rigui placeant in vallibus amnes Flumina amen syluasque inglorias No first of all O let the Muses wings Whose sacred foâ—ntaine in my bosome springs Receiue and landing mee aboue the starres Shew me the waies of heueÌ„ but if the barres Of vnkinde Nature stoppe so high a flight The Woods and Fields shall be my next delight Thus were the opinions of the old world but it is a world to see now the prodigious change of Nature when not onelie most men count Husbandrie a base and sordid businesse vnfit to soyle their hands with but some who thinkes his breast tempered of siner clay then ours of the vulgar sort call such as haue spent their times in the studies of Diuinity no better then rixosum disputatorum genus quorum vix in coquendis oleribus consilium admittit It is the speech of one Bartaeus a Germane disclaimer who was better borne theÌ„ taught more eloquent then learned against the Diuines of his Countrie too busily wrangling as he thought about the Paradoxes of Arminius who I feare will change if not his false opinion of the cause yet his prophane censure of the men nisi ipse forte inter olera sit quae in inferno sint conquenda Before our bodies were only instruments to serue our soules and wee delighted our selues in the study of heauenly diuine knowledge now our soules drudges onely vpon the bodies seruice runnes onely vpon the fleshes errands neyther is any thing more wearisom to it selfe or more out of credit in the world then a soule walking climbing vp the holy mountaines from whence commeth our saluation til it be out of breath after the knowledge of heauenly things before our labour for the body was soone dispatched when wee all went naked and the ground seeded it selfe brought forth a voluntary haruest to feede vs but now all our labour is for food cloathing as the wise maÌ„ tells vs in his Prouerbes our nakednesse was then our glory it is now our shame it was a curse
witnesse of God his Word and Truth In the first and broadest walkes the heathen Idolator For diuide the World into thirty parts and he takes vp as is obseru'd by a iudicious Mathematician ninteen of them but we must vnderstand his Obseruation of the continued magnitude of the surface of the earth not of the discreet multitude of men contained in it In the next wide field of error walks the Mahumetan who dispreads himselfe into sixe parts of the thirty In the third the stragling Iew wanders who is discoasted into the bounds of all the rest And the Christian impaths himselfe in the last and least and narrowest tract holding but the proportion of fiue parts in the thirty parts The Heathen anciently mistooke the Oracles of the Diuell himselfe for the word of God and in a manner is blinded in that errour to this very day eyther by the illusision of Sathan himselfe or the collusion of his Priests The Mahumetan embraces the Alcoron for the vndoubted word of God and esteemeth that of Diuine and oracular authority The Iews retaine still the ancient word of God but they al reiect the New and are therefore called by the Fathers Archiua Christianorum The olde Records of the Christians being differenced among themselues into three Sects the first whereof are called Charraim and allow all and onely the olde Testament The second sew to the Bible all their fabulous Talmud make that of Scripture-authoritie and are therfore called the Talmudists The third defalke as much from Gods word as the second crowded to it leaue only the Pentateuch or fiue bookes of Moses for selfe-credible named by the rest Samaritans Neither can the little flocke of Christ the Catholique Church now professant in the world goe peaceably in their narrow path together but with Abrahams and Lots Heardsmen or Iacobs bretheren they will wrangling and scolding as they goe being dissundred into thirteene small or fiue maine different sects Protestants Latins Gracians Nestorians Iacobites whereof most of them darken that word of God that should enlighten themselues by carrying the Sunne in a clowd reading the Scripture in an vnknowne tongue eyther of Latine Greeke or Syriacke and so traducing all the authority of Gods Word from it self to the golden and empty Title of The Church As the Latins Nestorians Indians Iacobites the Cophti and the Mannites Some of these again spanging out of the Canon of the New Testament all the Reuelation of S. Iohn the Epistle of S. Iude the second Epistle of S. Peter the second and third Epistles of S. Iohn others farsing into the Canonicall writings Apocriphall and vnknowne Authors the Gospell of Nicodemus c. with a world of rotten and vnwriten Traditions To omit the populous Churches at this day of the Nestorians and Iacobites who commit the like error concerning the Liuing word as they doe about the written the first diuiding Christ into two Persons by a separation the second cōfounding him into one Nature by the Adunation of his Humanity and diuinity Now all these selfe-arrogating to themselues the word of God either by oracular Reuelation as the Heathen or written Tradition as the Mahumetan Iew and Christian how in such a world of open Warre and ciuil mutiny about GODS Word should blinde soules such as wee all come into the World with be euer able to center themselues immoueably in the Diuine Truth of God and not be carried about with some one winde or other of these erronious doctrines Giue mee leaue with the mighty Angell that held open in his hand the little booke of Prophecies Reuel 10. to sweare by him that liueth for euer and euer Either the means how to effect this is here set downe To him giue all the Prophets witnesse or there is none in the earth or vnder heauen For as in it selfe the least tittle of Gods word is more firmely pillard and lesse passable then the whole fabrique of heauen and earth Heauen and earth shall passe c. So to vs this certaintie can no way bee more infallibly euident then by the Prophesies that are storied in it And as the Prophesies are the greatest argument of all the rest so this is the greatest of all the rest of the Prophesies to argue by For here both Gods words are met together The dead word hath met with the liuing the old Testament kisses the New either to other one by fore-telling the other by fulfilling giue mutuall witnesse of their irrepugnable Truthes Since therefore there is so great vnitie in the words and the Prophets are all ioyned in one witnesse Christ to whom they witnesse is vndiuided I industriously spare to make any diuision either of the words or among the Prophets Only I will set this one truth in the Light That Christ is the Center to whom all of them standing round about him as a compassing clowd of witnesses draw all the lines of their Prophecies then briefly gather such Instructions as shall bee thence deducible Wee might see this golden circle of all the Prophets geaphically described by the last of the Prophets himselfe Reuel 4. and 5. chapters where in the midst of 4. Beasts and 24. Elders a glorious Lambe standeth and sends forth the 7. Spirits of God into al the Earth That Christ is the Lamb himselfe the Passeouer of the Iewes wil tell vs. And that the foure Euangelists are the foure beasts their euen number and their standing neerest the Throne as waiting immediately on the Lambe of God our Sauior and the strict keeping of decorum in figuring them like beasts such as the Lamb himselfe is sufficiently proues And doubtlesse the 24. Elders can be no other then the 24. Prophets of the Olde Testament both because they are called Elders being more ancient then the foure Euangelists and stand in a greater distāce farther off frō Christ their number being iust the very same as S. Hierome obserues And because as themselues sing to their golden Harpes the Lambe had made them Kings in matters of Life Priests in Points of Doctrine to rule the Earth hauing before redeem'd thē to God by his bloud which is not appliable to the stedfast Angels but onely to such who had beene yong sinners before they became saintly Elders And to conclude the seuen spirits sent forth into all the Earth must needs be the seuen gifts of Gods Spirit precisely set down by S. Paul 1. Cor. 12. 28. Apostles Prophets Teachers Miracles Guifts of healings Helps in gouernment Diuersities of tongues which are therefore named by Saint Iohn in the very same place seauen Lamps and the seauen hornes and eyes of the Lambe because by them Christ giues Light to his Church and exerciseth a visible power in all the Earth And heere wee see all our Sauiours witnesses are met together The twenty fower Prophets hold out the first Lights to discouer the Lamb of God least they should be obscure the Euangelists sets the truth of the story by
the grace to correct their owne sinne so they haue commonly in their roomes certaine vnder-curats so grossely ignorant as not to know theirs They that know nothing thēselues are set by these to teach others of whom we cannot say dies diei but nox nocti indicat scientiam One night teaches another a blinde Prophet a blinde People yet I haue seene some of these not onely stand high vppon their bare and solitary honesty but peremptorily censured graue and worthy Ministers as Demosthenes an Arrian the Cooke of Valens the Emperours kitchin did Saint Ambrose as men not throughly gifted for their place which reproach Saint Ambrose smiling put vp and off with this merry answere 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I haue met with to day a barbarous Demosthenes but to the common virtues of a Christiā vpright feet and honest hands it were good these men would adde the tongue of the learned Esay chap. 50. v. 4. else the Greeke Epigram will finde fault with their sermons and tell them sound hands and feete will not excuse lame heades and crackt braines 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I do not deny but that God is able to perfect his power in these mens weakenesse For it is not impossible for our spirituall Sampson as hee ouercame his enemies and was refreshed with a iawe of the seely beast so to make the waters of Life spring between the teeth of these simple creatures but these vnsent Runners might do well to content thēselues with one Cure and not to be too busie in trudging between many as some of them are for to bee so officious must needs proue offensiue to the church till they know better how to applie more seasonably than yet they can the sacred word of God to the pretious soules of their Hearers and to set those Apples of siluer into these pictures of golde Neyther doe I denie but that such trading Preachers may find work enough for their mouths by making other mens labours runne through them But this is to get their Liuing by the sweat of other men to wipe it off to their owne browes And if we should see a rude Carter offer to play vpon the instrument of a fine-fingred and dactrycall Musitian suppose one of these Trades-men vpon the golden Harpe of the sweet Singer of Israel who could but laugh at him and say as the Greeke Prouerbe goes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Asinus ad lyram But such derisorie reproofes are too milde for such tayles of Ieroboam more fit indeede to make Priests for Baal thē Prophets for God who intrude themselues into the Ministery for meere necessity and therefore may say indeede with St. Paul A necesesitie is layed vpon me But whereas the Apostle proceedes And woe vnto me if I preach not the Gospell How much better may they say to themselues and woe vnto mee if I preach the Gospell And lest wee should feare to speake against such vagabond Shepheards as are not able to feed the flockes they are fed by Prophesie against them saies the Lord woe to the Shepheards that feede themselues that is their end but Gods end in appointing Shepheards followes Should not the sheepheards seed the flocks Nay what can they exspect but the double woe of Ieremy and Ezekiel woe woe to the Shepheards that destroy and scatter my sheepe But as these blinde Guides are most insensible of their owne maladies because ignorance is a disease as the Greeke Tragedian calls it that neuer paines a man 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 so it is no lesse then a myracle to a man of vnderstanding to see the great zeale and little knowledge some well but weake minded people vse to defend these Trades-men with Was not our Sauiour say they a Carpenter Marke 6. 3. before he was sent to preach S. Peter a Fisherman Matthew a Publican S. Paul a Tent-maker True indeed but our Sauiour ventured not himselfe to preach before the Spirit of GOD sent him Luk. 4. 18. and lay'd a most district charge vpō his Apostles to tarry at Hierusalem till by the commission of the Holy Ghost they should be indued with power from on high Luk. 24. 49. But these men as they cannot arrogate the ordinary means to make their Calling iustifiable so I suppose no man euer saw the Spirit of God descending vpon them and fitting them with extraordinary and infused gifts of knowledge Christ indeede was a Carpenter but to build heauen and earth and his Church in them both S. Peter was a Fisher but to angle in all the Circumcision to the Faith of Christ to circumcise not their fore-skins but their hearts 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as an ancient Father alluding to the fifth and second of Iosua where the Israelites were circumcised with kniues of stone most elogantly speaketh of him Mathew was a Publican but to gather the precious soules of men into the Heauenlie Treasury of the King of Kings Saint Paul was a Tent-maker but to perswade Iaphet to dwell in the Tents of Sem and to spread Christs Tabernacle all the world ouer among the Gentiles But in the great day of their Reckoning when the Disciples of our Lord shall bring in their Accomps and S. Paul shall say I haue gathered to the faith all the Riches of the Gentiles and S. Thomas I haue gained all the treasures of India and S. Peter I haue gathered the dispersions of Iudah What shall these hirelings say but wee in our little flocks haue scattered so many and we haue destroyed so many and we haue wasted prey'd vpon deuour'd so many And therefore as the feete of these wise Stewards shall shine like the Starres of heauen for brightnesse so these had need to take heed least their heads for the clowdes of ignorance they are wrapt vp in meet not with Marcellus his fate apud inferos Cui non atra caput tristi circum volat vmbra Pardon mee right deerely beloued in our Lord and Sauiour if when Thorns Thiftles grow vpon Gods Altar as the Prophet Hosea speakes I am forced to vse a little fire of Zeale to consume them I am sorry there is such a necessity still for Gods spirit to descend in fiery Tongues O that it might alwaies flie down with the wings of a Doue from heauen vpon vs. But as long as common Customes lawfully robbe the Churches Treasure and commit open sacriledge euery day more then other vpon Melchisedcks Tithes the Patrimony of Christ insomuch as it is verilie thought the Church within these threescore yeres by concealements incroachments and customary thefts hath been spoyled of no lesse then 40000. yearely What hope can there be of sufficiency of the Prophets when the insufficiency of their meanes will not afford it when one Subiect into whose cofers 20000 pounds when a Lay Parson into whose Cofers 20000. pounds annually flow in and therefore if he were but a Pharisee in profession should out of his aboundant streames of wealth cast in much into the common Treasury of the Church shall taken into his owne possession fifteeene houses of God and sticke downe but the bare feathers of ten pounds or twenty Nobles a yeere for the needy seruice of Gods Altar Can all the flourishing and pragmaticall wits in the world if they were headed in one braine shew by what iust right a Laye hand can inuade coast vpon Gods portion of Tithes which he hath giuē to those that wait vpon his Altar for the food of their bodies and the poore people change with vs for the foode of their soules Is not this the reason why in the great haruest there are so few Laboures For the Psalmist had no sooner said They haue sent fire into thy Sanctuary meaning perhaps the fire of Couetousnesse that deuoures all or as he speaks of them in another Psalm Let vs take to our selues the houses of God in possession but presently it followeth There is no more any Prophet neither is there among vs any that knowes But GOD perswade those whom it most concernes to regard in time the common pouerty of the Church and to set a sea-banke against this diluviating euill of Satan who as GOD drowned all the world in the beginning of it and sau'd aliue onely the Arke of his Church so now in the end of it would the Diuel drowne the Arke and Church of God it selfe with these inundations of blinde Seers dumbe Teachers betraying Patrones Sacrilegious Customes Lay-Parsons theeuish Tithings and which by the abuse of them were become so many Chappell 's of Sathan where many a soule turn'd the Sabbaoth of God into the Deuils holi-day drunken Tap-houses vnder the weight of which sinne the whole Land staggered and the Churches of God like poore Sion euen vpon his own day lay desolate and waste But these gates of Hell shall neuer preuaile against the Suburbs of Heauen Gods sainctly Colony here on earth and therefore wee will end as Dauid doth Psa 20. 9. Say Lord Let the King heare vs when we call FINIS