A SERMON Preached at Greenwich before the King's Majesty upon Tuesday in Whitsun week being the 14. of june. 1603. By the Reverend Father in God Antony Rudd, Doctor of Divinity, and Lord Bishop of Saint David's. LABOUR ET CONSTANTIA LONDON, Imprinted by I. H. for Thomas Man and Clement Knight. 1603. TO THE Christian Reader. FOrsomuch as I was at this sermon among other auditors, who judged it very divinelike for the matter & the manner of handling of it, and afterward understood that divers which hard it preached, and more which did only hear of it by the report of others were very desirous to have the view either written, or rather printed: therefore having obtained a copy of it for mine own use, I thought it expedient to commit it to the press, for the public good of all such as will vouchsafe to read it with patience, and judge of it by the rule of charity. ❧ A Sermon preached at Greenwich before the King's Majesty upon Tuesday in Whitsonweek, being the 14. of june. 1603. Psal. 101.1. I will sing mercy and judgement, to thee O Lord will I sing. IN this Psalm the kingly Prophet David declareth, how he will behave himself in his kingdom: first touching his own person: and afterward touching his subjects, both in the Court, and in the country. In this first verse of the Psalm, he undertaketh or promiseth to sing; the ditty of the song is mercy and judgement. The person to whom he singeth is expressed in these words: To thee O Lord will I sing. In that he assumeth to sing the matter which he hath in hand, it implieth that he will do it with joy, with a loud voice, and with his full power. It argueth joy: jam. 5.13. Psal. 137.1.2.3.4. For is any man among you afflicted? let him pray: is any merry? let him sing. And how should the children of the captivity sing one of the songs of Zion in a strange land, when they sit mourning and weeping by the rivers of Babel, where they have hung up their harps upon the willows that grow thereby? And as a pleasant song requireth a merry heart, so doth it also a stretched out voice with great strength put thereunto. So then by this example of David we are taught in the meditations of our heart, the words of our tongue, and the actions of our life tending to godliness and justice to do all with cheerfulness, fervency, and to the utmost of our power. For example, in the case of our inward affection toward God, our duty is, To love the Lord our God with all our heart, with all our soul, Deut. 6.5. and with all our strength. In the matter of God's worship, joined with the advancing of his glory, and the furtherance of our salvation: 2. Sam. 6.14. Behold David danceth before the Ark with all his might: Of the kingdom of Christ it is prophesied. thus by the Psalmist: Psal. 110.3 Thy people shall come willingly at the time of assembling, thine army in holy beauty. Psal. 69.9. The zeal of God's house did eat up the princely prophet. And from the time of john the Baptist hitherto, Mat. 11.12 The kingdom of heaven suffereth violence, Act. 17.16. and the violent take it by force. If Paul come to Athens and see the City subject to Idolatry, his spirit will be stirred within him. And if he and Barnabas being at Listra perceive the people ready to sacrifice unto them by the names of jupiter and Mercury, Act. 14.14. than they will even rend their clothes in sign of detesting and abhorring it. Exod. 32.15. unto the 21. If Moses when he cometh down from the Mount understand that the people in his absence have made a golden Calf, and given worship unto it, than his wrath waxeth hot, and he casteth the tables (which were the work and writing of God) out of his hands, and breaketh them in pieces, and taking the Calf, he burneth it in the fire, and grindeth it to powder, and stroweth it upon the water, and maketh the children of Israel to drink of it, to despite them of their Idolatry. If we speak of charitable alms, them by S. Paul's rule, The Lord lovech a cheerful giver. 2. Cor. 9.7. If execution must be done upon the enemies of God and his holy Church, jer. 48.10. than jeremy pronounceth him cursed that doth the work of the Lord negligently. Rom. 12.11. We should by Paul's advise to the Romans, Tit. 2.14. be fervent in spirit. And by his admonition given in the epistle to Titus, we ought to be zealous of good works. And surely, if any do frame themselves after the pattern of the Laodiceans who were lukewarm, Apoc. 3.16. neither hot nor cold, it will come to pass that God shall spew them out of his mouth. To prevent which inconvenience, David here affirmeth that he will sing this heavenly ditty of mercy, and judgement: the which words may be construed two ways, the Analogy of faith preserved. First, in respect of the time passed by way of praise for God's mercy toward himself, and Gods judgements against his enemies. Secondly, in regard of the time to come touching the government of the kingdom by way of practice of mercy toward the good, and of judgement against the bad. The first interpretation yieldeth unto us this doctrine in general, that we should show ourselves thankful unto Almighty God for all his benefits bestowed upon us according to the commandment of God, joined with a comfortable promise, Psal. 50.15 Call upon me in the day of trouble, and so will I deliver thee, and thou shalt glorify me. And after the example of the Psalmist saying: Open thou my lips O Lord: (that is, Psal. 51.15. give me occasion to praise thee) and my mouth shall show forth thy praise. And if God vouchsafe to deliver David's desolate soul from the sword and the power of the dog, Psal. 22.20.21.22. from the lion's mouth, and the horns of the Unicorns; then will David declare his name unto his brethren and praise him in the midst of the congregation. But alas if a view be taken of us upon whom the ends of the world be come, it is to be feared that we shall be found no better in this case, than they were in the days of our Saviour Christ, when as of ten lepers that were cleansed only one returned to give thanks. Luke. 17.15.16. And verily so have worldly minded men been usually accustomed to mistake the original and springhead of the temporal benefits which they receive, that the Nimrods' of the earth which lived in the days of Habacuk, Hab. 1.15.16. whenas they took up all with the angle, and catched it in their net, and gathered it in their yearn, whereof they rejoiced and were glad, than they sacrificed to their net, & incense to their yearn, because (in their false imagination) by them their portion became fat, and their meat plenteous; that is, they flattered themselves, and gloried in their own wit, force, and power, as though thereby they had gotten all their victories with increase of wealth and honour, and so they rob God of his glory. In revenge of such kind of unthankfulness, when as superstitious people in the time of Hosea, Hos. 2.5. to the 11. ascribed unto their lovers (that is, to their Idols) the gift of their bread and wine, corn and oil, wool and flax, silver and gold, then Almighty God returned in high displeasure, and took away his corn in the time thereof, and his wine in the season thereof, and he recovered his wool, and his flax which he had lent unto them for a time to covet their shame withal. But David to avoid the like both sin and punishment also thereof, protesteth here, that he will sing the mercy of God. I say the mercy of God toward him, and not his own merits. And hereupon it was that being hardly beset, & greatly distressed and perplexed in the days of Saul, while his hope of the kingdom was suspended, he maketh his prayer in these terms. Show thy marvelous mercies, Psal. 17.7. thou that art the saviour of them that trust in thee from such as resist thy right hand. And he hopeth one day to come into the house of God, Psal. 5.7. in the multitude of his mercy. Look back to former ages and you shall find jacob at his return from Mesopotamia homeward in the way to Canaan being greatly enriched after the service of almost three apprenticeships under Laban, framing his prayer of thanks giving in this wise. O Lord I am not worthy of the least of all thy mercies and all the truth, Gen. 32.10 which thou hast showed unto thy servant: for with my staff came I over this jordan, and now have I gotten two bands. And I conceive assured hope, that by this example my gracious sovereign doth often meditate upon the mercy of God toward himself, in respect of the great increase of temporal blessings which he hath found and felt, since the time that he first peaceably entered the town of Berwicke, and so passed over the river of Tweed. And as for us beloved, all of us which be ranged in the number of subjects, considering on the one side the manifold & heinous sins, which have formerly reigned amongst us, both unpunished and unrepented of: and on the other side the fearful dangers that we have escaped, I can say nothing but that which jeremy spoke in his lamentations long ago: Lam. 3.22. It is the mercies of the Lord the we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not. Pray we therefore on the behalf of our King, that it would please Almighty God to pronounce of him as he spoke in elder time by Nathan of Solomon: 2. Sam. 7.14.15. I will be his father, and he shall be my son, and if he sins, I will chasten him with the rod of men, and with the plagues of the children of men, but my mercy shall not departed away from him. Pray we likewise for this Church of England, Scotland, and Ireland, that God would vouchase to hollow it with that blessed promise which in Isai was uttered over the whole Church of Christ militant by the spirit of prophesy thus. The mountains shall remove, and the hills shall fall down: but my mercy shall not departed from thee, neither shall the covenant of my peace fall away saith the Lord, that hath compassion on thee. This done, then may both King and subjects even every of us utter with joyful cheer that which we read in the Psalm: Psal. 89.1. I will sing the mercies of the Lord for ever. Thus David having already sung the mercy of GOD toward himself, he will sing also the judgement of God toward his enemies. And to begin with his grand and capital enemy King Saul: after that he had been wounded by the archers of the Philistines, 1. Sam. 31.3.4. fearing lest the uncircumcissed should have come and thrust him thorough, & have mocked him, he took a sword and fell upon it himself: and so a cruel life had a desperate end. And as for David's chief enemies in the Court among saul's favorties, namely Chush & Doeg, we read the ruin of them both. For Chush travailed with mischief, and brought forth a lie: he made a pit, and digged it, Psal. 7.1.15.16. and fell into it himself, his mischief returned upon his own head & his cruelty fell upon his own pate. And after that Doeg had for a space boasted himself in his wickedness, that being a man of power, he could do mischief, Psal. 52.1.5. at the length God plucked him out of his tabernacle, and rooted him out of the land of the living. Beside these particulars, God gave unto David the necks of his enemies in general, Psal. 18.40.42. and he did beat them as small as the dust before the wind, and he did tread them flat as the clay in the streets. Thus let thine enemies perish O Lord, and the King's enemies likewise, but let him be as the Sun when he riseth in his might. jud. 5.31. And blessed be God who hath put into his head to celebrate every Tuesdaye with public prayer, and preaching in remembrance of God's mercy towards himself, The earl of Gowries' conspiracy. and God's judgement towards his enemies, by that which was acted at Saint jonstone upon the fifth of August, in the year 1600. Now the good that may ensue by the consideration of the fall of Gods and the Church's enemies, is of two sorts. First, God is thereby magnified, as may appear is the person of Pharaoh, whom God appointed for this cause, to show his power in him, Exo. 9.16. and to declare his name throughout all the world. And in the destruction of the Babylonians, the earth was filled with the knowledge of the glory of the Lord, Hab. 2.14. as the waters cover the Sea. Secondly, men, (if they have grace) may be thereby edified, according to the confession of the faithful in Isai saying: Isay. 26.9. We O Lord have waited for thee, in the way of thy judgements: for seeing thy judgements are in the earth, the inhabitants of the world shall learn righteousness. Hitherto David hath sung mercy and judgement, in respect of the time passed by way of praise and thanksgiving. Now he proceedeth to sing the same song in regard of the time to come, touching the administration of his kingdom by way of practice, knowing that the duty of princes and public Magistrates, Rom. 13.3. 1. Pet. 2.14. is, to be the ministers of God for the wealth of them that do well by the exercise of godliness and honesty, and to take vengeance on them that do evil committing impiety and iniquity. And these two, mercy and judgement, must go hand in hand, being in association combined together, lest if they were altogether, and utterly severed, than mercy without judgement might turn into foolish pity, and judgement without any temper of mercy might become extreme cruelty. And first to speak of Mercy, happy is that Prince who hath the wisdom and the will to be merciful to whom, and when, and where it is expedient. Pro. 20.28. Psal. 85.10. For such mercy and truth preserveth the King; and his throne shall be established with mercy. Moreover happy is that country where mercy and truth meet together, and so righteousness and peace kiss one another. And worldly happy are those subjects to whom the prince vouchsafeth to show mercy and loving kindness. For the King's wrath is like the roaring of a Lion, and as messengers of death: Pro. 16.14.15. and 19.12. but in the light of his countenance is life, and his favour is as a cloud of the latter rain, and like the dew upon the grass. And David well knowing how laudable and honourable it was to be merciful with discretion, being established in his kingdom, 2. Sam. 9.1.3. he made inquiry if there remained yet alive, any of the house of Saul, on whom he might show the mercy of God (that is, such mercy as is acceptable to God) for his old dear friend jonathans' sake. And we find it to be a laudable custom of princes at their first entrance into their kingdoms to show mercy at their pleasure in this wise, that I may speak in the scripture phrase in the Psalms, by hearing the mourning of the prisoner, Psal. 102.20 and delivering the children of death. And in Isai, Isa. 58.7. by losing the bands of of wickedness by taking of the heavy burdens, by letting the oppressed go free, and by breaking every yoke, former extortions, exactions, and other grievous oppressions: O how fair a thing is this mercy in the time of anguish & trouble? Eccles. 35.19. it is like a cloud of rain that cometh in the time of drought. Thus can David show Mercy when he thinketh it meet, and judgement also when the matter so requireth it. For he is not ignorant, that the establishment of the King's throne, Prou. 16.12 Isa. 32.17. is justice, & judgement: and the 〈◊〉 thereof is peace. Yea manifold is the good effect which followeth the executing of justice upon malefactors. First of all it is profitable to the offenders themselves, Pro. 22.15. for affliction giveth understanding. Foolishness is bound in the heart of a child: but the rod of correction shall drive it away from him. Pro. 29.15 The rod and correction give wisdom: Pro. 20.30 the blewnes of the wound serveth to purge the evil, and the stripes within the bowels of the belly: that is, sharp punishment which pierceth even the inward parts, is profitable for the wicked to bring them to amendment. But on the contrary, Pro. 13.24. he that spareth the rod spilleth the child: witness the example of Hely toward his sons Hophni & Phinehas. And of David toward his son Adonijah whom he would not displease from his childhood, to say, 1. Sam. 2.12.22.23.24. 1. Reg. 1.6. why hast thou done so? & so in the end he proved a presumptuous traitor, & rank rebel. Secondly, this exemplary justice is commodious unto others that are bystanders and beholders, who may learn to beware by their neighbour's harms, Deu. 13.11. & 17.13. & 21.22. according as Moses willeth punishment to be afflicted upon transgressors of the law that Israel may hear and fear. Whereupon Solomon groundeth this exposition of policy or judicial proceed: Prou. 19.25. Smite a scorner and the foolish will beware: that is to say, the simple and ignorant men learn their duty when they see the wicked punished. And for this cause did God by Moses command, that the censers of Korah and his complices being 250 in number, who had been destroyed and consumed by a fire that came out from the Lord, should be taken and beaten forth into broad plates, for the covering of the Altar, Numb. 16.37.38. etc. that they might be a sign to the children of Israel of God's judgements against all mutinous, seditious, & rebellious persons. Whereas on the other side, If the incestuous person at Chorinth be not censured by excommunication, behold, 1. Cor. 5.6. Eccles. 8.11 a little leaven leaveneth the whole lump. And by the judgement of the preacher, because sentence against an evil work is not executed speedily, therefore the heart of the children of men, is fully set in them to do evil: that is, by way of abridgement, where justice is delayed, there sin reigneth. Therefore the princely Psalmist promiseth in the last verse of this Psalm, Psal. 101.8. betimes to destroy all the wicked of the land, that he might cut off all the workers of iniquity from the City of the Lord. Thirdly, the executing of heinous and notorious offenders withholdeth the wrath of God from the public state of the Realm by taking evil out of Israel. But the unpunishing of Achan, Deu. 17.12. & 22.22. Josh. 7.1.5. (though his crime was unknown) was so hurtful to the host of Israel, 2. Sam. 21.1.6.14. that the hearts of the people melted away like water. Neither could the great dearth in David's time be removed, nor God fully pacified for saul's cruelty, long before committed against the Gibeonites, till seven of saul's offspring were hung up to the Lord in Gibeah of Saul. In brief, due execuition done upon great and grievous malefactors, is a sacrifice acceptable unto God, and a preservative of the state of the Church and Commonwealth. Therefore, a wise King scattereth the wicked, Pro. 20.26. and causeth the wheel to turn over them. But here must be inserted a caveat against all cruelty in execution of justice. Deut. 22.6 For by the law of Moses even in seeking of birds nests, it was not lawful to take the dam with the young. Neither might the body of the executed malefactor remain all night upon the tree. Deut. 21.22 23. Beside this, God would not turn to them of Damascus, because they had treshed Gilead with threshing instruments of iron: neither would he turn to the children of Ammon, Amos. 1.3.13. because they had ripped up the women with child of Gilead, that they might enlarge their own border: there is like to be judgement merciless to Pilate, who would show no mercy: jam. 2.13. but mingled the blood of some that had offended him, Luke. 13.1. Pro. 12.10. with their own sacrifices. Yet no marvel it is that he did so, for though the righteous man regardeth the life of his beast, yet even the mercies of the wicked and cruel. Howbeit, though cruelty is always to be abhorred, yet remissness in dealing with the adversaries of the truth, the practisers and maintainers of a false worship, is likewise to be excluded, because it is most perilous to the Church of God, as appeareth by the history of the Canaanites, who by the connivency of the Israelites being permitted to converse with them, Nom. 33.55. and to live quietly among them, became pricks in their eyes, and thorns in their sides. When joash the King of Israel came down to visit Elisha lying sick upon his death bed, he was willed by the prophet to take into his hand the arrow of the Lords deliverance against Aram, & to smite the ground: 2. Reg. 13.14. to the 20. whereupon he smote thrice and ceased: But the man of God was angry with him & said, thou shouldest have smitten five or six times, so thou shouldest have smitten Aram till thou hadst consumed it, where now thou shalt smite Aram but thrice. The meaning is, that joash deserved just reproof and great blame, because he seemed content to have victory against the enemies of God, for twice or thrice, and had not a zeal to overcome them continually, and destroy them utterly. And surely Saul cannot spare Agag saving to his own hurt. 1. Sam. 15.22.23. Neither can Ahab have the life of Benhadad, but with his own loss. 1. Reg. 20.42. 2. Chro. 15.16. Wherefore King Asa did not fail to depose his grandmother Maachah from her regency, because she had made an Idol in a grove, which Idol he broke down, and stamped it, and burned it at the brook Kidron. Consider here a little with me (beloved) the mishap, (that I say not misery) of divers princes (keeping me within the limits or bounds of the holy scripture) in this case of showing mercy, and practising of judgement. For first of all it falleth out not seldom, that those notorious malefactors deserving death, whom princes do pardon in mercy, (if not upon foolish pity) do afterward most unthankfully and treacherously seek to take the Sceptre out of the hand, and to pull the Crown from the head, and to withdraw life from the body of their benefactors, who had graciously forgiven them their crimes, and so consquently given to them their lives, lands, goods, liberty and all. This may be fitly exemplified in Absalon, who after that he was pardoned for the murdering of his brother Amnon, 2. Sam. 15 and restored to favour in court, rose up early, and stood hard by the entering in of the gate, and reached forth his hand to every suitor of account, and by slander, flattery, and fair promises, he stolen away the hearts of the people, and at the length he braced forth into actual rebellion against his natural father. 2. Sam. 3.27: joab likewise when he had escaped without punishment for stabbing of Abner, he was thereby emboldened to proceed forward to the murdering of Amasa, Ibid. 20.9.10. and this done without controlment, he presumed to aid aspiring Adonijah to the prejudice of Solomon, 1. Reg. 1.7. who was to succeed in the kingdom by the appointment of his father David yet living. Secondly, Princes have been sometimes overawed by the peers of the Realm, or otherwise for fear of tumult in the state, they durst not either show kindness, and give entertainment to good men whom they loved, or to execute mighty malefactors, as in duty they should have done. Of the first sort we have an example in Achish the king of Gath, 1. Sam. 29.6.9.10. who confessed that David pleased him as an Angel of God, but therewithal he told him that he must be packing out of his company, because the princes of the Philistines did not favour him. Of the second sort we have an example in David, who though he spoke and did much in detestation of joabs murdering of Abner, yet he durst not put him to death for it, as it may be collected by these words of his: I am this day weak and newly anointed King: 2. Sam. 3.39. and these men the sons of Zeruiah be too hard for me: 2. Sam. 3.36. the Lord reward the doer of evil according to his wickedness. 1. Reg. 2.5.6.8.9.31.44.45.46. But this falleth out well and rightly, that whom David spared in policy, those Solomon executed in judgement, as railing Shimei, and bloody joab. Hear let me stand a little upon David's promise to sing Mercy and judgement, and consider whether he performed the same always or not. I will put the case in the example of lame Mephibosheth the son of his old and dear friend jonathan, 2. Sam. 9.1.3.7: to whom I confess he did kindly show mercy for his father's sake, by restoring unto him all the fields of his Grandfather Saul, and licensing him to eat bread at his own table continually: but when he came to the point of judgement, I find him defective. For when David fled before the face of Absalon, Ziba the servant of Mephiboseth meeteth him with a large present of his master's goods, 2. Sam. 16.1.2.3.4. and presenting the same unto him, he frameth sycophantly a most false accusation of treason against his master, as though he had said, this day shall the house of Israel restore me the kingdom of my father. Whereupon rashly without leaving the one ear for the defendant, he gave sentence, condemning the innocent in favour of the plaintiff, being a calumniator; saying to Ziba, behold thine are all that pertained unto Mephibosheth. And when as Mephibosheth afterward met David returning victoriously after the overthrow of Absalon, and fully cleared himself of the heinous crime of treason wherewith he had been falsely charged, than David giveth sentence in this wise, 2. Sam. 19.29. thou and Ziba divide the lands. Herein David did evil in taking his land from him, before he knew the cause, but much worse that knowing the truth, he did not restore them. And here we may observe, that in the case of justice our 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is more upright than our 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉: our contemplation is sounder than our practice. Or to speak to the capacity of the meanest hearer, a man may more easily, pen the cause of justice in his private study, then rightly practise it in public upon the bench. For in solitary meditation, a man may without difficulty abandon all rashness, and partial affection, but in judicial place abroad, respect of persons, and other corruptions do easily enter into our minds and hearts, by the ministery of our eyes and ears. Now the way to prevent this mischief, is to do that sincerely, which David promiseth here to do; namely, to sing unto the Lord, that is to show mercy, and practise judgement to the glory of God, whereunto all things ought to be referred, according to Saint Paul's direction, whether ye eat, drink, 1. Cor. 10.31. or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God. Insomuch as alms must be given in charity without the sound of a trumpet: Mat. 6.1. to the 7. and prayer must be made of devotion without public ostentation. And to descend from the general doctrine to the particular instruction which I have in hand, miserable was the case of that wretched judge who did right to the poor widow, Luke. 18.4.5. not for fear of God, or reverence to man, but only to avoid her clamour and importunity. And no better was the case of the-Philistins in the book of the judges, who when as the Timnite gave his daughter being Samsons wife, judg. 15.1. to the 7. to an other man, they regarded not to punish this unjust and adulterous act: But when as Samson in revenge of this wrong, had with three hundred Foxes turned tail to tail, having firebands fastened thereto, set on fire, and burned up the ricks and the standing corn with the vineyards and Olives of the Philistines: then they came up in troops and burnt the Timnite and his daughter with fire. Thus the wicked punish not vice for love of justice, but to be revenged in respect of former loss, and for fear of future danger which else might come unto them. Again, to thee O Lord will I sing; that is, howsoever by the chanting of this ditty of mercy and judgement, I shall seem to howl in the ears of the ungodly, yet my song to thee O lord, shall be thought very melodious. Whereby we are taught this general doctrine, that in doing of our duty in our several vocations, this aught to be our comfort, that our words and works are pleasing unto God, howsoever they be displeasing to the world of wicked men. So though Noah was scorned by the men of his time, for preparing the Ark, and urging repentance to prevent the peril of the Deluge to come: yet is he by the providence of God, ad perpetuam rei memoriam, chronicled for a preacher of righteousness. And though David for dancing before the Ark, being girded with a linen Ephod, 2. Pet. 2.5. 2. Sam. 6.14.16.20.21.22. was by his wife Michal despised in her heart: yet was he had in most high reputation by the maids of honour attending upon Michal. Yea David will yet be more vile than thus, and he will be low in his own sight, knowing that all shall be acceptable in heaven, which is here on earth done before the Lord, that is for no worldly affection, but only for the zeal which we leave to God's glory. Isa. 8.18. Wisd. 5.15. Isai and the children which God gave unto him, were as signs and wonders in Israel: yet their reward was with the Lord. If john come neither eating, nor drinking, they say he hath a devil. Mat. 11.18.19. And if the son of man come eating and drinking, they say, behold a glutton, and a drinker of wine, Act. 26.24.25. a friend of publicans and sinners; but yet wisdom is justified of her children. If Festus be judge of Paul's speeches, 1. Cor. 4.9.13. than Paul is beside himself, much learning doth make him mad. Howbeit, Paul is not mad, O noble Festus, Ibid. ver: 3. but he speaketh the words of truth and soberness. The Apostles were made a gazingstock unto the world, and to the Angels, and to men, they were counted as the filth of the world, 2. Cor. 4.15.16. and the ofscowring of all things: howbeit they passed very little to be judged of man's judgement: knowing that they were unto God the sweet savour of Christ, in them that are saved, & in them which perish: to the one, the savour of death unto death, and to the other the savour of life unto life. Thus the sweet singer of Israel promiseth to sing the divine ditty of mercy and judgement, 2. Sam. ●●. ● to the Lord of Lords, even God the father, the son and the holy Ghost; to whom three persons and one everliving God, be all honour and glory both now, and for evermore. Amen.